She Swapped Her Dying Son for Mine and Abandoned Me in the Dark

The night was supposed to be perfect.

The Scarlet Moon Pack’s full moon celebration always was—a night of music, laughter, and family. Wolves shifted back and forth, some running wild under the moon, others mingling in human form with wine in hand.

I stood at the edge of the crowd, holding Elias close. My son was only a few months old, wrapped snugly in a blanket against my chest. His soft coos blended with the hum of conversation and distant laughter. I kissed his tiny head, breathing in his baby scent.

“Selene.”

I turned at the sound of Kael’s voice. My mate, the Alpha of the Scarlet Moon Pack, approached with that commanding presence only he could pull off. His dark hair was windswept, his sharp features softened only by the way his piercing blue eyes lingered on Elias.

“You’re hiding,” he teased, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

I shrugged. “Elias doesn’t like all the noise.”

Kael reached out, brushing a hand over Elias’s head. For a split second, something flashed across his face—regret, maybe—but it was gone just as quickly.

“Stay here,” he said. “I need to check in with Aria about the patrols.”

Aria. My best friend since childhood and our Beta. Her son, Theo, was the same age as Elias, but fate had dealt him a cruel hand. He was sick, and no one—not even the pack healers—could figure out why.

I nodded as Kael disappeared into the crowd, leaving me with an uneasy feeling I couldn’t shake.

The celebration carried on, but something was off. The air felt heavier, and the laughter seemed muted, like the forest itself was holding its breath.

Then, a low growl cut through the night, sharp and feral.

It came from the edge of the clearing.

Screams followed—raw and gut-wrenching—and the metallic tang of blood filled the air.

Wolves with glowing red eyes exploded from the tree line, ripping through the crowd with savage force.

“No,” I whispered, clutching Elias tighter as his cries broke through the chaos. My feet refused to move, frozen as panic wrapped around my throat.

“Selene!”

I turned to see Aria sprinting toward me, her face streaked with dirt and terror. She held Theo close, his tiny body limp in her arms.

“What’s happening?” I gasped. “Where’s Kael?”

Aria’s golden eyes darted around, wild with fear. “There’s no time! You have to run. Now.”

“I can’t just—”

“They’re after you, Selene!” she shouted.

Before I could process her words, a commanding howl sliced through the night. My head snapped toward the sound.

Kael stood atop a broken tree stump, blood dripping from the blade in his hand. His silhouette was framed by the eerie glow of flames licking at the forest.

“Kael!” I screamed. Relief flooded me—until I noticed his eyes. They scanned the clearing, cold and calculating, and landed not on me, but on Aria.

Her body stiffened. She clutched Theo tighter, her face pale. Then, Kael gave her a single nod.

“No…” I whispered, the pieces clicking together in my mind.

Without warning, Aria shoved Theo into my arms and ripped Elias from my grasp.

“Aria!” I screamed, chasing after her, but a heavy weight slammed into me, sending me sprawling to the ground.

A snarling wolf pinned me, its red eyes burning with fury. Theo wailed in my arms as I struggled, adrenaline pumping through my veins.

Before the wolf could strike, an arrow pierced its side, and it collapsed with a gurgling whimper.

Kael loomed over me, crossbow in hand. Relief bubbled up, but it vanished the second I saw his expression.

“Kael,” I croaked. “Help me.”

He didn’t move. His eyes, once filled with warmth, were now void of anything human.

“Kael!” I screamed, desperation clawing at me.

But he turned and walked away.

My chest ached, but I forced myself to my feet, clutching Theo. Smoke burned my lungs as I stumbled through the chaos, searching for Elias.

A sharp, searing pain ripped through my side, and I collapsed to the ground. My vision blurred, but I could make out the faint outline of someone stepping toward me.

“Selene.”

Aria’s voice was soft, almost tender, but it cut deeper than any blade.

I looked up at her, tears streaming down my face. “Where’s Elias?”

Her golden eyes glinted with something dark. Guilt? Maybe. But there was no mistaking the cold determination beneath it.

“Elias will live,” she said, kneeling beside me. “Theo deserves a chance too. You wouldn’t understand, Selene, but this… this is the only way.”

“No… no, please…”

She didn’t say anything else. She stood and disappeared into the smoke with Elias, leaving me with her dying son and a shattered heart as darkness pulled me under.