The grand hall was alive with music, laughter, and the clinking of glasses, but I barely heard any of it. My heart pounded as I stood hidden in the shadows, my eyes locked on Mavin. He stood near the center of the room, dwarfed by the towering figures of Gavin and Avery, his small hands clenched into fists.
"Mommy?" His voice was soft at first, hesitant, as he scanned the crowd with wide, searching eyes.
My breath caught.
Zach’s grip on my arm tightened. "Not yet," he murmured, his tone sharp with warning. "Don't blow your cover."
But how could I just stand here?
Mavin was confused, afraid. I could see it in the way his body trembled, the way he shifted anxiously from foot to foot. My stomach twisted at the thought of how lost he must have felt these past days, wondering where I had gone. Wondering why I had left him behind.
"Mommy!" His voice rose in desperation, cracking slightly.
Every fiber of my being ached to run to him, to scoop him up in my arms and promise him I hadn’t abandoned him. That I would never leave him.
But before I could move, Gavin stepped forward, his golden eyes darkening as he placed a heavy hand on Mavin’s shoulder.
"Enough," he said, his tone quiet but firm.
Mavin jerked away, shaking his head wildly. "No! Let me go!" he cried. "I know she's here!"
A ripple of murmurs spread through the ballroom. I felt the shift in the atmosphere, the subtle change in the way people stood, their interest piqued by Mavin’s outburst.
Gavin crouched down; his grip still firm on Mavin’s wrist. His face remained unreadable, his voice unnervingly calm.
"She’s gone, Mavin," he said. "She abandoned you. She’s a bad person"
I stiffened.
Mavin’s lip trembled. His blue eyes glistened under the chandeliers, his small body vibrating with anger. "You're lying!" he shouted, his voice was raw. "She would never leave me!"
A cold chill crawled up my spine.
A man dressed in Beta robes stepped forward, unfurling a thick parchment. My stomach clenched as he cleared his throat, his voice echoing through the silent room.
"This is an official decree from Alpha Gavin regarding the betrayal of his former mate, Ofelia."
The word betrayal made my blood run cold.
"As of today, Ofelia is labeled a rogue. She conspired with enemies to attack our pack. She abandoned her son. And should she ever return…" The Beta paused, his next words hanging in the air like a death sentence. "She will be executed on sight."
A stunned silence filled the ballroom. My breath caught in my throat.
This wasn’t just a way to keep me away—this was a permanent erasure of my existence. Gavin had just marked me as a traitor. Even if I stepped forward now, I wouldn’t survive.
Mavin’s face paled. His small hands clenched at his sides. "No," he whispered.
Then, without warning, he turned and bolted for the exit.
The guards moved instantly, ready to grab him.
I couldn't stay still any longer.
"Move," I snarled at Zach, shoving his arm away. Before he could stop me, my feet carried me forward, out of the shadows and into the light.
Gasps filled the room.
I felt the weight of a hundred eyes snap to me, their shock and confusion thick in the air. My chest heaved as I took another step forward, my gaze locked on Mavin.
His frantic movements stilled. He froze mid-step, his breath hitching as his small frame trembled.
Then his eyes met mine.
"Mommy?" His voice was so small, so fragile.
Tears burned behind my eyes. "I’m here, sweetheart," I whispered.
But before I could reach him, Avery’s voice rang through the air.
"Guards! Seize her!"
A rush of bodies moved toward me, but I didn’t care. I had already stepped too far into the light, and I wouldn’t back down now.
"How dare you," I snarled, my eyes burning as I turned to Gavin. "How dare you tell him I abandoned him? How dare you tell the world I was a traitor?"
Gavin’s expression remained cold, unreadable. But I saw it. The flicker of hesitation in his golden eyes. The war raging inside of him.
"Tell him the truth," I challenged, my voice rising. "Tell him how I raised him. How I loved him. How I stayed when you—" my breath hitched, my fury swallowing my words. "How you chose to replace me before I was even gone."
The entire ballroom was silent.
Mavin’s small frame shook as he looked up at Gavin, confusion and hurt twisting his features.
"Is it true?" he whispered.
Gavin’s jaw tensed, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. But Avery stepped in before he could speak.
"Of course not," she said smoothly. "This woman is delusional. She’s manipulating you, Mavin—"
"You’re the liar!" I shot back. "You’ve poisoned him against me, against the truth. But you can’t erase me from his heart. No matter how hard you try."
Avery’s smile faltered.
Gavin took a slow step forward. His gaze locked onto mine, hard and unyielding. "Leave," he said, his voice eerily calm.
My breath hitched. He wasn’t yelling. He wasn’t lashing out. But something in his tone—something final—made my chest tighten with pain.
"Gavin," I whispered.
A flicker of something crossed his face, but then it was gone.
"You have five seconds before I make good on that decree," he said flatly.
And that was it.
Zach grabbed my arm before I could say anything else. "We need to go. Now."
"No!" Mavin screamed, his tiny hands reaching for me as a guard held him back. "Mommy, don’t go!"
My heart shattered. I fought against Zach’s grip, but it was too late. More guards rushed forward.
"Get her out of here!" Avery’s voice rang through the hall.
A burst of energy surged through me as Zach yanked me backward, his strength overpowering my own. The air whooshed past me as we were thrown into the night, the ballroom doors slamming shut behind us.
I collapsed to my knees, gasping. The cold night air burned my lungs.
Behind those doors, Mavin was still screaming at me.
And there was nothing I could do.
