The Alpha’s Antique Cabinet

My mate, Alpha Richard, locked our she-pup inside a sealed antique cabinet.

Our asthmatic pup.

All because his adopted sister's pup was throwing a tantrum and needed a "doll" to amuse him.

"It's just a Ball-Jointed Doll in there," he sneered. "Can't you even tell your own pup from a doll?"

Then he walked next door to praise the boy. “You’re so much braver than my pup,” he cooed. “You’re my favorite.”

Later, at a fashion show, he let his sister steal the designs I made for our pup.

He called me a plagiarist to protect her.

I was about to shatter when a man burst through the doors.

In his hands was a funeral portrait of my pup.

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1

"I'm so sorry. Her asthma... it was too severe. There was nothing more we could do."

Faced with the healer's words, I shook my head frantically, tears streaming down my face.

"Impossible. Nina just said today was her birthday… she wanted to go to Disneyland. How could she leave me..."

Even though I refused to believe it, the people passing by would look at the body in my arms and hurry away in disgust.

Some sighed with pity. "Her pup dies, and her own Alpha is nowhere to be seen. But look at Alpha Richard—his adopted sister's pup gets a minor injury, and he summons the best healers in the entire pack."

That's right. I held Nina's cold, stiff body and screamed until my lungs burned.

Yet, just one door away, Richard was playing with Monica's pup, Mike. The healer's words drilled mercilessly into my ears.

"It's just a minor scrape on the toes. If you'd brought him in any later, it would have healed on its own."

And then came Richard's stream of gentle reassurances.

"Good boy, Mike, don't cry. Tomorrow is your birthday; how about I take you to Disneyland to celebrate?"

"Of course you're a better boy than my pup, and so much stronger. You're my absolute favorite..."

The tragic irony was, from the day Nina was born, Richard had never once celebrated her birthday.

He'd either "forgotten" or something had come up with the pack.

I couldn't bear to hear the whispers of those around me any longer, nor feel their judgmental stares.

All alone, I prepared Nina for her final rest and took her to the crematorium.

The moment her body turned to ash, the dam of my grief shattered, and tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.

"Nina, Mommy is so sorry. In your next life, please, don't be my pup again."

I cried until I nearly passed out. When I finally dragged myself back to our villa, I found Richard was already there.

He stood there, ready to confront me.

"I already told you, what was in that cabinet was just a doll. Why did you have to shove Monica? Irene, how can you be so vicious!"

Monica, his adopted sister, whom he now valued more than his own mate.

His look of disgust carved into my heart, inch by inch. I was defenseless, unable to argue, and yet, I found myself laughing.

"On a day as important as this, how could I possibly have time to harm your precious lady?"

"An important day? Besides revolving your entire life around me, what other important days could you possibly have..."

But Richard’s words trailed off, as if he’d suddenly remembered something, and he stopped mid-sentence.