"Daddy, I'm tired," Bill mumbled, rubbing his eyes as they walked out of the kitchen.
George scooped our son into his arms. "Let's get you to bed, buddy."
They walked up the grand staircase, entirely ignoring my presence in the foyer. The heavy oak doors shut down the hall, sealing them in the Alpha suite.
Jessica descended the steps a moment later. Her bare toes padded softly against the carpet. She stopped on the bottom stair, forcing me to look up at her. She wore my husband’s shirt and a mocking smirk, playing the role of the house's true master.
"Look at you," Jessica sneered, crossing her arms. "So pathetic."
I stared at the silver wedding necklace dangling from her fingers. "Take that off."
"Why?" She chuckled, slipping the chain over her neck. "It looks better on me. George was always mine, Rebecca. You are just a replacement."
"I am his wife," I stated, keeping my voice steady. "And the Luna of this pack."
"Not for long." Jessica stepped onto the hardwood floor, closing the distance between us. "Bill likes me too. He already calls me mom when you aren't listening. Soon, I will be the real Luna."
"You manipulated a five-year-old into poisoning me," I snapped.
"I just gave him a recipe." She shrugged, her eyes gleaming with malice. "If your own son wants you dead, maybe you don't belong here."
"You coward," I spat. "You ran from the war. You abandoned this pack when we bled. You will never be a true Luna."
Jessica’s smile vanished. Her eyes flashed a brilliant, unnatural gold.
"Shut your mouth, Beta trash," she growled.
A deep rumble vibrated in her chest. Her nails lengthened into sharp, jagged claws. She lunged at me, her wolf surfacing in a burst of violent energy.
I didn't back down. I sidestepped her initial swipe, letting my own claws extend.
She slashed at my face. I caught her wrist, twisting it hard. Jessica shrieked, kicking her leg out and sweeping my feet from under me.
We crashed into the mahogany console table. Wood splintered. The massive iron candelabra tipped over, the lit tapers smashing onto the dry, antique silk rug.
Flames erupted instantly.
The fire fed on the silk, creating a wall of heat between the front door and the staircase. I shoved Jessica off me, coughing as thick, dark smoke filled the foyer.
"Help!" Jessica screamed, scrambling backward away from the spreading blaze.
She bumped into the stairs, completely safe from the fire, but she curled into a ball and wailed.
The flames boxed me into the corner. My hospital-weakened lungs rejected the smoke. I dropped to my knees, covering my mouth with my arm.
Heavy footsteps pounded down the stairs.
"Jessica!" George roared.
He vaulted over the banister, landing directly beside her.
"Daddy!" Bill cried from the top of the landing. "Save Aunt Jessica!"
"I've got you," George promised, pulling her into his chest.
"George," I choked out, reaching a hand through the gap in the flames. "The smoke..."
My husband glanced at me. He saw the fire creeping toward my clothes. He saw me gasping for air on the floor.
He didn't reach for me.
"Are you hurt?" George asked Jessica, frantically checking her face.
"She attacked me," Jessica sobbed, burying her face in his neck. "She tried to burn me alive."
George’s jaw tightened. He scooped Jessica up in his arms.
"George," I whispered, my vision blurring.
He turned his back on me and carried her up the stairs to safety.
"Aunt Jessica is safe now," I heard Bill say.
The roar of the fire drowned out their voices. The heat blistered my skin. I collapsed onto the floorboards, the darkness pulling me under once again.
***
The rhythmic beep of a heart monitor greeted me.
I opened my eyes. The sterile white ceiling of the pack clinic came into focus.
My throat burned worse than before. Bandages wrapped tightly around my left forearm where the fire had grazed me.
"You're awake," George said.
He stood at the foot of my bed. Bill hid behind his father’s legs, glaring at me.
"Water," I rasped.
George didn't move to pour me a cup. He crossed his arms, his expression hardened into a glare.
"Are you out of your mind?" George demanded.
I slowly turned my head. "What?"
"Attacking our guest in our own home," he scolded, his voice echoing in the small room. "Your jealousy has spiraled out of control, Rebecca. You nearly burned the Pack House down."
"She attacked me," I replied, fighting the urge to cough.
"Liar!" Bill shouted, peeking out from behind George. "You're a bad mom! You hurt Aunt Jessica!"
I stared at my son. The boy I had protected from every nightmare, every fever.
"She summoned her wolf first," I told George. "Look at the scratch on my neck."
"Jessica has a bruised wrist and minor burns on her ankle," George interrupted. "She is traumatized. She barely survived the war, and now she has to survive you."
"She hid during the war," I corrected him flatly.
"Enough." George slammed his hand against the plastic footboard. "I won't tolerate this behavior. You are the Luna. Start acting like one, or I will strip the title from you."
He didn't ask how my lungs felt. He didn't ask about my burns.
"We are leaving," George announced. "Jessica needs her bandages changed, and she asked for Bill to keep her company."
"Yeah!" Bill cheered. "We're going to play games!"
"Don't cause any more trouble, Rebecca. Stay here until you learn how to control your temper."
George turned on his heel. Bill followed him, not looking back at me once. The door clicked shut, leaving me in total silence.
I didn't cry. The tears had burned away in the fire.
I pushed myself up against the pillows. Reaching into the pocket of my discarded jeans on the bedside chair, my fingers brushed against cold metal.
I pulled out a heavy silver ring.
The band of severance. An ancient artifact used to dissolve a mate bond and a marriage contract. I had kept it hidden in my jewelry box for years, a relic from the old Alpha.
I rolled the ring between my thumb and index finger.
In three days, the pack would celebrate Bill’s fifth birthday. A grand party was already planned in the main hall. Everyone would be there.
"Three days," I whispered to the empty room.
I would leave for the Blue Moon Pack. I had an old alliance there, a place where Beta wolves were respected, not treated as disposable shields.
Breaking the engagement and severing the bond in front of the entire pack.
That would be my final birthday gift to Bill.
