Ten years later

“Straightened up, everyone! Our CEO is reaching soon!” A flustered and high-ranking employee dressed in a business suit announced, clapping his hands and urging everyone to clean up the studio and welcome their icy and ruthless CEO soon. Team Leader Roh was one of the most senior staff in Moon Defence and had literally watched that young woman build this impressive and prestigious company from grounds up. The recent changes brought about from serving active duty had left an indelible mark on the charming, beautiful silver-haired heiress of the esteemed Moon clan. Somehow, CEO Moonbyul became colder and stricter as if the active duty had robbed her of her humanity.

He sighed to himself, knowing that this strict CEO Moonbyul would not permit any mistakes. “Ah, our young candidates! Will someone please let the guardians know that they need to be well-mannered?” He moped his moist brow with a handkerchief as his team zoomed around the studio to complete the tasks.

One of his assistants returned and handed him a packet of tissue to clean up. “Let’s hope that Ms Wheein is with our CEO.” The younger man sighed openly, clasping his hands. Jung Wheein, the fiancée of CEO Moonbyul and stand-in CEO of Moon Defence was the only person who could tampered the cold personality of CEO Moonbyul with her infectious warmth.

The team leader sighed again when he remembered the reason CEO Moonbyul had enlisted herself for active duty a decade ago. The original fiancée of Moonbyul, the famous and beautiful supermodel Krystal Jung from the main family of the Jung clan, had accused the CEO of cheating on her. To maintain the close relationship between the clans, CEO Moonbyul had finally taken Jung Wheein, a cousin of Krystal as her fiancée instead and left for active duty abroad. A decade later, CEO Moonbyul returned home as a decorated officer of a high rank and awarded with the military’s highest accolades. It did not come as a surprise to the team leader since CEO Moonbyul was a Moon, there was no way she would not perform well in the military.

“Team leader, CEO Moonbyul and Ms Wheein have reached the foyer,” announced a panting assistant who had run into the studio to inform them.

The team leader took a deep breath to calm down and straightened his outfit properly, hoping not to irk his superior. He jogged to the elevator to wait for the arrival of the CEO and his fiancée, along with his assistants.

When the door of the elevator sprang open, everyone stood at alert and welcomed the stoic CEO Moonbyul and her optimistic fiancée, Ms Wheein. CEO Moonbyul seemed to fill out a bit more, dressed in a bespoke and classic black and white business suit. Once again, Wheein impressed them with her pastel hue dress of flowers, a breath of fresh air. Despite the contrast in personality, the engaged couple looked perfect and harmonious together.

CEO Moonbyul was even more menacing than the staff remembered, radiating this horrifying and invisible pressure that was refined during active combat. Automatically, the staff stood at alert, too afraid to even breathe.

“Unnie,” smiled the beautiful red-haired omega, her single dimple deepening. She grasped the arm of the terrifying CEO, a gentle reminder.

Moonbyul simply raised a single brow but the powerful pressure that she had naturally emanated vanished and the staff could finally breathe better. From the corner of her eyes, she could see the adoration and gratitude in the eyes of the staff for Wheepup. She smiled inwardly, understanding how effortlessly charming Wheepup could be. After all, she was in the palm of this adorable younger omega from the moment they had met in the pub more than ten years ago.

Those soft, bright eyes of Wheein seemed to be able to pierce through the most impregnable defence and peer at the very soul. She found Byulyi’s soul very pleasing. There was no awkwardness, just a sense of correctness when Byulyi spent more time with Wheein beyond that first meeting. She was the younger sister that she never had, a bond that the Jung clan could never comprehend.

Moonbyul leaned closer to her ear, smiling faintly. “Wheepup, don’t go breaking the hearts of our poor employees with your smile.”

Wheein’s cheeks became red as she pouted. “Unnie!” She smacked her arm as she stomped her foot, an adorable display of kittenish tantrum.

The silver-haired alpha merely chuckled, her sapphire eyes bright with mirth. She glanced at the Team leader, recognising the older man at once. “Are the candidates ready, Team Leader Roh?”

