The Day My Son Died, I Rejected My Alpha Husband

Kira POV:

I sat on the cold chair, clutching my five-year-old son Aiden's small, lifeless hand.

The walls of the room were thin. From outside came the sound of music, singing, and dancing, mixed with waves of laughter and cheers. Every sound reached my ears clearly, each one cutting deeper than the last. They were celebrating Leo's "miracle recovery."

Leo was one year older than Aiden. He was the son of my husband, Dorian Sinclair, and his mistress, Genevieve Wallace, born before Dorian and I became mates. I never knew Genevieve existed until the day she returned to the Pack with Leo and revealed the truth in front of everyone. The woman Dorian had never forgotten had been part of his life long before our bond was formed.

Leo had always suffered from a weakened wolf spirit. The healers claimed that only a life energy transfer ritual could restore his strength and awaken his full abilities.

The ritual required a source with a close blood connection and a similar age. Since Leo was Dorian's firstborn son and the heir the elders had always valued, everyone insisted that he had to be saved.

Dorian wanted to protect the son he had with Genevieve. The elders wanted to preserve the future Alpha of the Pack. They pressured me to agree, telling me that Aiden would only need to provide a small amount of life energy and that it would not endanger his life.

I believed them. I had no idea they were sending my son into a ritual that would take everything from him.

The sterile air carried the sharp scent of antiseptic, mixed with the aroma of roasted lamb and rosemary drifting from outside. They were celebrating Leo's recovery while my son's body still lay in this room.

The door opened, and my husband, Dorian, the Alpha of the Silvermoon Pack, stepped inside.

The mate bond between us, the sacred connection blessed by the Moon Goddess, let me feel the emotions he tried to hide. There was no grief. No pain. Only impatience, along with a faint concern for the woman celebrating next door.

He didn't even call my name. His gaze briefly passed over Aiden's body before he spoke coldly. "The funeral is arranged for dawn tomorrow. Pack affairs cannot be delayed because of this."

I slowly raised my head. My eyes burned from hours of crying, and my voice came out hoarse. "The healing ritual for Leo... there was no protective ward, was there? Was Aiden in pain when he died?"

The question came from something I had overheard from a young nurse, a frightened whisper that was never meant for my ears. The protective ward should have stopped the ritual once Aiden's life force reached its limit. Without it, the transfer would continue until his life was completely drained.

Dorian's expression darkened. His icy blue eyes showed only impatience. "Kira, stop using baseless guesses to create trouble. The ritual was performed by a Master Healer. Accidents happen."

The door opened again before I could respond.

Genevieve stood there in a white dress, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders, her pale face looking fragile and helpless.

She ignored me completely and walked straight toward Dorian. She leaned against him, her voice soft and trembling. "Dorian, I heard you arguing... Should I not have come? I only wanted to see how Kira was doing."

Dorian immediately wrapped an arm around her. The coldness in his voice disappeared, replaced by a gentleness I had never received from him.

"No, Gen. You did nothing wrong. This room is filled with negative energy. It isn't good for you or Leo."

A small boy peeked out from behind Genevieve.

Leo.

His cheeks were flushed with health, and he held a brand-new toy spaceship in his hands. His curious eyes landed on Aiden, who lay silently on the bed.

My fingers tightened around the edge of the chair.

My son's life was the price Leo paid to stand there alive.

I stood up and stepped in front of Aiden's bed, blocking them like a wolf protecting her cub.

"Get out."

My voice was low and rough.

Genevieve's eyes immediately filled with tears. She looked at Dorian with a wounded expression. "Kira, I'm sorry... I only came to offer my condolences. I know Aiden's death is difficult for you. It's difficult for all of us..."

Dorian's face turned cold. He pulled Genevieve behind him, and the pressure of his Alpha aura filled the room.

"Enough, Kira. Apologize to Genevieve. She came here out of kindness, not to listen to your accusations."

Apologize? A broken laugh escaped my throat. My son was dead, and Dorian wanted me to apologize to the woman connected to his death.

The moment my laughter faded, Genevieve's body swayed. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed into Dorian's arms.

He caught her instantly. His anger turned toward me. "Look what you've done."

He lifted her into his arms and walked past me. He never looked back at Aiden.

Leo remained behind. He looked at me, then at the silent child on the bed. Confusion filled his blue eyes.

At that moment, the Pack doctor, Marcus Foster, appeared at the door. His voice was heavy and careful. "Luna, Aiden's time of death was 3:06 PM. The ritual suffered an energy overload... I'm sorry."

I didn't answer. My eyes stayed on Aiden's pajamas. The little wolf stitched on the fabric was still visible, but one corner had been burned black by the ritual's energy.

Outside, a burst of cheerful laughter suddenly echoed through the hall. Someone started singing, and soon a voice called out, "To Leo! To the future of our Pack!"

My fingers slowly tightened into a fist.

I bent down and pressed a kiss to Aiden's cold forehead. He had told me he wanted to see the Moon Festival fireworks this year.

I brushed his soft hair back, then untied the cheap leather cord around my neck and opened the small metal locket. While no one was watching, I placed a tiny pinch of ceremonial ash inside.

From this day on, a part of my son would stay with me.

I closed the locket and pressed it back against my chest. The small weight against my skin was the only thing keeping me standing.

I looked at Aiden one last time, then turned and walked out of the room.

Outside, the cheers continued, rising and falling in waves.