Seeing them together made my stomach twist painfully. To watch him shower Sonya with such care and tenderness, while he hadn’t once bothered to check on his own son for years, ignited a furious storm inside me.
“Alpha... You want me out of your life, don’t you? Fine. It’s over between us. I’m leaving,” I said, my voice shaking with a mixture of rage and heartbreak.
He had never truly wanted me as his mate. He only accepted the bond because of the pressure from our allied packs and the ancient laws that forced our union. But in all that time, he never acknowledged me—or the wolf inside me. That neglect had sapped my strength, leaving my wolf’s spirit so fragile I felt only the Moonstone could mend it.
The Moonstone was a legendary family relic, handed down to the eldest child in our lineage. It was said to hold immense power, capable of healing the deepest wounds—especially the bond between a shifter and their wolf. I possessed it, yet until now, I had no intention of invoking its strength. People warned that such power carried a heavy burden, and I was afraid of the responsibility it demanded.
Craig always assumed my pain came from jealousy toward Sonya, never once truly seeing me. “Really?” he sneered bitterly. “Changing your tactics now, huh? You can’t manipulate me with Dustin anymore, so you’re using yourself instead?”
It had been about a year since Dustin began to weaken. His once-rosy cheeks faded, his appetite disappeared, and even the pack healer couldn’t diagnose his illness. His veins darkened unnaturally, as if his blood thickened beyond nature’s design. Fainting became frequent, and though we shifters heal quickly from wounds, he couldn’t even shake off a simple headache.
During those desperate times, I tried to reach Craig through mind-links, begging him to visit our son who longed for his father’s presence. But Craig refused to come. He accused me of using Dustin’s condition as a way to manipulate him and earn sympathy.
After nearly ten years of shared life, this was how little regard he had for me. I wiped my tears and said firmly, “Believe whatever you want. I’m done here.”
I began moving toward the door with my suitcase when Sonya suddenly spoke up, “Alpha, I overheard you wanted to celebrate Dustin’s birthday with the pack. You didn’t skip it to go on that mountain trip with me, right? Kristen’s upset...”
Craig’s voice softened, “Don’t worry. I know what matters. We can celebrate with them anytime, but once the snow melts, those peaks won’t be the same again.”
I scoffed, the coldness in my laugh cutting sharper than any blade, and kept pulling my suitcase toward the exit. Craig seemed to notice my resistance and hurried after me, grabbing my wrist with irritation. “It’s the middle of the night. Why are you rushing off now?”
He caught sight of my red, swollen eyes and hesitated. “Is that celebration really worth all these tears?”
His gaze, tinted with something almost like pity, fell on me. “Let me clear my schedule next month. I’ll spend time with Dustin then, alright?”
Next month? What next month did Dustin have left? If Craig truly cared, he wouldn’t be throwing empty promises around so casually. I yanked my hand free. “No, thank you.”
He stared at his open palm, stunned. He never imagined the person who clung to him so desperately would now pull away like a stranger. Trying to regain his footing, he stepped forward, but Sonya intercepted him, gripping his arm.
“Alpha, this is my fault. Even though I knew Dustin’s sickness wasn’t real, I shouldn’t have competed with a child for your attention. Now Kristen hates me for it.”
What?
“Faking... his illness?” My mind blanked, disbelief and rage crashing over me all at once. Before I could stop myself, my hand struck my sister’s cheek with a sharp slap.
