: The Truth About Alpha Marriages

The café was quiet. Too quiet.

Nene expected tension, maybe a dramatic reveal, but she hadn't expected her mother to look so... normal.

Li Xiu sat at a corner table, a delicate woman with soft features and a calm presence. Her high-collared dress looked expensive but understated—elegant, not flashy. She looked nothing like the royalty Nene had imagined.

For a second, Nene didn't move. She just stood there, staring at the woman who had supposedly given birth to her.

Li Xiu looked up, her gaze warm but carefully measured.

"You came," she said gently.

"Yeah." Nene slid into the seat across from her, crossing her arms. "You sent a car. Figured I might as well see where this is going."

Li Xiu smiled faintly, but there was something sad about it.

"Did you order yet?" she asked.

"Not really in a coffee mood," Nene said flatly. "Maybe more of a 'Why the hell are you contacting me now?' mood."

Li Xiu let out a soft sigh. "That's fair."

Nene waited, arms crossed, expecting excuses, apologies—something.

Instead, Li Xiu went straight to the point.

"In werewolf society," she began, "Alpha families only marry other Alphas."

Nene blinked. "Okay?"

Li Xiu stirred her tea slowly. "It's done to maintain strength. When two Alphas marry, their children are born stronger, more stable. No Omegas are born, which means no weak bloodlines."

Nene frowned. She didn't know much about pack genetics, but she'd heard Omegas were rare—and often treated… badly.

Li Xiu continued, "That's why my marriage to Lin Zhen was arranged. It wasn't personal—it was politics."

Nene rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sounds about right."

"But then," Li Xiu said softly, "I met my fated mate."

Nene froze mid-eye roll.

Wait. What?

Li Xiu smiled, but it was small. Distant.

"It wasn't supposed to happen. Fated mates aren't… common in Alpha families. But it did."

Nene leaned forward. "And what? You just ran off with your fated mate? Or—?"

Li Xiu shook her head. "I was ill. For a long time. Lin Zhen… made an arrangement with my mate. One that kept me safe while I recovered."

Her voice was careful, measured. Like there was more to the story than she was saying.

Nene narrowed her eyes. "What kind of arrangement?"

Li Xiu hesitated. "One that removed me from public record. By the time I recovered, there was no paper trail of my existence."

Nene's stomach twisted. "So legally, you don't exist?"

"To most people, no."

Nene's mind spun. "Okay, so that explains you. But what about me? You still left me. Lin Zhen—"

"We found you when you were sixteen," Li Xiu interrupted gently.

Nene's breath caught.

Sixteen.

Two years ago.

That was the year she had moved out on her own. The year she had gotten her apartment, her first serious equipment for making beats.

"You… helped me?" she asked slowly.

Li Xiu nodded. "We set up your apartment under a secure registry. It wasn't easy, but we wanted to make sure you were safe."

Nene's chest tightened.

"You're telling me I've been some secret werewolf witness protection case for two years and I had no idea?"

Li Xiu's expression darkened. "It wasn't just for security. It was because… things have been messy."

Nene's pulse picked up. "Messy how?"

Her mother's next words sent a chill down her spine.

"Fated mates are being assassinated."

Nene's mouth went dry. "What?"

Li Xiu's fingers curled around her cup. "Someone is targeting them. Not just random couples—high-profile fated mates. Some of them political figures, some business leaders, but all of them protected."

Nene's heart pounded.

Fated mates weren't just rare—they were legally binding under werewolf law. If someone wanted to weaken an Alpha or disrupt an alliance, killing a fated mate would be the fastest way to do it.

Li Xiu met her gaze, her voice quieter now. "That's why I didn't reach out. I didn't want you anywhere near this."

Nene clenched her jaw. "Near what, exactly? Because so far, all I'm hearing is vague warnings and half-truths."

Li Xiu exhaled slowly, fingers tightening around her teacup.

"Nene, I have been in critical condition three times in the past five years. My body isn't as strong as it should be, and my mate—" She hesitated. "—has done everything possible to keep me safe. That includes keeping you safe."

Nene stiffened.

Three times in critical condition? That wasn't just bad luck. That was survival.

Li Xiu took a sip of her tea before continuing. "I still require regular medical checkups. The damage from my illness wasn't something that could be fully healed. And… I also have a young son. Your brother. He's five."

Nene's head snapped up.

A brother?

Her mind reeled. She had spent her entire life alone, believing she was an unwanted child. And now, suddenly, she had a sibling she'd never even known about?

Li Xiu smiled faintly. "He's a lot like you. Stubborn. Sharp. Too smart for his age."

Nene swallowed down the whirlwind of emotions. She'd deal with that later.

Right now, she needed answers.

"You keep saying you and your mate were protecting me," she said. "From what?"

Li Xiu's expression turned grim. "That's why this is dangerous."

She set her teacup down with measured precision, her fingers lingering on the porcelain as if gathering her thoughts.

"We can't see the enemy, Nene."

Nene's breath hitched. "What do you mean?"

Li Xiu's gaze was steady, unyielding. "These assassinations—they aren't sloppy. No trails. No bodies left behind. Just gone. Entire records erased. Whoever is behind this, they're careful, powerful, and they know exactly who to target."

A slow chill crawled up Nene's spine.

"And you think I'm on that list?"

Li Xiu exhaled. "Not yet. But if you step into this world? If you align with your father? That changes."

Nene crossed her arms. "So Lin Zhen is making some kind of political play."

