Moonbyul, dressed in a bespoke dark blue jacket matched with a crispy white dress shirt, strode into the spacious office of the Moon leader impudently, a hand resting on the dip of Kim Yongsun’s back possessively. The buttons of her shirt were done all the way up to hide all the markings of the passionate love that they shared the night before during the atypical heat of the older woman.

Kim Yongsun, on the other hand, dressed like an alluring seductress, a satin dress that clung to every one of her delectable curves in the same shade as Byulyi’s jacket. The cut at the back dipped so low that she could feel Byulyi’s hand on her skin, a cherished warmth to reassure her while they were facing her intimidating parents. A part of her wondered if this was also a way to stake her claim on her since she bore no marks. She stiffened visibly when Byulyi spread her fingers languorously on her skin, sending delicious tingling sensations down her spine. She turned to face the taller woman and glowered at her, noting the impish gleam in her sapphire eyes.

Flashes of heat coursed through her system and Yongsun frowned. It must be the lingering effects of her atypical heat that made her so sensitive to the touches of her lover.

The way Byul’s cherry-shaped lips curled in a faint smirk had heat creeping up her neck to colour her plump cheeks. Oh god, did Byul know that she was turning her on?

A quick clear of voice—obviously belonging to a man from the deep register—reminded the couple of their location. Now, Yongsun wanted to dig a hole to hide herself when she remembered that they were here to confront the parents of Byul.

Byul was mildly annoyed that the teasing of her partner was rudely interrupted and she rose herself to her full height, turning to glare at Leader Moon.

The handsome, retired General was not sitting at the imposing desk facing the double doors of the office. Instead, he had chosen to sit at the litter of armchairs near the fireplace, a more comfortable and cozy area to have a causal conversation. It was a sign that couple had been invited for a casual chat rather than facing an interrogation. Nonetheless, Leader Moon was still a commanding man, well-built and remarkably handsome. He was like fine wine, the laughter lines at the corners of his eyes adding only to his rugged attractiveness. He seemed most recovered from the alpha bout two days ago, only showing signs of exhaustion.

He was accompanied by his wife, Lady Moon. The couple noted that the dignified older woman dressed immaculately in a two-piece deep green jacket and skirt suit was seated across her husband instead of next to him. Something must have happened over the weekend that resulted in Lady Moon’s reluctance to project a united image with her husband. She sat proudly, her knees closed and slanted to the side. She carried herself with equal elegance that matched her imposing husband.

That left the three-seat couch for the younger couple.

Lady Moon did not hide her consternation of the younger couple when they had entered the spacious office, glaring at Yongsun lethally. She could not believe that her daughter had the audacity to bring this woman to this meeting. She righted herself even more.

Moonbyul stepped between them, shielding Yongsun from her hostile gaze at once. Her jaws clenched and unclenched, a sign of her rage at her mother’s accusatory glare. She felt no need to maintain the civil mask of politeness, glaring back at her with visible rage.

The atmosphere in the office grew tense as mother and daughter continued to glare at each other.

Kind Yongsun was the individual who mediated between the stubborn mother and daughter. She rested a hand on Byulyi’s toned stomach and gained her full attention at once.

The lethal glare softened when Byulyi met her omega’s imploring gaze. She frowned, still visibly annoyed. The silver-haired alpha did not need to communicate aloud her irritation at the older woman’s insistence of remaining polite to elders. Yongsun’s generous lips curled in a faint smile as her hand moved upwards to rest on her chest, still staring pleading into her eyes.

Finally, Byulyi sighed. In a look, the younger couple had an entire discussion about respecting elders and Byulyi had little choice but to relent. She inhaled deeply, all tension dissipating from her body. “Father and Mother,” greeted Byulyi in a strained voice. “I’ve invited my mate, Yongsun to join us too.”

“Good afternoon, Ms Kim. I expected your presence. Please have a seat,” intoned Leader Moon, mildly surprised at the polite greeting of his daughter, gesturing to the seat.

They thanked him. Together, the couple took a seat and got comfortable.

Leader Moon had the chance to truly witness the chemistry of the younger couple sitting across him. He hid his smile behind his hand when he noticed Byulyi remain in Yongsun’s space. The fearsome, protective instinct of the Silver Wolf had driven the handsome silver-haired woman to be ready to defend her woman at the drop of a hat.

