Chapter 1

I switched on the light and closed the laboratory door behind me. Instantly, the silence swallowed everything, as if the outside world had ceased to exist. In here, there was only harsh white light, shelves lined with small labeled bottles, and the black lab bench that always felt cold beneath my touch.

I took a labeled bottle I had hidden in the far corner of the shelf and placed it on the table. Sitting down, I listened to the soft hum of the heating device, keeping the liquid stable. From the drawer, I retrieved a new syringe and drew several milliliters from the bottle.

I wiped my left arm with alcohol, right where the greenish-purple vein stood out beneath my skin. I had to do this.

The sting was like an ant bite, making me frown slightly. The liquid burned as it entered my bloodstream. I immediately disposed of the syringe and began recording my body’s reactions. My hand trembled as I wrote in my journal.

My heart raced, my vision blurred, and cold sweat broke out across my skin. This was a normal reaction, technically, though I still hadn’t perfected a formula to suppress the rapid heartbeat completely.

For a while, I rested my head on my arms. My head felt heavy and dizzy, but it would pass. My experiment wasn’t perfect yet, but it was enough to suppress—

BANG!

The lab door burst open. I turned with narrowed eyes, my vision still unfocused from the drug’s effects. A harsh grip seized my arm, yanking me off balance and nearly sending me to the floor.

My soon-to-be Alpha raises his voice. “I KNEW IT!”

“Wait—”

“Have you lost your mind?” Ronan shouted. “You choose those poison bottles over our mate bond? Are you really going to throw away your destiny, Addie?!”

I only murmured weakly in response, the throbbing in my head making it impossible to argue. I was forced to do this. This wasn’t ambition alone.

“Ronan, I—”

“Stop it! So you went into Pharmacology just to kill your identity as a wolf?” His eyes burned with disgust. “You were never serious about us! You’re sick, Addie!”

He shoved me away and stormed out, slamming the door behind him. My body collapsed onto the floor, my chest feeling like it had taken a brutal hit. Pain and nausea surged through me.

“Oh, Moon Goddess.” I gasped, dragging the trash bin toward me.

I ended up vomiting into it.

I am Adelaide Jameson, a second-year Pharmacology resident, the most selfish and heartless wolf for hurting my future Alpha’s feelings. Today, my relationship with Ronan officially ended. No matter how much I tried to hold on, I knew he would never understand.

I have a genetic disorder, one I discovered after I first shifted and met my wolf. It’s called hyper-pheromone syndrome.

Its effects drive any Alpha nearby into a feral state, capable of killing one another just to claim me. Humans, on the other hand, grow dizzy or even pass out simply from being close.

This isn’t something to be proud of. Being desired by Alphas is not a blessing. It’s hell.

That’s why I hate this part of my wolf.

The only way to avoid disaster is to suppress my wolf side with high-dose experimental drugs. I’ve been secretly developing a pheromone inhibitor, pushing it closer and closer to perfection. Its effect is simple: I can’t shift, and my wolf remains dormant.

Living as an ordinary human is far better than being a wolf.

I stood, cleaned up my things, and dragged myself toward the door. But the door suddenly burst open.

Ronan stood there, breathing hard, flanked by the dean of the Faculty and two senior professors. His face was pale, a twisted mix of anger and sick satisfaction.

“There!” Ronan pointed, his voice shaking. “She just injected herself. The proof is in the trash!”

The dean stepped forward, his face flushed red. “Addie,” the dean said sharply, “Ronan reported that you’ve been misusing laboratory facilities to synthesize illegal narcotics.”

My eyes widened. The dizziness vanished, replaced by a surge of adrenaline. “W-what? No, Professor. You’re mistaken. It’s not narcotics. This is an experimental compound to—”

“Don’t lie!” Ronan cut in. He snatched the used syringe from the trash and raised it like a trophy. “I’ve seen you every time after you inject this. You’re high, Addie! You’re an addict, and you’re dangerous!”

My gaze flicked from the Dean to Ronan. So this was your plan, Ronan?

“We need to call campus security,” one of the professors said. “And the police. Your blood must be drawn for toxicology immediately.”

The words stopped my defense cold.

A toxicology test.

My mind raced. They wouldn’t find narcotics in my blood. But they would find a foreign chemical structure suppressing wolf hormones. They would see my genetic anomaly.

My secret as a hyper-pheromone wolf would be exposed to the entire medical world. I wouldn’t become a doctor. I would become a subject in a military lab.

I looked at Ronan. He thought he had caught me using drugs. He had no idea he had just backed me to the edge of a cliff.

“You’re happy now, Ronan?” I laughed bitterly, tears burning at the corners of my eyes.

Ronan flinched. “I did this for your own sake, Addie.”

“You just destroyed my life, you bastard!” I shouted.

“Watch your language!” the dean snapped, stepping forward. “We will not tolerate unethical behavior and drug abuse in this university. Pharmacology’s reputation is at stake because of you.”

He took a deep breath, and I knew my world was about to collapse.

I had two choices: defend myself and lose my secret, or accept the accusation and protect my identity.

I took a slow breath and met the dean’s eyes. “There’s no need to involve the police,” I said coldly.

The room fell silent. Ronan looked confused.

“I will resign from this residency program effective immediately,” I continued firmly. “On the condition that this incident is not entered into any criminal record, and that I am allowed to leave without a blood test.”

“You… you’re confessing?” the dean asked, stunned by my composure.

“I’m choosing not to waste your time,” I lied smoothly. “You get my resignation, the university’s reputation stays intact. It’s a win-win situation.”

The dean hesitated, then gave a stiff nod. “Very well. Turn in your access card. And do not step into the academic world again.”

I placed my ID card and white coat carefully on the table. No tears. No pleading. I picked up my bag, making sure my research journals were safe inside, and walked past Ronan without sparing him a glance.

I didn’t lose.

I simply retreated to reorganize my strategy.

I turned away, dragging my heavy legs down the hallway. The teaching hospital that once felt like a second home now felt hostile and unfamiliar. I walked alone along the pedestrian path, without a title, without a mate, and worst of all, without medication for the next full moon.

“Addie! Wait!”

Ronan grabbed my arm. I shoved him away hard.

“Don’t touch me,” I hissed.

“Why did you accept it so easily?” Ronan stared at me in disbelief. “I did this for your own good! You’re sick, Addie. You need rehabilitation, not a lab. I was trying to save you from that insane obsession of yours!”

“Save me?” I stepped forward, forcing him to retreat. “You didn’t do this for me, Ronan. You did it because your ego was bruised. You couldn’t stand having a mate who was smarter than you, who cared more about her career than serving you as a Luna.”

“That’s not true! I love you!”

“Love doesn’t destroy your partner’s future, Ronan,” I cut in. “You think you broke me? You think losing my residency will stop me?”

I looked at him with a gaze that made the wolf inside him recoil in fear.

“You just made the biggest mistake of your life. We’re done, Ronan!”

I got into my old car, slammed the door, and started the engine. I saw Ronan standing frozen under the streetlight, looking small and pathetic.

Only when the car merged into the city streets did my hands begin to shake, not from heartbreak over losing Ronan, but from anger.

Now I had no lab access. No chemicals. My suppressant supply would last a month.

My phone vibrated on the passenger seat. A message came in.

Mom: “Addie, Alpha Arthur’s offer still stands. He just acquired a new pharmaceutical company. He needs a talented researcher.”

I slammed on the brakes at the side of the road. “A talented researcher?”