The team leader blinked continuously, surprised that his CEO had recognised him.

Moonbyul turned to face him fully when there wasn’t an answer. “It is Team Leader Roh right?”

The older man nodded at once, flustered. “Yes, CEO Moonbyul. I didn’t realise… The young candidates are ready. Will it be OK that their guardians will remain with them during the interview?”

As a woman of little words, Moonbyul simply inclined her head and offered her arm to Wheein again, a request to proceed to the interview.

The team leader guided the engaged couple through the studio, explaining to them about the process of the filming. Moonbyul looked at the set inquisitively but held her silence.

“Unnie, are you really selecting a child actor for this campaign?” Wheein asked, breaking the silence.

The handsome silver-haired alpha nodded at once but Wheein seemed to want more information. “The military wants to present a multi-generational and inspiring army to rouse the next generation.” She scratched the side of her nose distractedly. “The narrative isn’t surprising. Their selection of me as a representative for this gimmick is poorly chosen,” quipped Byulyi, making a face. She had no idea how she could inspire the next generation even with camera magic.

“Unnie,” there was some exasperation in Wheein’s voice. “Was it hard to imagine? You’re from a clan whose leader and members had served the army faithfully. Besides, you’re the most decorated officer of our generation.”

Byulyi suppressed the need to roll her eyes. She did not give up ten years of her life to active duty just to be a model. “Fine, but I don’t have pups. By your logic, the military could feature one of my cousins since they have broods.”

“Your cousins are really lacking in accomplishments though they make up in progeny. Why don’t you select a pup from these broods anyway?” Wheein asked curiously, wondering why they had to undergo this lengthy process of selecting a pup to be Moonbyul’s child in the advertisement.

Moonbyul glanced at her and noticed that Wheepup did not truly understand the ramifications of that decision. “It’s bad for clan politics,” explained the silver-haired woman. “I don’t want my clan mates to believe that I’m looking to adopt to continue the main line.”

Wheein and she might have been engaged for a decade but they were not a couple. She had only made Wheein as her fiancée to protect the red-haired omega from the countless attempts on her life by her clan mates when her engagement with Krystal fell through. The main Jung family had blamed the adorable omega for coming between Krystal and Byulyi, a lie that was propagated by the manager and current husband of Krystal.

This new identity as the fiancée of Moonbyul gave Wheein a proper home to call her own, along with autonomy that she had never enjoyed within the Jung clan. It helped that she was also a whizz in business, managing the Moon Defence in the absence of Moonbyul. The portfolio of the company had tripled in size and was worth more than several billion dollars under her management.

Wheein clicked her tongue, understanding Unnie’s frustration immediately. She was, after all, an orphan that belonged to the minor lines of a powerful clan. Despite having an illustrious surname, she was treated no better than a servant that was fed on the leftovers of the clan. She remembered longing to be associated with the main family for better opportunities. When she had met Byulyi in the pub, all she that she was happy about was having a good friend like her.

Her gaze became haunted, remembering her past. “That’s a good call, Unnie.”

Moonbyul, sensing her discomfort, squeezed her hand gently. Wheepup had never told her about growing up in the Jung clan but she had inferred that the latter must have been treated poorly since she had no parents to protect her.

Wheein smiled sweetly at her, her single dimple deepening. She squeezed her hand back, reassuring the older woman. “That explains a lot. What I don’t understand is how Moon Defence will benefit from this. Our clients are governments from other parts of the world who appreciates a third party.”

The handsome silver-haired alpha shrugged. “No, it doesn’t but it is nice for the military to remember that we are a home-grown business competing with the big boys. Our work is very niche. I don’t think even Apa knows what Moon Defence does.” Byulyi smiled wryly.

Wheein nodded at once, laughing. “No, Leader Moon doesn’t. I tried explaining to him several times over the years when you were away. Leader Moon gave up by the third year and never asked me about Moon Defence again,” sniggered Wheein mischievously.