Li Xiu's lips pressed together before she gave a reluctant nod. "I don't like it. But I respect the benefits."

That answer threw Nene off. "You respect it?"

Her mother didn't flinch. "Alpha politics is about power, and power is about survival. Lin Zhen is securing his position before anyone else does it for him. Aligning with you gives him leverage—an heir who can't be ignored."

Nene scoffed. "I'm not his heir. I don't even want to be in his world."

Li Xiu's voice softened, but the weight behind it was firm. "That may not be your choice, daughter."

The word hit.

Daughter.

Nene swallowed but said nothing.

Li Xiu continued, "As I said, Alpha families only marry other Alphas. It's about bloodlines, about keeping strength within the pack structure. Fated mates complicate that system, but arranged bonds? Those are political gold."

A sharp, uneasy feeling crept into Nene's chest. "What exactly are you saying?"

Her mother's eyes darkened. "I don't know Lin Zhen's full plan, but I do know this—if he's bringing you into werewolf society now, it's not just to introduce you as his daughter. It's to make a statement. To show that you, Nene—whether you want to or not—are a piece on the board."

Nene gritted her teeth, frustration bubbling beneath her skin.

"So what, I'm just a bargaining chip? A name he can throw around to make deals?"

Li Xiu hesitated. Then, quietly—

"Or a bride to secure an alliance."

Nene's pulse spiked.

"Excuse me?!"

Her mother didn't look away. "I don't have proof. But if Lin Zhen is moving this fast, he might already be arranging something behind the scenes. A mate bond between Alpha bloodlines would give him unshakable influence."

Nene shot up from her chair, heart pounding.

"No. Hell no. That's not happening."

Li Xiu didn't argue. Instead, she reached into her bag and slid a sleek black envelope across the table.

Nene stared at it, wary. "What's this?"

Li Xiu's expression was unreadable. "It may help."

Nene hesitated, then picked it up. Inside was a black credit card, a small keycard, and a folded handwritten note on thick, expensive paper.

She flicked her gaze back to Li Xiu. "How much are we talking here?"

"The card is linked to an offshore account with twenty million in untraceable funds."

Nene nearly choked on air. "I'm sorry—what?!"

Li Xiu remained calm. "You may not need it now, but if things escalate, you'll need options. This money isn't tied to Lin Zhen, my mate, or any pack. It's yours alone."

Nene flicked the keycard between her fingers. "And this?"

"A safehouse. If you ever need to disappear, it's fully stocked and secure."

Her fingers tightened around the envelope.

This wasn't just protection money.

This was an exit plan.

Nene exhaled, forcing herself to stay grounded. "So that's it? You're giving me a credit card and a panic room, and hoping I survive whatever mess I've been dragged into?"

Li Xiu studied her for a moment, then—softly, yet with absolute certainty—

"No, Nene. I'm giving you a chance to decide your own fate before someone else does."

Li Xiu folded her hands neatly on the table, watching Nene's expression shift between disbelief, frustration, and suspicion.

Then, with the kind of patient calm only a mother could manage, she said—

"Just listen to the offer, Nene."

Nene let out a sharp laugh, leaning back in her chair. "Oh, sure. Why not? Let's hear what glorious life plan Lin Zhen has arranged for me like I'm a limited-edition chess piece."

Her mother didn't rise to the bait. "It may be worth considering."

Nene's brows shot up. "Are you actually siding with him right now?"

Li Xiu sighed, stirring her tea with slow, deliberate movements. "No. I'm saying we always have a choice. But ignoring an opportunity out of spite is just as reckless as accepting one blindly."

Nene huffed, tapping her fingers against the table. "Yeah, well, my choice is no."

Li Xiu gave her a knowing look. "Then why are you still here, listening?"

Nene stilled.

Damn it. That was a good point.

She crossed her arms. "Fine. What's the offer?"

Li Xiu took a sip of her tea, choosing her words carefully. "Your father isn't the most powerful Alpha in the world, but he is a very good tactician. He wouldn't be making this move if he didn't believe it would give him an advantage."

Nene snorted. "Yeah, well, I'd rather be an advantage to myself, thanks."

Her mother's lips twitched, the faintest hint of amusement breaking through her usual composure. "You remind me of your grandmother."

Nene blinked. "I—wait. Grandma? I have a grandmother?"

Li Xiu tilted her head. "Of course. Did you think Alphas just appeared out of thin air?"

"Honestly? I kind of assumed Lin Zhen was spawned fully grown from a business merger."

Li Xiu actually laughed, a soft, rare sound. "Oh, my mother would love you."

Nene smirked. "I have that effect on people."

Her mother's gaze softened, but just as quickly, it became serious again. "Listen, Nene. When I left, I had to choose between my mate and you. It wasn't an easy decision."

The humor drained from Nene's face.

She swallowed, something sharp pressing in her chest.

"And you picked him."

Li Xiu's expression was unreadable. "I picked survival."

Nene stared at her, emotions warring beneath the surface. "And what am I supposed to do with that? Just… understand?"

Li Xiu exhaled slowly. "No. I don't expect understanding. But I do expect you to be smart about the choices in front of you."

Nene's jaw tightened.

Her mother's voice softened again. "No one gets through this world alone, daughter. Not even you."

Nene looked away, glaring at the black envelope still sitting on the table.

Her exit plan.

Or maybe… something else.

She didn't know yet.

But she was starting to realize—she was going to find out.