: Gossip, Loopholes, and Bloodline

Nene exhaled sharply as she sank into the leather seat of the car.

She was still processing everything—the sudden move, the absolute lack of control, the fact that Zhao Alexander had carried her like she was a bag of groceries—but for now, she had a moment to breathe.

Alexander, seated next to her, was already pulling out a sleek, thin tablet, his gold eyes scanning data as his fingers moved with sharp efficiency.

Work mode.

Good. That meant he'd be ignoring her for a bit.

She turned toward the window, pulled out her phone, and opened her social feeds.

The second she went online, messages flooded in.

Some were from her followers, commenting on her sudden silence after her last stream.

But one was from Jiho.

Jiho [10:34 PM]

- YOU ALIVE??

Nene [10:35 PM]

- No. I died. You're texting my ghost.

Jiho [10:35 PM]

- Damn. RIP.

- Also, you are LUCKY you told your new husband I'm an Omega.

- Keep reminding him of that. Like, often.

Nene [10:36 PM]

- …You think I'm stupid enough to forget??

Jiho [10:36 PM]

- You might.

**- Alphas have insane memory when it comes to other males around their mate.

- Doesn't matter if it's business, family, or a literal doctor.

**- If it's a guy, they keep score.

- If they're also an Alpha? They don't forget. Ever.

Nene groaned.

She knew Alexander had been on edge back in her room, but if Jiho was right, that wasn't just annoyance.

That was Alpha possessiveness, barely contained.

Nene [10:37 PM]

- Yeah, well. Not my problem.

Jiho [10:37 PM]

- Ohhh, babe. It is so your problem.

Nene rolled her eyes, but before she could type back, Jiho sent another message.

Jiho [10:38 PM]

- Anyway. Have you checked the gossip channels yet?

Nene [10:38 PM]

- …What gossip?

Jiho [10:38 PM]

- Oh, sweet summer child.

Jiho sent a link.

Nene clicked it, and—

Oh. Oh, hell.

Her stomach dropped as she scrolled through the article.

Zhao Alexander's Pending Marriage: The Alpha Empire's Most Powerful Deal?

Three months ago, Zhao Alexander proposed a political marriage to Lin Zhen's daughter. With the contract finalized, the wedding is expected to occur once his bride turns eighteen.

…Three months ago.

The exact same time her legal status became official.

Nene gritted her teeth.

Nene [10:39 PM]

- So this was planned MONTHS ago?

Jiho [10:39 PM]

- Babe.

- He locked it down before you were even legally an adult.

- You were protected by law, so it couldn't be announced officially until now.

Nene let that sink in.

Alexander had been watching her legal status.

He had known about her before she even knew about him.

And the second she turned eighteen, he moved.

Her fingers tightened around her phone.

She wasn't sure if she should be impressed or furious.

Then—

Another message popped up.

Jiho [10:40 PM]

- Oh. Also.

- I found something else.

- Might wanna forward this to your husband.

Nene huffed. "He's not my husband."

But she clicked the link anyway.

And the second the page loaded—

Her stomach dropped.

Lin Evangeline's Hidden Bloodline & Unclaimed Rights

Recent legal documents confirm that Lin Zhen's firstborn daughter has bloodline claims to not just one, but three of the most powerful Alpha packs.

Nene stared.

Her what?

Nene [10:41 PM]

- Jiho.

- What the hell am I looking at.

Jiho [10:41 PM]

- Oh, just some casual evidence that you have the right to claim THREE PACKS under your bloodline.

- Which means anyone who marries you gets control over them.

- No big deal.

Nene stared at her phone.

Then at Zhao Alexander, who was still completely absorbed in his work, scrolling through his sleek, high-tech tablet with that calm, untouchable aura.

She exhaled sharply.

She needed to send him the link. Now.

But—

Her fingers hovered over her screen.

And paused.

Because she just realized… she didn't have his number.

Or his Werewolf Interweb contact.

Or literally any way to reach him.

Her eye twitched.

She had just agreed to marry him and moved into his house.

And she didn't even have a way to text him?!

She gritted her teeth before finally saying, "I need to send you something."

Alexander didn't look up. "Then send it."

She scowled. "I would, if I had your number."

That made him pause.

For half a second, his fingers stilled—just enough to tell her that he hadn't realized it either.

Then, without missing a beat, he smoothly said, "Give me your phone."

Nene hesitated.

Then, reluctantly, she handed it over.

Alexander took it with one hand, his other still scrolling through his tablet as he typed in his contact information with effortless speed.

Then he handed it back. "Now you do."

She glared at his total lack of reaction, then copied the link from Jiho and sent it to him.

Alexander's phone pinged immediately.

She waited.

And then—

He stilled.

Nene watched as his golden gaze darkened slightly while scanning the document.

His expression didn't change much, but something about the way he sat shifted—like a subtle sharpening of focus, a flicker of intensity that hadn't been there before.

Finally, he exhaled through his nose and closed his tablet.

Then, he turned to her, voice smooth but edged with something unreadable.

"Where did you get this?"

Nene crossed her arms. "Gossip channels. Jiho sent it."

Alexander glanced at the link again. "The source?"

"Pack legal archives," she admitted. "It's public now."

His gold eyes flickered with something cold.

"Of course it is," he murmured.

Nene shifted slightly. "So… what does this mean?"

Alexander's fingers tapped lightly against the leather seat.

Then, simply:

"It means you were always worth more than you thought."

Nene stared at him.

Then blinked.

Then stared harder.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Zhao Alexander set his tablet aside, completely unbothered. "We need to finalize the marriage first."

Nene choked on air. "Excuse me—first?!"

He nodded, calm as ever. "Before anyone moves against you."

Her brain short-circuited.

"Hold on." She held up a hand. "I just found out that my bloodline apparently gives me a claim to three major packs, and your response is—"

"To secure you under my name immediately."

Nene gawked. "You're talking about marriage like it's a property transfer."

He tilted his head slightly, gold eyes steady. "That's exactly what it is. Under werewolf law, a mate bond or marriage is an unbreakable contract. Once you're officially mine, no Alpha can challenge your claim, use you as leverage, or move against you without facing me directly."

Nene's stomach tightened.

She wasn't stupid. She understood the logic.

The moment her bloodline was exposed, she had become a valuable political asset—one that any Alpha would want to claim, challenge, or eliminate.

And the only thing keeping that from happening… was him.

She exhaled sharply, pressing her fingers to her temple. "You don't waste time, do you?"

Alexander's lips tilted slightly. "I've waited long enough."

Her pulse jumped, but she ignored it.

"Fine," she muttered. "Where's this 'wedding' happening?"

Alexander picked up his tablet again. "The paperwork is already being processed. The official binding will be done at the Werewolf Registry Office."

She blinked. "Wait—we're just walking in and getting married like it's a driver's license?"

Alexander smirked. "Essentially."

Nene groaned.