The silver-haired alpha mirrored her smile. “Good job, little pup.” She tousled her red hair and was immediately headbutted by the shorter woman under the chin. The taller woman cackled, a peal of laughter, much to the astonishment of everyone in the studio.

The interview room that the team leader had led them was a very comfortable and cosy room with sofas lining the muted walls and a large rug in the middle. The CEO and her fiancée took a seat at one of the sofas with an elegance that mesmerised the audience.

The panther-like grace of the silver-haired alpha reminded them of a graceful and agile predator, an untamed being that was used to violence. Wheein, uncaring of the audience, simply nestled against the side of Moonbyul publicly, a way to maintain the sanity of the older woman through physical contact. The red-haired omega found her intuition very accurate since Moonbyul stiffened at once, annoyed, when the young candidates cried at the very sight of her, one after another. Their guardians were not any better, trembling visibly at the sight of her.

After witnessing ten crying candidates, Moonbyul was openly strained, crossing and uncrossing her toned legs impatiently. She had sat upright, her being buzzing with energy. Wheein had tried to calm her down by squeezing her thigh but it seemed like the older woman had hit her limit. She was getting worried from the way her silver brows were furrowed and her face contorted with annoyance as if she had swallowed a lemon. Their subordinates were also getting scared with every failed attempt, realising that they ought to screen the candidates better to avoid this awkwardness.

Wheein gave the terrified Team Leader Roh a meaningful look, taking charge of this tensed situation. “Unnie,” quipped the red-haired omega cheerfully. “Shall we just visit the remaining candidates instead?” The criteria had simplified into just finding a pup that did not cry at the sight of Moonbyul. She sighed inwardly, realising that this might be an impossible task.

Moonbyul grunted and rose to her feet, offering her arm gallantly for Wheein to take. This was a gesture that Wheein had appreciated very much of her Unnie, the silver-haired alpha always offered her the respect deserving as the fiancée of the heiress of a powerful clan. Wheein could tell that Unnie held little hope of finding a suitable child actor, but she indulged them anyway.

Team Leader Roh brought them to another waiting room in brighter colours. It was far larger to hold all the candidates and their guardians. Moon Defence had gone an extra mile to ensure that both the adults and the pups could relax in this room by providing them drinks, snacks and appropriate activities.

The team leader paused at the front and cleared his throat to get the attention of everyone in the room. “This is our CEO, Moonbyul,” announced the older man as the handsome silver-haired alpha stepped into the room, a hand on her jacket.

There was a moment of tensed silence as the pups first laid their eyes on the intimidating Moonbyul. Several heartbeats later, most of the pups burst into tears, throwing themselves into the arms of their helpless guardians desperately, seeking for comfort.

It was simply a mayhem as the adults tried to comfort the wailing kids.

Moonbyul could feel a headache building from the sheer noise and havoc. She rubbed her temple absently, glancing at Wheein to communicate her desire to leave this rowdy room. She stiffened when a boy with silver hair slicked neatly backwards and bright sapphire eyes walked up to her and held her hand gently.

Byulyi blinked in surprise from the warmth of this contact. It was completely foreign to her. She glanced down into the sincere and warm gaze of this special pup. The boy was definitely a looker, an exquisitely handsome pup with expressive, almond-shaped sapphire eyes. He was obviously Moon Goddess ‘s favourite child, bestowed with every beauty the Divinity could think of. He still had some fats of a growing pup, but it could not hide his gorgeous, well-proportional facial features and his plump cheeks. His cherry-shaped lips curled in a lopsided smile, cute little indents appearing under his lips.

“I’m sorry that you had to experience that, uh… Miss,” spoke the boy a little louder, above the chaos, looking very solemn. “Pups can be very sensitive to uh… hostility?” The little pup was searching for a polite word to explain the menacing presence of Moonbyul that he experienced when she had entered the waiting room.

Kim Dopul was just like the other pups in the waiting room. At first, his senses urged him violently to seek a place to hide from this dangerous alpha who had probably taken lives. It was an instinct of pups to shy away from powerful alphas. However, the young pup supressed that urge, inferring that this terrifying woman must have a military background. That would have made sense since Moon Defence worked with militaries around the world.

