Meanwhile, Gareth on the second floor felt his heart thudding despite Evander’s kind smile. Why? Because even from this distance, he could feel Evander’s lingering bloodlust.

"Isn’t he... a priest?" he asked himself, clutching his book closer. "How could... someone like that... an Alpha become a priest?"

In the realm of werewolves, each one was structured: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Omegas, Rogues, and Ferals.

Alphas usually held authority—the ones who called the shots. Betas were always second-in-command. Gammas were mostly operators, varying widely from scouts to strategists to elite forces. They were mostly referred to as pack members.

Then there were the Omegas, considered the lowest rank of the hierarchy—not just in every pack, but in the entire realm. Usually socially isolated, they were used for undesirable tasks and might be protected or abused depending on the pack’s culture. They were often treated as valuable property rather than people.

Outside the pack were Rogues, who had no pack and lived on their own terms, and were mostly wanted criminals from their former packs.

Ferals were the completely lost. They were mentally broken or cursed. There were also Half-Breeds, but they were rare and generally not even worth mentioning in this existing hierarchy.

But even within that hierarchy, there were distinctions among Alphas, and not all of them held the same power and control.

Gareth was aware that Evander was an Alpha by instinct. However, he hadn’t thought much of it because Evander didn’t share the same threatening aura as Elias or the commanding presence of August. Gareth also had Alpha potential, but he definitely fell on the lowest tier of that category.

But today, he realized that Evander stood on the same ground as Elias and August.

"Hah." He huffed heavily as he leaned his back against the wall, his knees still trembling slightly. "Even Gary wouldn’t stand a chance."

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thoughts swirling in his mind. Today, he had the chance to see and gauge Evander, and it told him that the priest was not someone to be trifled with either. Not that he had ever planned to mess with him, or anyone in this harem.

"But... who was that earlier?" he wondered, recalling the black she-wolf in her beautiful wolf form. "Why did she attack Severin?"

*****

Meanwhile, Lynsandra tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, idling in August’s office while reading the files he had handed over about their first wave of information regarding the abnormals they had captured. She could have gone to her own office, but she had no other appointments for the rest of the day.

Besides, it was better to ask August directly and get answers right away.

August, on the other hand, remained quiet, glancing at her just in time to see her tuck her hair behind her ear. He tilted his head slightly, waiting for her to notice.

"What is it, August?" she asked without sparing him a glance, flipping to the next page. "I’m listening."

He smiled subtly. "You smell like him."

"Hmm?"

"Elias Hale," he clarified. "And now that I think about it, he did smell strange earlier. I couldn’t place it because of the pungent scent of the abnormal, but now I can."

This time, she turned to look at him. "Does that bother you?"

"It would be a lie to deny it," he said, reaching out as his slender fingers brushed a portion of her hair gently over her shoulder. He didn’t withdraw his hand—rather, he played with it. "I could be a jealous man."

"Hah." She let out a short sound and rocked her head, only to raise a brow when August continued.

"I believe we have something to continue from the last time we were interrupted," he suggested calmly, as if he were asking for a piece of candy. "I’ve been thinking about it since."

"..." Lynsandra blinked at him, almost innocently. She didn’t want to appear as if she was thinking too hard, but she couldn’t help it.

Just this morning, she had woken up in Elias’s bed. Although nothing had happened between them, it didn’t feel morally right to be kissing someone else just hours later.

Lynsandra tapped her finger against the armrest, weighing her heart and mind.

In a harem setting, this should be fine, she told herself. These men—excluding Julian and Severin—were meant to convince me to marry them. As long as consent was mutual, even sex would be acceptable.

It was just that... she couldn’t do it. Not because she was shy or repulsed by the thought, but simply because she didn’t find the appeal at all. However, being part of this harem also meant she was obligated not to deprive them of the chance. Hence, the first nights, dates, and such.

Well, I did bring it up to him first that night.

Lynsandra mentally shrugged and was about to nod when a knock came at the door. The moment she heard it, she wasn’t sure whether she felt relieved or annoyed.

"I suppose that’s for next time, then," August chuckled lightly. Surprisingly, he didn’t withdraw his hand. If anything, he rested his arm along the backrest of the couch, his fingers still playing with her hair.

"Come in," he said, snapping his gaze toward the door.

Virgo appeared almost immediately, only to pause when he noticed August’s arm draped over the couch’s backrest, his hand playing with Lynsandra’s hair. He didn’t dwell on it, though, as he walked in and stopped beside her.

"Luna," Virgo called softly, bending down to whisper in her ear.

Her brows crinkled the moment she heard the news, watching him straighten. "Did anyone die?"

"No," Virgo shook his head. "Evander Merewyn intervened and stopped the situation from escalating. However, it nearly put one of your consorts in danger, and it clearly violated the harem’s rules."

She raised a brow. "You simply want to punish Minnie for last night."

Virgo didn’t answer. Instead, he offered her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Lynsandra shook her head and turned to August.

"The kids back home are planning to end the world," she said. "So I’ll be heading back to the harem. Do you want to hitch a ride?"

August smiled and tilted his head slightly. "I can drive you home, Luna," he said in a low voice. "Allow me to drive you home."