I don’t quite understand what divorce means, but ever since Dad left the packhouse, and with Luna Joanna always busy with her duties, there’s been no one to build Legos with me, read me stories, or lift me high into the air. Even the delicious desserts Faye, our Omega caretaker, makes can’t make me happy anymore. I miss Dad’s trifle, the one he used to sneak into my room when Luna Joanna wasn’t looking.

Tonight, Luna Joanna had another engagement to attend, and I desperately clung to her, not wanting her to leave, my face streaked with tears and snot. Even Faye couldn’t bear it anymore: "Luna, why not take Miss Carolina with you? Without her father around and you often being away, it’s tough for her at such a young age."

"But it’s not an appropriate place for her..." Luna Joanna hesitated, looking at my pitiful face, and finally, she gave in. She sighed softly and smoothed my hair with her hand. "Alright, Carolina, you can come. But you must behave, understand?"

I nodded eagerly, wiping my face with the back of my hand. I didn’t care where we were going—I just didn’t want to be left alone again.

---

At the Majestic Entertainment Club.

The dance floor was dimly lit, the music was deafening, and the crowd moved their bodies with abandon. Drinks swirled in glasses, looking as tempting as ever. In the private suite on the top floor, the pack’s elite were gathered, all eyes glued to the TV screen as I held the microphone and sang a popular children’s song.

"Happy Lamb, Beautiful Lamb, Lazy Lamb, Lovable Lamb, Silly Lamb, Fluffy Wool, Red Wolf, Grey Wolf, don’t look at me as just a sheep, the grass is greener because of me, the sky is bluer because of me, the clouds are fluffier because of me..."

When the song ended, thunderous applause erupted.

"Amazing! What a wonderful voice!" exclaimed one of the pack elders, his deep voice carrying authority.

"Indeed, she’s Luna Joanna’s child; like mother, like daughter!" another added, his tone full of admiration.

"Yes, yes, Luna Joanna has raised her daughter well. The child is destined for great things!" a third voice chimed in, her words dripping with flattery.

I beamed, my chest swelling with pride. The kids in Sunflower Class always say I can’t carry a tune and that I sing off-key. This was the first time so many people praised my singing, and I was so excited that I wanted to sing another song.

But then Luna Joanna intervened, her voice firm but gentle, "Sweetie, let Sylas take you outside to play. I’ll finish my business here soon, okay?"

I pouted, reluctantly putting down the microphone, and took Sylas’s hand, walking out of the suite. Oh right, Sylas is the young Delta warrior who, as Faye whispered, was Luna Joanna’s "friend." He’s only ten years older than me, which Faye finds quite surprising!

Sylas took me to the neighboring suite. He was very skilled and even made me two pretty braids. I looked up at him, blinking my eyes, and asked, "Handsome brother, what’s your relationship with my mom?"

He pinched my cheek and smiled gently, "Luna Joanna is my boss and also my patron."

Patron? I don’t quite understand what that means. But I tilted my head, thinking hard, and then asked, "So if Luna Joanna and my dad get divorced, will you marry her?"

Sylas paused for a moment, his expression softening, and then said softly, "If she’s willing."

Uh-oh, suddenly he looked a bit like my dad to me, especially when he smiled, with those arched eyebrows and sparkling eyes. My heart felt a little flutter, but I didn’t quite understand why. Maybe it was because I missed Dad so much. Or maybe it was because Sylas was just so kind, the way he looked at me with warmth in his eyes. Either way, I decided I liked him. A lot.

The door to the private suite was slightly ajar, and as a group of wolves passed by, I thought I caught a glimpse of my father, Yusuf. Pretending I wanted to play hide and seek with Sylas, I waited for him to close his eyes, then quietly slipped away.

Following the group, I made my way back to the suite where Luna Joanna and the others were gathered. I hid in a corner, watching my father and a few young warriors line up in the center of the room. The agent, with a face full of fawning smiles, was addressing the high-ranking wolves seated on the sofas. "Luna Joanna, Gamma Duncan, esteemed members of the pack, I heard you’re launching a major new production. These are my newly signed talents—they’ve got the looks and the physique. If they get a role, they’re bound to become stars."