Yet, it wasn’t the protective instinct that caught his attention. Her behaviour only confirmed his suspicion. It was Yongsun’s reaction that fascinated him. She was unlike any omega woman he had met, needless to say, single-parent omega.

Yongsun did not take advantage of this protective instinct and sought comfort from his daughter. Instead, this ash-brown haired woman had only indulged Byul, knowing that this would bring the former some peace.

Fascinating.

His daughter had found an independent omega with fire in her soul.

The nervousness and irritation spilling from the faint bond he had with his wife had him glance at the elegant woman sitting in an armchair away from him. Studying his wife, he could discern nothing from her carefully-constructed public mask. This was an ability that always fascinated him, besides her obsession about maintaining pristine reputation.

The alpha wolf in him whined to close the distance between them and hold her hand. However, Leader Moon suppressed that desire. It was more than just physical distance that kept them apart, the yawning emotional distance had existed since his wife was kept away from Byulyi for the latter’s sake. Perhaps, it was this mistake that led to the mother and daughter’s estranged relationship.

Leader Moon clasped his hands together, looking at the younger couple. “I’m sure you know the reason for this chat. Byul, thank you for alerting me to the matter of the Kim clan pursuing after Ms Kim and your pup.”

“Honey, you can’t think that it was my family’s fault,” countered Lady Moon, upset. “My family was simply trying to get to know Ms Kim while securing the heir apparent of our family.”

Moonbyul seethed. “Get to know? Mother, I had no idea that an attempt to kidnap was a way of getting to know someone—”

“—You are just too blinded by love and under the influence of the mating mark of Ms Kim to view this matter objectively.” She held herself at full height. “I have only done what the clan had always done in the past, secure the heir apparent first.”

“And that isn’t a sign of your biasness, Mother?” Moonbyul fired, unamused. “You’re bearing the very mark of Father so does that colour your view of the world too?” She shook her head lightly, relaxing in her seat. “Besides, this is a matter of the Moon clan, why is the Kim clan involved?”

Lady Moon’s brows furrowed at once. “Soojung,” admonished the beautiful middle-aged woman, her tone encapsulating her deep-seated frustration and dissent. In her irritation, she had forgotten to keep up the appearance of a supportive wife. “Must I remind you that the Kim clan has been nothing but loyal to our clan?”

“They were rewarded with unprecedented privileges for that loyalty,” blurted Moonbyul calmly, slinging a hand through the back of Yongsun. “Just as they were punished for the heinous crimes they have committed against the clan.” The quiet, compelling authority in her soft and low voice sent delicious shivers down the spine of the silent Yongsun.

She suppressed the urge to fan herself at the sudden heat. Although they had been spending a lot of time with each other, she was not immune to the captivating charms of the carelessly elegant Moonbyul.

“Byul,” chided Lady Moon, unable to counter that argument. “For god’s sake, they are your maternal family and I’m your mother—”

“—It’s funny that you brought up our relationship, Mother,” interrupted Moonbyul coolly, meeting her gaze boldly. Those eyes were penetratingly cold. “I didn’t think that you thought of our relationship when you asked your family hunt my partner and child down.” Her cold sapphire eyes darkened faintly. Suddenly, she emitted a suffocating, invisible and ominous pressure.

Lady Moon flinched but her extensive experience with dealing with very domineering alphas helped her to remain outwardly calm. “How could you?” She sounded like she was betrayed by her loved one.

Yongsun’s face hardened at the very mention of someone was going after her pup and the way that she tried to emotionally blackmail Byul, refusing to take any responsibility for her actions. Like her alpha, she met Lady Moon’s gaze defiantly, annoyed.

Leader Moon grounded his jaw before raising a hand to the air. “Byul, please stop.” There was plea in his remarkably blue eyes as he looked at his heir. “I honour the outcome of the alpha bout.” He glanced at his wife meaningfully, a silent bid for her to stop agonising their daughter. Even though he was her sire and the leader of the Moon clan, he could not shield his mate from the wrath of their daughter, knowing acutely how terrifying his rage would be if they had switched places.

Even though this was the first time that Byul had seen Father plea, she felt strangely at ease, as if she ought to receive this deferential treatment even from the head of her family and clan. It was no doubt the feelings of the Silver Wolf awakened in her. Moonbyul considered his plea for several moments then relaxed.

