I arrived at my apothecary earlier than usual, the morning air crisp against my face. Something felt wrong the moment I turned the corner. The scent hit me first—silver, mixed with something acrid and artificial. My steps quickened as I approached the shop, my heart sinking with each step.

Across my windows, splashed in gleaming silver paint, were the unmistakable markings of rogue wolves—a clawed circle with a slash through it. The message was clear: territory violation. My carefully crafted herbal wards lay scattered across the sidewalk, their protective energy spent.

"Scarlett." Chandler's voice came from behind me, steady and concerned. "I felt the wards trigger."

I didn't turn around immediately, my eyes fixed on the damage. "They were here last night."

Chandler moved beside me, his Beta aura expanding as he surveyed the scene. "Silver-laced paint. They wanted to make sure you'd know."

"Edith's work," I said, my voice tight. "She's making her move."

Chandler's jaw tightened as he examined the markings. "This isn't just vandalism. It's a declaration."

I nodded, finally turning to face him. "They're going to keep coming."

"Let me help you clean this up," he said, rolling up his sleeves. "And then we need to talk about security."

As we worked, scrubbing the silver paint from my windows, I felt something shift between us. This wasn't just about being good neighbors anymore.

"From now on, there will be a Silverwood patrol passing by every hour," Chandler said, his voice leaving no room for argument. "And I'll be sleeping on your couch."

"You don't have to—"

"Yes, I do." His eyes met mine, resolute. "They crossed a line coming into neutral territory like this."

I didn't argue further. For the first time in years, I allowed myself to accept help without calculating its cost.

---

My phone buzzed for the fifth time in a row. Then the tenth. Then twenty.

"Mom?" Cade's voice called from the greenhouse. "Is everything okay?"

"Just a minute, sweetheart," I called back, silencing my phone as I read the latest message.

*You're nothing but a vengeful bitch letting your own mate die.*

The previous ones had been worse—death threats, accusations, graphic descriptions of what should happen to me for refusing to save Kingston.

I checked the pack networks, my stomach knotting as I scrolled through the forums. Edith had been busy. Every major werewolf network was buzzing with her version of the story.

*EXCLUSIVE: HEARTLESS EX-LUNA REFUSES TO SAVE DYING ALPHA*

*SCARLETT CLARK: THE WOMAN WHO WOULD LET HER FATED MATE DIE OUT OF SPITE*

*OBSESSION OR JUSTICE? THE TRUTH BEHIND THE OBISIDIAN MOON PACK SCANDAL*

The comments were worse than the headlines.

"Kill the bitch."

"Someone should take the pup from her."

"What kind of Luna abandons her Alpha?"

I closed the app, my hands shaking. This wasn't just Edith anymore—this was pack politics at its ugliest. She'd weaponized the werewolf community against me.

"Scarlett?" Chandler appeared in the doorway, his expression grim. "You've seen it."

"Yes." I set my phone down. "She's good."

"She always was," he said quietly. "But we'll fight back."

---

The greenhouse was warm, the scent of herbs calming my frayed nerves. Cade sat across from me on a small stool, his face serious as I laid out various plants between us.

"This is wolfsbane," I said, pointing to a purple-flowered plant. "It's toxic to our kind. And this—" I moved to a sturdy green plant with fuzzy leaves, "—is silver thistle. It's used in weapons against us."

Cade touched the silver thistle carefully. "Like the paint on our windows?"

"Yes." I nodded, impressed by his connection. "And these—" I gestured to a row of healing herbs, "—are what we use to protect ourselves. Lavender for calming, sage for cleansing, rosemary for remembrance."

"Why are you showing me this now?" he asked, his young face too serious for his years.

I took a deep breath. "Some dangerous people from my past are trying to find us. They want to hurt you because of who your father is."

His eyes widened slightly, but he didn't look away. "Kingston?"

"Yes." There was no point in lying to him. "But Chandler and I are going to keep you safe."

Cade nodded, picking up a sprig of rosemary. "I won't leave the boundaries. I promise."

"You're smarter than most adults I know," I said softly, touching his cheek.

"I'm going to help protect us too," he declared, his voice small but determined. "I can tell which plants are dangerous and which are safe."

To my surprise, he began sorting the herbs with remarkable accuracy, his intuition guiding him. As I watched him work, a chill ran down my spine—not from fear, but from the realization that my son was more powerful than anyone suspected.

Including Edith.

And that made him even more valuable to her.

