The night I gave birth to Laney, I nearly bled to death. Thomas, my mate and the Alpha of the Gray Pack, missed the emergency calls because he was tending to Camille Kelly, a Gamma from the Crescent Moon Pack. When I finally woke up, weak and trembling, he stood by my bedside, his Alpha aura radiating regret. “I, Thomas Gray, Alpha of the Gray Pack, vow to never let Madalyn or Laney down in this life,” he said, his voice carrying the weight of a solemn oath. Laney, meaning ‘to mend,’ was the name we gave our daughter. For seven years, Thomas was the perfect mate and father, his devotion to us unwavering. He was the Alpha everyone respected, the mate I thought I could trust with my life.
But on Laney’s seventh birthday, during the grand celebration at our pack’s manor, I overheard a conversation that shattered everything. I had just spilled wine on my gown—a delicate Victorian-style dress befitting my role as Luna—and was on my way to change when I paused outside a slightly ajar guest room. Thomas’s voice, relaxed and a little slurred from the whiskey he’d been drinking, carried into the hallway.
“Tom, did you really not hear that emergency call the night Laney was born?” one of his friends asked. The room fell silent, and I froze, my hand gripping the doorframe. Thomas hesitated, his Alpha composure slipping for a moment. “That night,” he began, his tone heavy, “Camille was sick and hospitalized. She called me in tears, begging me to stay with her. I couldn’t refuse. You know how it is—she’s the girl I used to... care for. So I went. And she’s a light sleeper, so I kept my phone on silent. I truly didn’t hear Madalyn’s call.”
Camille Kelly. Her name was a dagger to my heart. I knew Thomas had once been infatuated with her, but he’d assured me it was nothing more than a youthful fling. He’d promised, in the sacred words of our mate bond, that I was his one and only. Yet here he was, admitting he’d chosen her over me on the night my life hung in the balance.
I pressed my hand to my chest, feeling the mate bond flicker like a dying flame. My wolf stirred in the back of my mind, a low growl of betrayal echoing through me. I forced her to stay silent, not wanting to alert Thomas to my presence.
Inside the room, the atmosphere grew tense. “But what about your wife?” another friend asked, his voice cautious. Thomas’s gaze softened as he looked at Laney, who sat beside him, blissfully unaware of the conversation. “Of course, I love her,” he said, his tone defensive. “But Camille... she’s like a sister. She’s Laney’s aunt. There’s nothing more to it.”
The words were hollow, and even his friends seemed unconvinced. One of them, bolder than the rest, leaned forward. “Tom, if I remember correctly, Camille once said she’d be willing to get back with you, even if you had children, as long as there was no wife. When you found out about Madalyn’s condition the next day, did you... did you hope for a moment that she might not make it?”
The room fell silent. Even Laney, usually oblivious to adult conversations, seemed to sense the gravity of the question. Thomas’s expression darkened, and for a moment, I thought he might deny it. But then, with a heavy sigh, he placed his hand over Laney’s ears and said, “I did. For a moment, I did. But Madalyn is my mate, and I won’t betray her.”
His admission was like a blow to my chest. I stumbled back, clutching the wall for support. My wolf howled in agony, the bond between us fraying with every word. Inside the room, Thomas’s friends exchanged uneasy glances, but he brushed it off with a laugh. “Camille’s just a friend,” he said, ruffling Laney’s hair. “Isn’t that right, little one?”
Laney nodded eagerly. “Yes! Auntie Camille is taking me to the beach tonight to set off fireworks!” she chirped, her voice filled with excitement. One of the friends smirked. “And what about your mom?” he teased. Laney tilted her head, her innocent face scrunching in thought. “Mom doesn’t like Auntie Camille,” she said matter-of-factly. “She’s too narrow-minded. So we have to keep it a secret. Mom can’t know.”
The room erupted in laughter, and Thomas leaned down to kiss Laney on the cheek. “That’s my clever girl,” he said, pride shining in his eyes.
I stood there, my heart breaking into a thousand pieces. On the night I’d nearly died, my mate had been with another woman. The daughter I’d fought to bring into this world had called me narrow-minded, her words a blade to my heart. And now, they were conspiring to keep secrets from me, the Luna of the Gray Pack.
The absurdity of it all hit me like a tidal wave. I turned and walked away, my steps heavy with the weight of betrayal. The mate bond, once a source of strength and comfort, now felt like a chain binding me to a man who no longer deserved my loyalty.
As I reached my room, I locked the door behind me and sank to the floor, tears streaming down my face. My wolf whimpered in my mind, her pain mirroring my own. “What do we do now?” I whispered, my voice trembling.
For the first time in seven years, I had no answer.
