My daughter Mallory’s condition worsened suddenly, and she desperately needed her parents with her. Yet, at that moment, Alpha Leo decided to leave to attend the birthday party of Beta Marina’s daughter, Brynleigh. I didn’t stop him, letting him go.

In a past life, I had kept him home with our daughter. Meanwhile, Beta Marina and her daughter were left waiting for him on the street and became the target of kidnappers. After her child was taken, Marina was so distraught that she took her own life. Alpha Leo blamed me, vowing I should experience the pain of separation.

He began locking Mallory and me in separate rooms during her episodes, forcing me to watch her in distress from a distance. Occasionally, he demanded that we kneel at his beloved Marina’s grave as an act of atonement. Eventually, Mallory succumbed to her illness, and I slipped into depression. In this life, I won’t interfere with Alpha Leo’s choices.

Alpha Leo was gone all afternoon. Mallory trembled incessantly, asking me where her daddy had gone. I could only give her a sad smile and hold her close, soothing her with, “Daddy has something important to do; he’ll be back later.” She wrapped her arms around me tighter, tears streaming down her cheeks as she whimpered, “Does Daddy not love us anymore?”

My heart ached, leaving me speechless. Mallory was only three, but her condition made her far more sensitive than her peers. She could tell something was wrong. In our previous life, when I forced Alpha Leo to stay, he was present in body but his mind was with Beta Marina and Brynleigh, neglecting Mallory and growing irritated at her cries.

When Brynleigh was kidnapped, Alpha Leo vented all his anger on Mallory and me. Mallory, exhausted from her pain, couldn’t even cry and could only look at me from the other room. She asked then, “Mommy, does Daddy hate us?”

The memories of Mallory’s pale face during her episodes and her fragile form in my arms, slipping away, replayed in my mind. It was heart-wrenching. This lifetime, I will not stop Alpha Leo from making his own decisions; I only wish to protect Mallory.

By evening, I could hear the pack gossips outside our house:

“That pup Mallory has such a strange condition. It must be frightening when she has an episode; even her own father doesn’t want her!”

“Your grandpup is about her age, right? Make sure he stays away from her, or who knows what he might catch!”

Mallory, who had just calmed down, started trembling again upon hearing their words. I softly patted her shoulder, trying to comfort her, but the voices outside grew louder. Unable to take it any longer, I stormed out the door and shouted at the pack women.

“What nonsense are you spreading? My Mallory is just a bit timid, so stop telling lies around here!”

The woman in charge scoffed, sneering with her hands on her hips, “If it weren’t for her episodes, why would your mate run off? Everyone knows he doesn’t like you or your pup; it’s not because of her condition!”

“Our pack matters are none of your business! Just leave us alone…”

Before I could finish, Alpha Leo’s voice rang out behind me, reprimanding me, “Sabrina! What are you yelling about? Look at you, acting like this!”

I clenched my fists, my eyes burning as I stared at him. Despite being my mate, he didn’t care about defending the truth when scolding me in front of others. The women glared arrogantly, smirking, “See? Even your mate doesn’t want to defend you, no wonder you have a troubled pup.”

I didn’t argue further with them. Instead, I focused on Alpha Leo, asking him, “Did you hear that? They called Mallory a freak!”

Alpha Leo glanced at me with indifference, dismissing my anger, and said, “They’re elders, just making jokes. Why are you getting so worked up?”

I struggled to keep my emotions in check and chose to say no more to him, turning back inside the house. The women’s chatter outside soon shifted to Beta Marina’s pup.

“I heard Alpha Leo is always at Beta Marina’s place, looking after her pup.”

“That pup doesn’t even have a father, probably causing trouble everywhere. Nobody dares to mess with him; he’s just as bad!”

Upon hearing this, Alpha Leo turned and stormed back out, yelling at them, “Who are you calling a troublemaker? Brynleigh’s not out of control! I won’t tolerate anyone bad-mouthing them!”

The women, taken aback by his anger, muttered vague apologies. I stood there, a bitter smile forming, realizing he wasn’t indifferent to pups—just indifferent to mine.

To him, whatever was said about Mallory or whatever hurtful things were done to her didn’t matter. He could scold me for being petty over a few remarks but couldn’t hold back his fury when it came to Beta Marina’s family.

