My Alpha Forgot Our Dead Daughter’s Anniversary

The scent of white lilies clung to my fingers as I arranged them in a small vase on my dresser. Three years. Three years since I'd held my daughter's hand, since I'd heard her laugh, since I'd watched her chest rise and fall with each precious breath.

"It's her anniversary today," I whispered to myself, my voice catching in my throat. "She would have been six."

I touched the small silver locket around my neck—the one containing a tiny portion of Lily's ashes. The weight of it against my skin was both comfort and torment.

"The memorial service starts at sunset," I reminded myself, smoothing down the simple black dress I'd chosen for the occasion. "Axel promised we would do this together."

My fingers traced the fading mark on my neck—once a vibrant symbol of our eternal bond, now barely visible except to my touch. The mate bond between us had weakened over the years, but surely today—on this day of all days—he would remember what mattered.

I made my way through the Pack House corridors, my footsteps echoing against the marble floors. Wolves nodded respectfully as I passed, their eyes carefully avoiding mine. They all knew what today meant. They all knew about the fire that had taken my little girl while her parents argued downstairs.

Axel's office door stood slightly ajar. Strange—he usually kept it locked when in meetings. I raised my hand to knock, then hesitated when I heard laughter from inside.

Female laughter.

My stomach twisted as I pushed the door open wider.

Brinley Wagner sat on my mate's lap behind his massive oak desk, her legs crossed provocatively, her arms draped around his neck. The diamond necklace glinting at her throat caught my eye—a family heirloom that had belonged to Axel's grandmother, meant to be passed down to his firstborn daughter.

Meant for Lily.

"Admiring your new toy?" I asked, my voice surprisingly steady despite the earthquake happening inside me.

Axel's eyes widened briefly before narrowing with irritation. "Noelle. I'm busy."

Brinley turned, her lips curving into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Luna Noelle. What a surprise."

I stepped forward, my gaze fixed on the necklace. "That doesn't belong to you."

"Alpha Axel gave it to me," she replied, her fingers caressing the diamonds. "He said I'm the only one who truly understands him now."

Something snapped inside me. The grief I'd been carrying for three years crystallized into rage.

"Get out," I said, my voice trembling not with fear but with fury. "Get out now."

"Enough, Noelle," Axel stood abruptly, dumping Brinley onto the floor. She landed with a surprised cry, but neither of us spared her a glance.

"This is our daughter's anniversary," I continued, tears streaming down my face. "Today of all days, you choose to flaunt this—this betrayal?"

Axel's eyes flashed dangerously. "Stop it."

"Remove her from our pack," I demanded, gesturing to Brinley who was now watching with calculated interest. "And that necklace belongs to Lily's memory."

"ENOUGH!"

The Alpha command hit me like a physical blow. My knees buckled as the weight of his power crushed down on me. My body bowed involuntarily, head forced toward the floor in submission.

"You will not speak to me like that," Axel continued, his voice vibrating with Alpha energy. "You will not suffocate me with your constant reminders of the past."

I fought against the command, trembling with the effort to remain upright. "Our daughter is not a reminder, Axel. She was a life."

"She's gone, Noelle!" he shouted, stepping closer. "And you need to accept that our bond has grown stale. Brinley understands what I need—what an Alpha needs—better than you ever could."

I felt something break inside me then—the last fragile thread of hope that the man I loved still existed somewhere in this cold, power-hungry stranger.

When the pressure of his command finally eased, I straightened slowly, wiping away my tears. The humiliation burned through me, but beneath it was a strange calm.

"You're right," I said quietly.

Surprise flickered across his face.

"I do need to accept something," I continued, my voice ice-cold. "I need to accept that you are not the mate I thought you were."

I drew myself up to my full height, dignity returning like armor to my bones.

"I want a formal Rejection Ceremony," I stated. "At the Council Hall. Today."

Axel's jaw dropped slightly. This wasn't the reaction he'd expected—no tears, no begging, no desperate attempt to salvage what we had.

"You can't be serious," he said, but uncertainty had crept into his voice.

"I've never been more serious." I met his gaze steadily. "Either you reject me properly, or I'll petition the Council myself."

His ego couldn't handle my detachment. I could see it in the flash of anger that crossed his features.

"Fine," he snapped, reaching for his phone. "If that's what you want, I'll give it to you. Marcus will bring the car around immediately."

As he spoke, I caught Brinley's smirk from where she'd been watching our exchange. She thought she'd won.

She had no idea what was coming next.