Permission Denied?

Nene's jaw dropped.

Letting her go?!

She whirled toward Alexander, glaring. "Excuse me? Since when do I need your permission?"

Alexander didn't even look at her.

He was still focused on her mother, waiting for an answer.

Li Xiu, completely unbothered by the growing tension, took a delicate sip of tea before replying, "The camp is held in a neutral Beta-run territory. Security is enforced, and all participants are monitored by trained instructors."

Alexander nodded slowly, considering.

Meanwhile, Nene was fuming.

"HELLO?!" she snapped. "I'm sitting right here! I don't need a bodyguard to go to some werewolf summer camp!"

Alexander finally glanced at her.

His expression was calm. Too calm.

"You're my wife," he said smoothly. "That makes you my responsibility."

Nene's eye twitched. "I was my own responsibility before I married you!"

Alexander didn't blink. "And now you're not."

Nene was going to LOSE IT.

She turned to her mother. "Are you hearing this?"

Li Xiu gave her a pointed look. "You married an Alpha, Nene. This is normal."

"NORMAL?!" Nene repeated, horrified.

Alexander continued, calm as ever.

"If you go, there will be conditions," he said. "You will have security. You will check in regularly. And if anything—anything—happens, I will come get you myself."

Nene stiffened.

Because the way he said it—low, steady, absolute—

It wasn't a threat.

It was a promise.

Her stomach twisted.

She wanted to argue. Wanted to fight him on this.

But deep down, she already knew—

If she pushed too hard, he would just drag her back before she even got the chance to settle in.

She exhaled sharply, crossing her arms.

"Fine," she muttered. "But I'm not checking in like a child."

Alexander smirked slightly. "Then don't act like one."

Nene's eye twitched.

Just as Nene was about to lunge across the table and strangle Alexander with her bare hands, the sitting room door burst open.

"NENE!"

A small blur of energy ran straight toward her—Jin, grinning from ear to ear, carrying a plate piled high with cake.

Nene barely had time to brace herself before he skidded to a stop in front of her, holding up the plate like it was the most important mission of his life.

"I brought your cake!" he announced proudly.

Nene blinked.

Then, despite herself—**her frustration, her rising urge to strangle her husband—**she felt her entire body relax.

Jin, her tiny, overenthusiastic half-brother, was beaming up at her like she was the best person in the world.

Her chest tightened.

She sighed, taking the plate. "You ran all the way here just to give me this?"

Jin nodded furiously. "You left before eating more! And I heard Grandpa say something about Alphas arguing, so I thought you might need cake!"

Nene snorted.

"That's the smartest thing anyone has said today," she muttered, casting a pointed glare at Alexander.

Alexander, of course, was completely unbothered.

He just watched the exchange with mild amusement, his golden eyes flicking between her and Jin like he was analyzing something.

Nene ignored him.

Instead, she ruffled Jin's hair, making him giggle.

"Thanks, kid," she said, taking a bite. "At least someone around here actually cares about my happiness."

Jin nodded seriously. "Cake makes everything better."

Li Xiu chuckled softly. "You should listen to your brother more, Nene."

Nene rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

Just as Nene was finally enjoying her cake in peace, her grandmother—Li Hua, the living legend, the Alpha who never backed down from anything—walked into the room.

She didn't sit.

She didn't greet anyone.

She just looked at Nene like she was evaluating a new fighter entering the ring.

And then, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, she said—

"You need training."

Nene froze mid-bite.

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

Li Hua crossed her arms. "You have dominant instincts."

Nene frowned. "And?"

"And," her grandmother continued smoothly, "if you don't learn to control them, they'll control you."

Nene paused.

Because out of everything she had expected today, this was not on the list.

Alexander, however, didn't even look surprised.

Instead, he sat back, clearly amused. "I can train her."

Nene's eye twitched.

Li Hua scoffed. "No, you can't."

Alexander raised a brow. "And why not?"

"Because it'll be messy," Li Hua said simply.

Alexander's smirk was lazy. "I can handle messy."

His confidence was so absolute that Nene felt annoyed on instinct.

But Li Hua?

She just laughed.

A short, knowing chuckle, like Alexander had just said something ridiculous.

"Boy," she said smoothly, "you don't even realize what you're dealing with."

Alexander's golden eyes sharpened slightly. "I have control."

Li Hua's smirk widened.

"Yes," she said. "Over yourself."

Then she turned, looking directly at Nene.

"But not over her."

The room went still.

Nene stiffened.

Alexander's jaw ticked slightly, but his expression remained calm.

And then—

Li Hua dropped the final blow.

"You didn't notice, did you?" she asked, smirking. "She was practically hissing at you earlier."

Nene choked on her cake.

"What?!"

Li Hua raised a brow. "You don't feel it yet, but your instincts do. You don't just argue with him, girl. You challenge. You push. Your energy spikes when he tries to control you."

Nene's stomach twisted.

Because—okay, yes.

She argued with Alexander. A lot.

She refused to back down. A lot.

But was that because of her Alpha instincts?

Or was it just because he was annoying?

Alexander, meanwhile, was watching her too closely.

Too sharply.

Like he was just now realizing something he hadn't before.

Nene hated that.

She crossed her arms, huffing. "I wasn't hissing at him."

Li Hua smirked. "Not yet."

Nene scowled.

But before she could argue, her grandmother continued—

"I'll train you," she said, final and absolute. "Twice a week. You need control before you start throwing your weight around like an untrained pup."

Nene huffed. "I never agreed to this."

Li Hua raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to wake up one day and realize you almost snapped at your mate for breathing in your space?"

Nene's stomach flipped.

Nope. No. Not thinking about that.

Alexander finally spoke again, his tone calm but firm.

"I can handle her."

Li Hua laughed again.

"No, boy," she said smoothly. "You can't."

Then, without waiting for a response, she clapped Nene on the shoulder.

"See you Tomorrow morning."

And just like that, the conversation was over.