Ava’s POV
I clutched Mia tightly against my chest, my whole body trembling as I sobbed. My teary gaze locked onto Lucas, desperation clawing at my throat.
"Lucas, please," I begged, my voice barely above a whisper. "Mia is your daughter. I am your Luna. I was there when she left you! Please, save her!"
My pleas were raw, unfiltered, filled with nothing but agony. But something flickered in his eyes, something dark, something uncertain. My heart stilled in terror. No, no, no. Not this!
"L-Lucas, please, listen to me!" My voice cracked as I screamed. "Mia needs you!"
But he wasn’t looking at me anymore. His gaze had shifted to Sophia.
And then Charlotte spoke, her voice trembling but insistent. "Please, I also need you. I need you, Lucas." She hesitated, her hands wringing together. "That's why I came back... to tell you the truth."
I dropped to my knees before Lucas, my pride shattering into pieces I no longer cared to gather. "Lucas, save our daughter!" I cried, reaching for him, my fingers wrapping around his wrist as if holding on could stop him from slipping away.
For a moment, he stared down at me, his expression unreadable, his features set in cold indifference.
Then, he moved.
His hand pried mine away.
"I’m sorry, Ava," he said, voice void of warmth.
My breath caught in my throat. No. No, this wasn’t happening.
Lucas turned to Alicia, "Prepare everything," he commanded. "We will save Sophia."
The words crashed over me like a tidal wave.
"No!" My scream tore through the room, but it didn’t stop the warriors from closing in. Strong hands grasped my arms, restraining me before I could reach him.
I fought against them, struggling with everything I had. "Lucas, please! Save Mia!" My nails scraped against the floor as I thrashed, trying to break free.
But Lucas never even looked back.
Alicia moved swiftly, gathering the medical supplies needed for the blood transfusion. She cast me a fleeting, sorrowful glance before turning back to her task.
"Lucas!" I screamed again, but my voice barely reached him.
The guards tightened their grip on me. "Take her away," Lucas ordered, his voice like ice.
I gasped, my head snapping up to look at him, but all I saw was his turned back. He had already made his choice.
"No! No! Please, don’t do this!" My struggles turned frantic, but it was useless. I was dragged backward, my feet barely touching the ground as they forced me away.
And then, through my blurred vision, I saw her.
Mia.
Lying there, her small body motionless, her skin pale.
My heart shattered. "Mia, no! No, no, no!" My sobs came in broken gasps.
She was slipping away.
"Baby, look at Mommy," I pleaded, reaching toward her. "I’m here. I’m right here."
But she didn’t move.
Desperate, I turned to Alicia. "Please! Take my blood instead! I’m her mother, my blood will work!"
Alicia’s lips trembled, her expression torn. "I’m so sorry," she whispered, shaking her head.
I could see it—the helplessness in her eyes, the silent apology.
Tears blurred my vision as I turned back to Mia. I reached out, my trembling fingers wrapping around her tiny hand.
"M-Mommy…" Her voice was weak, barely audible.
My entire world stopped.
"Everything… hurts," she whispered.
And then, her fingers slipped from mine.
A strangled sob tore from my throat as the last bit of warmth drained from her small body.
I shook my head violently, refusing to accept what had just happened. "No, no, no, Mia! Baby, wake up! Please!"
But she was gone.
Pain, raw and merciless, ripped through me, leaving me gasping. My screams filled the air, but they couldn’t bring her back. Nothing could.
Lucas had chosen someone else.
And my daughter had paid the price.
---
Later that day, I was the one who took care of Mia’s funeral arrangements.
It was supposed to be a duty shared, a burden carried by both parents, but Lucas remained distant. The entire Moon Dagger Pack was mourning, their sorrow hanging in the air like a heavy fog. Yet, nothing could compare to the abyss of grief swallowing me whole.
I stood at the front, staring blankly at the ground, my body present, but my soul, shattered beyond recognition.
Lucas was beside me. Silent. Unmoving. A ghost of the man he once was.
He didn’t speak to me, didn’t offer a single word of comfort. He just stood there, his presence as hollow as my chest now felt.
"We will now pray for the loss of our Luna and Alpha’s daughter, Mia," the Elder announced, his voice solemn and deep.
Everyone bowed their heads. I forced myself to do the same, though my body trembled under the weight of my emotions. The prayers began, murmured voices blending into a dull hum in my ears. I couldn’t focus on the words. The only sound I truly heard was the echo of Mia’s last breath.
After the prayer, the burial began. I watched as they lowered my baby into the ground, my heart shattering with every handful of dirt that fell upon her.
It felt unreal.
One moment, I was holding her, pleading for her life. The next, I was watching the earth claim her forever.
I felt… nothing.
Or maybe I felt too much. So much that my mind refused to process it anymore.
Then, a presence approached. Footsteps barely audible over the hushed sobs of the pack.
Dante.
He leaned in toward Lucas, voice low, but I still heard him.
"Alpha," he murmured, "Charlotte is looking for you. She’s crying."
That was all it took.
Lucas’s posture shifted instantly. His shoulders squared, his body tensed. He didn’t even hesitate.
Without sparing me a glance, without a single word, he turned and walked away.
I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms.
I was left behind.
Again.
The funeral continued, the world moving forward while I stood frozen in time, stuck in a reality that no longer made sense.
By nightfall, I remained by Mia’s grave, my knees pressed against the damp earth. The burial site was near the border of the village, quiet and secluded, surrounded by towering trees that whispered in the wind. The moon cast a silver glow over the headstone, illuminating her name.
Mia.
She didn’t deserve this.
A bitter smile ghosted my lips, though it held no warmth. Memories swirled in my mind, unbidden and cruel.
Lucas’s voice, soft yet filled with certainty…
"I’m so lucky to have you."
He had told me that once. Back when he was drowning in the weight of his responsibilities as Alpha, struggling to lead after Charlotte abandoned him. I was the one who stayed. I was the one who helped him rise from his lowest point.
"Thank you for being by my side."
He had cupped my cheek then, his eyes filled with adoration.
"I love you, Ava."
Lies.
All of it.
I squeezed my eyes shut as another memory surfaced, the moment Mia was born.
I had been exhausted, drenched in sweat, yet the second I saw her, I felt nothing but love. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on.
Lucas had thought so too.
He had kissed my forehead, whispering promises like sacred vows.
"I swear on my life, I’ll do everything to protect this pack… and our daughter."
But what did he do when Mia needed him the most?
He turned away.
He let her die.
A shuddering breath escaped me, my chest tightening with unbearable pain.
I would never forgive him.
Never.
Because no matter how much I once loved Lucas…
He had just proven that I meant nothing to him.