The crushing, powerful pressure alleviated at once. Finally, the older Moon couple could breathe better.

“Soojin, I understand your concerns for our daughter,” began Leader Moon solemnly. “However, I also expect that you honour my decision which is to treat Ms Kim with respect and honour Byul’s choice of partner.”

Lady Moon seethed openly, flinging her arm animatedly. “What about my nephew, Jung?” She pointed to Moonbyul. “Our daughter has kidnapped her cousin, the only son of my younger brother, Heir Kim!”

Moonbyul shrugged, unbothered with her mother’s anger. “The only difference between our attempts was that mine was successful.” Her gaze became wintry. “If Heir Kim’s attempt was successful, Leader Kim would need another successor.”

Chills went down the spine of everyone who heard her threat.

“The Kim clan should never be involved with the family affairs of the Moons,” intoned Leader Moon gravely, placing his hands on the armrest.

Lady Moon shot to her feet, scowling. “Is this all you have to say when my family and I have only the best interest for the Moon clan?” She seethed openly, her breathing ragged. “I will never acknowledge bride of our fallen foe as the future Mistress of the clan!”

Moonbyul growled, barely held back by Yongsun. She released her scent, hoping to calm her upset mate down. She comprehended that Lady Moon was trying to get her way by provoking them.

“What do you mean?” Leader Moon asked, looking at his wife. “There is nothing to suggest that Ms Kim had been engaged at all—”

“—Your source of information is faulty. How could you let our precious daughter be claimed by the bride of the Nam’s heir?”

Moonbyul’s jaws clenched and unclenched as she lurched forward. Yongsun simply exerted more pressure to keep her hot-headed alpha seated on the sofa. She shook her head subtly at the younger woman. Some of her rage dissipated and she settled for glaring at her mother. If looks could kill, Byul would have committed matricide. “OK. Was there a misunderstanding, Lady Moon? I was never engaged to Eric Nam.” She felt Byulyi took her hand and entwined their fingers as a sign of support. “I dated him when we were in college.”

Lady Moon glanced at Byulyi. “And she has never broken up with him. I’ve spoken to Heir Nam. He still believes that he would marry you after he is released on early parole.”

Moonbyul blinked continuously. “That cannot be true. He was sentenced to lifetime without parole.” It was one of the reasons she did not bother ending his life after she found out what he had nearly did to Yongsun.

Instinctively, she pulled Yongsun closer to her so that she would nestle against her side. Yongsun squeezed her knee gratefully.

It did not take long for Byul to connect the dots. “You had a chat with Heir Nam? Mother, you facilitated this early parole, didn’t you?” She stiffened and glared at her mother. “How could you do that just to sabotage my relationship?” Her mind could only focus on the possibility of a threat to her omega.

“Babe, it’s fine,” spoke Yongsun finally. Her gaze vacillated between the three Moons. “I might have dated Eric then but that was a decade ago. He is completely irrelevant. In his time of imprisonment, I made no contact with him because my only concern is to raise my son.” Secretly, she was wondering why Lady Moon was so determined to destroy her own relationship with her daughter. She squeezed Byul’s hand gently, knowing that her lover was just being too protective.

“Byul, can you believe her—”

“—Enough. This was meant to be a civil discussion to resolve the conflicts,” interrupted Leader Moon, heat in his tone. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, centring himself. He turned to look at his wife of decades and wondered if he truly knew her. “Honey, your concerns are invalid. All your actions have done was to bring pain to Byul—”

“—I’m her mother! I would never wish harm on my child!” She added vehemently, rising to her feet. Her breathing was harsh. “She is obviously misguided and bewitched!”

“Kim Soojin,” uttered Leader Moon coldly. “I have made my decision. Jihoon, please come in.”

There was a light rap on the double doors and the stately butler entered the office. He bowed curtly.

“Please Lady Moon back to her suite now. Without my permission, she isn’t allowed to leave the mansion or make any contact with her family.”

Lady Moon whipped her head to glare at her husband. “Are you truly doing this to me, Soojung?” She shook her head, disappointed. “I don’t need an . I can walk by myself,” snarled Lady Moon.

“Wait for a moment,” spoke Moonbyul, halting her mother as she approached the exit. “Mother, if you and your family try to do anything to my woman and child, there will not be a family home for you to return.”