Mummy had always reminded him not to be too quick to judge: even the sweetest-looking individual could be a monster, what mattered was their actions. He stood at the corner of the big waiting room and studied this handsome silver-haired woman stood so aloofly from others with only the sweet red-haired omega by her side. His heart ached when he saw that she was so used to rejection and he crossed the room right away.

Moonbyul sank on a single knee so that she was at eye-level with this precocious and sweet pup. The silver hair of this pup was parted nicely at the side and combed over neatly. He had worn a white dress shirt tucked neatly into plait shorts. He completed the ensemble with long white socks and sneakers. His outfit as dustless and pristine, unusual for his age. “Hostility,” echoed Byulyi, intrigued and amused. “Why are you not afraid of me then, little pup?” Mirth gleamed in her blue eyes brightly.

The silver-haired pup pouted at once, puffing his round cheeks out. “I’m not a little pup,” corrected the silver-haired pup, enunciating every word as he drew himself to his full height. “I’m nine.” His large blue eyes narrowed at her openly.

The CEO threw her head backwards and guffawed loudly at his adorable indignation, pleasantly surprised that he felt comfortable to argue with her. She placated the irritated pup by raising her hands into the air. “Fine, young man.” She winked at him playfully.

“Unnie,” whined Wheein when she realised that Byulyi was getting along with the boy like a house on fire. “That is unfair! I have been protesting your use of ‘Little Pup’ for so long but you still continue to call me that.” She pouted adorably. “Why are you so biased?” The beautiful red-haired omega complaint, stomping her feet on the floor in an adorable display of tantrum.

“But you’re my Wheepup,” answered Moonbyul matter-of-fact, looking innocent. “How else would you like me to address you?” Immediately, the silver-haired pup snickered loudly before catching himself. He tried to stifle his laughter by covering his mouth with both hands adorably.

Wheein whined at the way Unnie had openly in front of a pup. “Yah! I get it that Unnie get along with this sweet nine-year-old pup—”

“—young man—” corrected Byuyli automatically.

“But maybe you should think about my feelings?” Wheein clung on Byulyi’s neck from behind.

The smiling nine-year-old boy stared at the older woman hanging off the back of the stoic and menacing CEO. To Byulyi’s surprise, the boy smiled toothily. “But you’re a pup,” stated the nine-year-old boy bluntly, tilting his head to the side adorably. “You are young that you could pass off as my sister.”

Immediately, Wheein flinched, her body contorting into odd shapes as she leapt off Byulyi’s back. “Jingle bell!” She squealed at the top of her voice as she cringed.

The eyes of the boy widened like saucers as he stumbled backwards. He lowered his head and shift his weight between the balls of his feet nervously.

A foreign urge of protectiveness surged in Byulyi at the sight of the pup’s discomfort. She bit her bottom lip, wondering how to explain to the poor pup that this was a classic response of Wheein to her natural flirtatious ways. She sighed, running her hand through her silver hair absently. Never mind, she had to take charge of this situation just in case Wheein spooked him.

Byulyi took the hand of the pup gently, noting that it was so small in her palm. The silver-haired pup glanced at her as he held her hand, feeling more reassured. A warmth flooded through the system of Byulyi at this small victory of comforting the pup. “Where is your guardian? You should fetch them now.”

The little boy shook his head at her before averting his glance.

The CEO scowled at the thought that this pup had attended the interview alone, getting upset on his behalf. She suppressed that irritation and led the pup out of the chaotic and noisy waiting room to the corridor where a few staff were milling. Byulyi breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a lot better now that she was not surrounded by wailing pups and terrified adults since their combined scents of distress drove her barmy too. The wolf within her relaxed at once since it was no longer flooded with stimulus.

The little boy still held her hand, giving her several moments to compose herself. “It is rough,” commented the silver-haired boy absently, studying the open relief on Byulyi’s face.