The delivery route took me across town, through neighborhoods I rarely visited. The botanical samples weighed heavy in my satchel—rare herbs that had taken months to cultivate. I'd been hesitant to make this trip alone, but Chandler was patrolling our territory, and I couldn't delay the order any longer.

I sensed them before I saw them.

Three figures emerged from an alleyway, blocking my path. Their auras were unmistakable—Obsidian Moon Pack enforcers, their loyalty to Edith evident in their coordinated movements.

"Well, well," the lead enforcer sneered, his massive frame blocking the sunlight. "The disgraced Luna herself."

I stepped back, my hand instinctively reaching into my satchel. "You're trespassing in neutral territory."

"Edith Baker doesn't recognize neutral territory when it comes to pack matters," another enforcer growled, circling behind me.

Five years ago, I might have panicked. Seven months pregnant and desperate, I'd been an easy target. But that woman was gone.

"Last warning," I said, my voice steady despite my racing heart. "Leave now."

The third enforcer laughed, a harsh sound that echoed off the buildings. "We're taking you back to face judgment for your crimes against—"

I didn't let him finish. My fingers closed around the small glass vial in my satchel, one of many protective measures I'd developed over the years. With a swift motion, I smashed it against the ground between us.

White smoke erupted instantly, filling the narrow passage with wolfsbane-laced vapor. The enforcers choked and stumbled backward, their eyes burning from the diluted toxin.

"Run," one of them gasped, clutching his throat.

I didn't waste the opportunity. Darting between their disabled forms, I sprinted toward the main street where neutral territory laws would protect me. Behind me, I heard cursing and the sound of boots scraping against concrete.

They wouldn't follow me into crowded areas—too many witnesses, too many potential complications with human authorities. Edith was ruthless, but even she wouldn't risk exposing werewolf existence to humans.

---

Two days later, I was restocking shelves outside my apothecary when a shadow fell across the doorway. I knew who it was before I looked up.

Kingston stood there, leaning heavily against the doorframe. His once-imposing figure now seemed fragile, his Alpha aura barely perceptible. Chandler was patrolling the north boundary—I was alone.

"Scarlett," he whispered, his voice cracking. "Please."

I straightened slowly, my Luna aura flaring instinctively. "You shouldn't be here."

"I had to see you." He took a step forward, swaying slightly. "I'm dying."

"You made your choice five years ago," I replied coldly.

"I know." His eyes—once so commanding—now held only desperation. "But our bond... it still exists. Deep down, you must feel it too."

The phantom ache of our severed mate bond throbbed briefly in my chest. I'd felt it every day since the rejection, but I'd learned to ignore it.

"The burdens of an Alpha are heavy," he continued, his voice taking on a practiced solemnity. "I made terrible mistakes, but I was trying to protect the pack."

Something snapped inside me. Five years of suppressed rage crystallized into perfect clarity.

"You weren't protecting the pack," I said, my voice deadly quiet. "You were indulging your obsession with Lilian while treating your fated mate like a breeding experiment."

Kingston flinched as if I'd struck him.

"You failed as an Alpha," I continued, each word precise and cutting. "You failed as a mate. And you failed as a father before Cade was even born."

"Scarlett, please—"

"You ignored my mind-links when our son was dying," I said, my voice rising slightly. "You chose Paris and Lilian over us. That wasn't the burden of an Alpha—that was the choice of a coward."

He staggered backward as if physically struck, his face draining of what little color remained.

"Don't ever come near us again," I finished, turning my back on him.

---

That night, I couldn't sleep. Edith's attacks were escalating. The rogue markings on my shop. The enforcers in neutral territory. The online harassment. Each assault more brazen than the last.

I sat at my kitchen table, staring at my phone. Chandler had offered to help, but this was my battle to fight.

With trembling fingers, I opened the Lycan Council app and navigated to the emergency protocols section. There, in bold letters, was the option I needed:

"REQUEST ALPHA ASSEMBLY: EMERGENCY TERRITORIAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION."

The fee was substantial—nearly everything I'd saved from months of apothecary work. But as I typed in my information and officially requested the assembly, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders.

No more running. No more hiding.

It was time to end this—once and for all.

As I hit the submit button, my phone pinged with an automated response: "Assembly Granted. Neutral Territory. Three Days."

Edith thought she was hunting me. She was about to discover she'd awakened something far more dangerous than a frightened Luna.

She'd awakened a mother with nothing left to lose.