The older woman stiffened visibly at her open threat and brushed the tears away from her eyes. She glared at her daughter. “A thankless wretch that I have carried for ten months. I wash my hands off you.” With her head held high, Lady Moon marched out of the office, the stoic butler trailing behind her.

Yongsun was taken back by the viciousness of Lady Moon’s insult towards her own child. Her heart ached. She glanced at the stoic younger woman sitting next to her worriedly and Byul simply squeezed her hand reassuringly.

Leader Moon walked to the alcohol cabinet and took out a decanter of whiskey.

“Father, are you sure that this is a good idea?” Moonbyul asked, closing the distance and placing a hand on his to stop the older man from pouring himself a generous cup of whiskey.

The gaze of the two alphas met and mirth danced in Leader Moon’s eyes. “Are you going to stop me, Byul? This is my first cup after I’m discharged from Dr Moon’s care. That stickler refused to let me have a glass when I was handling the mess.”

Byulyi sighed, seeing the point. She took the decanter from her father and a crystal glass. She jerked her head towards the seat, an invitation for him to return to his seat. When Leader Moon sat down, Byulyi poured two fingers and handed the crystal glass to Father politely.

“Leader Moon, are you feeling better now?” Yongsun asked, rubbing her nape. The older man had passed out from his severe internal injuries two days ago. The healing of the Moon alphas was remarkable since he looked mostly recovered, just sporting some signs of exhaustion.

He knocked back the glass and smiled at her warmly. “I’m better. Thank you for asking, Ms Kim.” He stared at the empty glass for several moments. “I’m truly sorry. The other members of the Moon clan are ecstatic to meet you.”

Byulyi blinked repeatedly at her father’s apology. She could not recall another time when her formidable father was so humbled.

“Shall we talk about your future plans now?” Leader Moon asked, propping his face with a hand carelessly.

Byulyi shrugged. “Our plan has not changed. Unnie will be my mate, wife and the future Mistress of the Moon clan.”

“Of course,” agreed Leader Moon wryly. “I should have been more specific. Are you still planning to go ahead with the engagement ritual?” His gaze vacillated between the two younger women. “The ritual is merely a tradition.” He gave an absent shrug.

The engagement ritual culminated with the Moon alpha staking their claim on their chosen omega before the holy presence of the Moon Goddess. It was meant to be a dedication of their chosen omega to their Goddess, expressing their unwavering loyalty to Her. In the case of Byul who was already claimed by Yongsun, this dedication was pointless—Byul had already chosen her goddess, which was her omega.

“Yes, Leader Moon,” concurred Yongsun without missing a beat. She glanced at Byulyi briefly. “I know very little about it. All Byul mention was that this ritual take place on the night of a full moon.”

“Unnie, I also mentioned that it would take place in the inner chamber of the Moon temple,” added Byulyi, glancing at her, amused.

“Right. And that too, Leader Moon,” added Yongsun, smiling dryly.

Leader Moon smiled faintly at their sweet chemistry. He steepled his fingers together. “Well, there is a formal gathering to introduce the fiancée to the members of the Moon clan. I guess this would be the first time we are holding this gathering since Byul’s former engagement did not include this tradition.”

“Not even with Wheepup?” Yongsun was surprised.

Byulyi shook her head lightly. “I was enlisted.” She scratched the side of her nose. She looked at Yongsun meaningfully.

“Wait. Wait,” spoke Leader Moon when he noticed the interaction between his daughter and his daughter-in-law. He whipped his head to stare at his daughter, wide-eyed. “Byul, you didn’t destroy the Nam clan for Krystal. You did it for Ms Kim.”

The handsome silver-haired woman nodded cautiously but she did not offer any other explanation.

Leader Moon frowned. “Oh. You had a justified reason.”

“Unnie believed that I went too far,” smiled Byulyi, glancing at Yongsun. “Anyway, I deserved to be punished.” She could have gone after Eric Nam personally but she had ruined the Nam clan so that he could not escape from his punishment.

The retired General did not know what to say now that he understood the truth. Of course, his honourable and chivalric daughter would never explain her actions since it involved the reputation of a woman. His stomach knotted uncomfortably. He had assumed that Byul’s obsession with Krystal had driven her to destroy a clan in rage.

Given his daughter’s heightened state at the very mention that Heir Nam might be on early parole, he could pierce the pieces to form the truth. His jaws clenched and unclenched at the very thought that someone had hurt Yongsun.

“Don’