He especially highlighted my father: "Especially this one—does he look familiar? Yusuf Ross, who shot to fame five years ago with his debut film 'The Alps.' Unfortunately, he stepped away for a few years, but now he's making a comeback. The talent is still there, give him a chance!"

"Yusuf Ross?" Gamma Duncan pondered for a moment, then slapped his thigh in realization. "Ah, I remember. Back then, he was quite the sensation, trending everywhere in the pack networks, called 'the eternal heartthrob' and 'boy wonder.' But time waits for no one, and now the boy’s turned middle-aged."

The men burst into laughter.

"Come on, that’s not fair," the agent responded awkwardly but still smiled ingratiatingly. "He was just 20 then, and now he’s only 25, the perfect age for a warrior."

"The perfect age? With 18- and 19-year-olds popping up all the time, who cares about those past their prime?" Gamma Duncan turned to Luna Joanna with a flattering smile, "I think Sylas from your agency would be great for the second lead. What do you think?"

Luna Joanna didn’t answer. She just lifted her head and stared coolly at my father. Under such an intense gaze, my father’s face turned beet red, unsure of where to put his hands and feet.

The agent, sensing an opportunity, doubled down on his sales pitch: "Luna Joanna, why not have him stick around tonight, keep you company? Yusuf here is nothing if not obedient and reliable…"

"Enough."

I couldn’t hold back any longer. Jumping out from my hiding spot, I pointed a finger at the agent, "You’re a jerk!" I then pointed to Gamma Duncan and the rest of the wolves on the sofa, "Jerks! You’re all jerks! You can’t push my father around!"

My outburst stunned the room, and everyone looked as if their eyes might pop out. They glanced back and forth between me, my father, and Luna Joanna, taking a while to piece together the connection.

Seeing me, my father’s eyes widened, fury overcoming his fear of Luna Joanna, as he shouted, "Carolina, did you seriously bring our pup to a club?!"

This was the first time I saw my dad so furious.

He picked me up and pulled Luna Joanna out of the Majestic Entertainment Club, his Alpha aura flaring despite his Omega status. "Luna, I agreed to let you have custody of Carolina, not because I’m afraid of you, but because I know you can provide them with a better environment. But if this is how you’re raising them, I’ll fight for custody with everything I’ve got!"

My mom remained composed, her Luna aura steady and unyielding. "They’ll eventually take over for me one day. It’s not necessarily a bad thing for them to get comfortable in these settings early on."

"You!" My dad’s nostrils flared, his hands trembling with anger. The weight of his fall from Alpha to Omega seemed to press down on him, but he stood tall, defiance burning in his eyes.

"Still want to fight for custody?" Luna Joanna sneered, her voice cold and sharp. "If I weren’t around today, who knows whose den you’d end up in again? Yusuf, with how reckless you are, how can you be a father?"

My dad’s face flushed red, then paled, and he let out a bitter laugh. "What does it matter if you’re here? How are you different from those wolves in the booth? Five years ago, wasn’t I drugged and pushed into your den? You’re right; I am foolish. If I weren’t, how would I have let you get pregnant with Carolina? If I weren’t, how would I have spent five years making formula and changing diapers?"

The night was cool and calm, the scent of pine and earth carried on the wind as it rustled the street-side leaves, the only sound breaking the heavy silence.

Sylas, the Delta warrior who’d been watching over me, rushed over, his broad shoulders heaving with exertion. "Carolina, where did you go? I couldn’t find you anywhere! I was terrified!"

His amber eyes were wide with worry, his face and hair soaked with sweat. Even his dark shirt clung to his muscular frame, damp from his frantic search.

I shook my head, feeling a bit guilty, and reached out with my small hand to wipe the sweat off his forehead. "Sylas, I’m sorry."

"Luna, Sylas, let’s go home," I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

At that moment, I saw my dad’s face grow even paler, almost as if all the color had drained from it. His shoulders slumped, and the defiance in his eyes flickered, replaced by something that looked like defeat.

I didn’t call out to him, because I had just understood something from his words. Perhaps I wasn’t brought into this world with his hope.

Without me, maybe he would still be the Alpha, the "big shot," not standing there tonight, facing all this scrutiny.

Maybe if Luna Joanna is willing to let him go and give back his freedom, I should do the same.