Even knowing how detached he was, it still hurt. After dismissing the women, Alpha Leo came inside with an expensive-looking bag. He approached Mallory, trying to smile as he reached to hold her, asking, “Mallory, feeling better? Daddy brought your favorite spiced honey cake.”

His smile didn’t falter as he looked at me, his voice warm, “It was a good thing you let me rush to Beta Marina’s. There was an attempted kidnapping on the street, and thankfully I was there. Sabrina, it’s nice having you understand me.”

He leaned in to kiss me, but I turned away. His smile faded, yet he didn’t lose his temper. Instead, he pulled out the contents of the bag—a partially eaten cake. I chuckled, realizing he couldn’t even get Mallory a whole cake, simply bringing back leftovers from Brynleigh’s celebration.

I picked up Mallory and headed inside, coldly ignoring him. Irritated, Alpha Leo threw the cake to the floor, shouting after us,

“Sabrina, why are you so hard on me? I didn’t call your pup a freak!”

“Eat it or don’t. I shouldn’t have bothered bringing the cake for you!”

He slammed the door behind him, and the sound echoed through the house.

The following morning, I took the embroidered dress to the guild. After submitting the finished piece, I mentioned my intention to leave to the guild’s supervisor, Raylan Wagner, who also served as the Beta of the London Pack. His title carried weight, and I addressed him with the respect it demanded.

“Why so sudden, Luna Sabrina?” Raylan asked, his tone laced with genuine regret. “Your embroidery skills are among the best, and the new apprentices could really benefit from your guidance.”

I didn’t elaborate. After completing the handover of my current assignments, I went into town to buy a train ticket to London. I’d heard that the London Pack had healers who specialized in treating conditions like Mallory’s.

Back in the day, Mallory’s condition wasn’t so severe, but when I wanted to seek treatment, Alpha Leo had been against it. This time, I was determined to take Mallory and get her the help she needed.

On the way home, I reflected on many past events. Those were the days when Leo and I were in love—one of the few beautiful memories I have of us. Leo, the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, was often described as the ideal mate by many she-wolves—commanding, with a strong aura, and a natural leader. His presence alone could silence a room, and his alpha tone carried an authority that demanded respect.

I met him when I went to the pack’s healing center for treatment, and afterward, I pursued him ardently. Leo was reserved, his demeanor always composed, so convincing him to join me for a pack run required trading many favors. I regularly visited the healing center, bringing meals and fresh herbs. The healers would subtly encourage us, often telling him how devoted I was.

At that time, Leo said he wasn’t in a hurry to find a mate, that he was waiting for someone. I thought I didn’t stand a chance, but soon enough, he started showing interest in me, even confessing that he had developed feelings and wanted to see if we could work as a pair if I was willing.

I was over the moon with excitement, and before long, we were together and then mated. Even after the marking ceremony, he remained gentle and attentive. He would stay up late with me, keeping the fire burning while I embroidered. In public, he’d proudly introduce me as his Luna, his mate. It was Leo who suggested having Mallory. We were in our second year of blissful union when he gently held my hand and whispered in my ear,

“Let’s have a pup.”

During my pregnancy, he was even more attentive, managing everything in the pack so I wouldn’t have to lift a finger. When Mallory was born, he stood before me, holding our child, tears of joy in his eyes,

“Sabrina, this is our daughter. I’ll do everything I can to give you both a strong pack.”

Yet, behind these moments of affection, there was always the shadow of someone else. For instance, I found letters and gifts from Marina addressed to him. Although he never opened them and tossed the letters aside, I sensed his inner turmoil the moment he received them.

I secretly read one of Marina’s letters. She wrote about their past, announcing her return and asking if Leo still loved her. My hands shook uncontrollably as I read those words.

That night, I asked him if he still had feelings for Marina. He laughed and wrapped his arm around my waist, gently touching my face with a mix of helplessness and indulgence, saying that his loyalty was to our pack and to me.

But sweet words fade, and reality is relentless. When Marina returned, he panicked in a way I had never seen before. It was then I realized that his composed, perfect demeanor was simply because he didn’t love me enough.

With someone you truly love, feelings are impossible to hide completely.

Only after recalling it all did I understand that Leo’s feelings for me were merely a sense of duty. There was never any love.