Byulyi nodded. “It gets that way when you’re an alpha.” She took discreet sniff and determined this little pup to be a future alpha. There was a milky overtone to a familiar and soothing scent, a scent that reminded her of sunshine. “We’re more sensitive to the scents of distress from omegas and pups. It’s always good to avoid places that has both elements.”

Kim Dopul nodded attentively. He learnt something new since he did not have a sire to share such tips about growing as an alpha.

The brows of the sensitive silver-haired CEO furrowed slightly since such advice ought to be given by the sire. “Did you say that your guardian wasn’t with you? How did you come here?” Byulyi clarified, lowering herself to his eye level once again. She had to hide the mild annoyance at the parents of this sweet pup for being so remiss on their duties. Why does this pup know nothing about growing as an alpha? These were common advice given by the sire to the pup. Have his parents not heard about child trafficking?

Dopul looked away as he shifted his weight between the balls of feet nervously and Byulyi knew that there must be a tale. She did not press the pup for an answer as he searched for an explanation. His eyes brightened at an idea. “I have a signed consent form. Mummy dropped me off since she was busy with work.” He removed the backpack swiftly and took out a pristine consent form from a folder cautiously. With both hands, he presented the document to her eagerly.

Byulyi was very impressed with the little pup so far. He had shown a lot of promise from the way he had conducted himself, along with his meticulous ways. She did not think that she was this detail-oriented when she was nine.

The CEO smiled, receiving the document. She read through the consent form swiftly, paying more attention to the nervous child before her than the information on the document. A strange yearning to comfort the worried pup surfaced in her. “I guess I’ll hold on this for now.” She lifted his document for emphasis. “Thank you. It looks like it is in order. We’ve been talking for a while but I haven’t got your name, young man. I’m Byulyi. It is nice to meet you.”

The little boy grinned lopsidedly, glad for the change of topic. “I’m Kim Dopul, CEO Moon—”

Byulyi shook her head lightly. “—Byulyi or Byul,” corrected the silver-haired alpha good-naturedly. She straightened herself and gave him a look over. “Or are you finally getting afraid of me, Dopul—”

“—Of course not, Byulyi,” interjected the little boy anxiously, waving his hands animatedly.

Byulyi smiled, her nose wrinkled and her cherry-shaped lips rounded in a crooked smile. “Good. It’s a privilege for a young brave man like you.” She extended her hand automatically, wishing to tousle his hair but resisted at the final moment. She cleared her voice openly and took his hand once again as she stood up. “Let’s wait for the others in the other waiting room. I’m sure they have things they need to wrap up.”

Dopul followed Byulyi trustingly, walking along the calm corridor towards the smaller waiting room at the end. “Dopul, why are you not afraid of me?” There was interest in the CEO’s gaze.

Dopul glanced upwards at her and noticed her fascination. His brows knitted as he contemplated that question seriously. “There was no reason for you to hurt us, no matter how our instincts wailed at us. The wolf cub usually errs on the side of caution to keep us safe,” explained the handsome boy sagely. “And Byulyi has been very kind to me.” He added shyly, his cheeks pinking.

Byulyi stopped suddenly, flabbergasted. No one had ever told her that she was kind. There was an inscrutable gleam in her eye as she studied the earnest little boy. She rested a hand on his head with utmost gentleness, her gaze tender. “Just like Dopul.”

He shared that similar smile, blushing furiously.

The sweet moment dissipated between them when Byulyi tousled his head playfully. “Aren’t you an authority on pups, Pip?” She teased the pup and her smirk widened when the little boy frowned. She placated the pouting pup by tidying his hair careful. “I don’t know any pups so you’ll know better, Pip.”

Dopul puffed out his chest proudly at her praise. He followed her into the smaller and cosy interview room that was set up for a friendly conversation. The silver-haired boy scanned the room, fascinated. It was so different from the waiting room.

“Just take a seat, Dopul,” prompted Byulyi, releasing his hand and gesturing to the comfortable sofas. She placed the consent form of Kim Dopul on the coffee table and wandered about the room. The CEO frowned when she found only coffee and tea in the automatic dispens