I am Marcus Kelly’s ex-mate, the one nobody in the Silverfang Pack likes to talk about. Back then, I thought having a pup would secure my place as the Luna of the pack, but they quickly deemed me unworthy. As soon as my son, Quinn, was weaned, they cast me out.

Two years after the rejection, the monthly stipend Marcus had agreed to provide was nearly depleted. Just as I was wondering how to survive, Axton Grant, the Delta steward of the Kelly family, appeared at my doorstep with Quinn.

“Alpha Marcus has been preoccupied with pack affairs and requests that you care for the pup for a while,” he said curtly before leaving us in an awkward silence.

“What’s your father up to? We severed the mate bond with the agreement to stay out of each other’s lives,” I remarked, my voice sharp.

In a quiet voice, Quinn replied, “Dad might lose his position as Alpha.”

I let out a dry laugh. “Lose his position? That’s nothing. I’m barely scraping by.”

Quinn’s eyes lit up. “I have a lot of allowance from the pack treasury,” he said eagerly, opening his small backpack to reveal a bundle of cash. “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll take care of you!”

The year Marcus and I severed our bond, Quinn had just turned one. As I packed and left, Quinn was held by Axton, wailing and reaching out for me.

I didn’t give him a glance, and I didn’t turn back even once as I left.

Two years had passed since then. Quinn had grown taller, his speech clear, and bore an uncanny resemblance to Marcus, lacking any trace of my genes. He was still well-behaved, sitting neatly on the couch with his backpack, staring blankly at my wilting fern.

I turned my attention to the glass of cold water, hesitated briefly, and then poured it out. I unearthed the coffee maker that had been collecting dust.

“Here, have some coffee,” I said, placing the warm mug in front of him.

“Thank you, Mom,” Quinn accepted it with both hands, smiling sweetly at me.

He was tidy and clean, a stark contrast to my messy apartment. Taking a deep breath, I handed him an iPad to watch cartoons while I slipped into the bedroom to call Marcus.

The phone rang for ages before he picked up. His voice was as aloof as ever, “What do you want?”

I countered, “What do you think I called for? You’re the Alpha of the Silverfang Pack; even if you lost your position, you could still afford to raise a pup, right?”

“You’re his mother. Isn’t that your responsibility?”

“Oh, now you want to call me his mother? When we severed the bond, your pack told me I wasn’t fit to be his mother, advised me to take the money and leave, and if we met again, to pretend we didn’t know each other.”

Marcus was silent for a couple of seconds. “I’ll come to pick him up in a couple of days.”

“You have two days, not a second more. Otherwise, don’t blame me if your pup ends up on the streets.”

I hung up and turned around to find Quinn standing quietly in the doorway, watching me.

My heart ached slightly, and I put away the phone casually. “Didn’t the pack teach you that eavesdropping is rude?”

Quinn lowered his head, nudging his backpack toward me with his foot.

“I’ll give you all my allowance.

“I won’t be picky with food, I won’t cause trouble, I’ll be really good and listen.

“Mom, could you not leave me?”

I didn’t answer Quinn’s question.

It wasn’t a matter of whether I wanted to, but if I could.

“You’re still young,” I said, my voice soft but firm. “When you grow up, you’ll understand that the Silverfang Pack keeping you from seeing me is probably for the best.”

I hadn’t anticipated visitors when I set up this place, so if Quinn wanted to stay over tonight, he'd have to sleep on the couch. I began tidying up the scattered items on the sofa—unworn dresses still with tags, unopened bags—and tossed them all into the closet.

Quinn followed me, carefully matching my steps, helping by carrying the dresses and bags. His small hands gripped the fabric tightly, his movements precise and deliberate, like a pup trying to prove his worth to the pack.

“Mom, what are you doing?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Making space for you to sleep,” I replied, not looking at him.

“Can’t I sleep with you?”

I paused, looking down at him. He looked away, then gathered the courage to meet my gaze. “I sleep quietly, and I’m small. I only need a little bit of the bed,” he said, his voice pleading.

But I still refused him firmly. “I don’t like noise. If you can’t sleep, find something quiet to do. You can watch cartoons—just keep the sound off. There’s a delivery coming soon. Get the door yourself and eat if you’re hungry. Just don't disturb me, okay?”

Quinn nodded obediently, his eyes downcast. Satisfied, I returned to the bedroom. To be safe, I locked the door behind me.

It was quiet outside. I scrolled through short videos for hours and was just starting to drift off when suddenly I heard a loud crash.

I instinctively opened my eyes and jumped out of bed, not bothering with slippers as I rushed out. The sound came from the kitchen. Quinn was on the floor next to a fallen chair, oatmeal spilling from a pot and sizzling sounds coming from the stove.

“Aren’t you aware pups shouldn’t be playing with fire?” I scolded, quickly turning off the gas. My heart was racing, but I kept my voice steady. “Didn't I order you food? Eat when you're hungry!”

Quinn shrank into himself, shoulders hunched, head down, silent. His small frame trembled, and I could feel the weight of his fear.

I took a deep breath, crouched down, and gently checked his arms and legs. “Does it hurt?” I asked, my voice softer now.

He shook his head quickly.

I didn't believe him, so I picked him up and carried him out of the kitchen, placing him on the sofa. I helped him out of his clothes to check him over carefully. On the coffee table was a half-eaten kids’ meal. I glanced at it and asked, “Is it not what you like?”

Again, he shook his head.

I frowned. “Cat got your tongue?”

“You didn’t have dinner...” Quinn finally spoke, hiccuping amidst sobs, “I was afraid you’d be hungry.”

I paused, my heart tightening. His words struck a chord deep within me, and for a moment, I felt the sting of guilt.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to. Please don’t be mad...” His small hand formed a fist, wiping tears haphazardly, his breath hitching with his cries. The other hand clutched the hem of my shirt tightly and wouldn’t let go.

I pulled him into my arms, gently patting his back, rocking him to comfort him. Quinn cried until he was exhausted, then settled quietly, wrapping his arms around my neck, resting his head on my shoulder, and fell asleep.

Some habits of his never changed since way back.

I couldn’t understand what Marcus was teaching him. If he truly wanted a clean break, he should've been telling Quinn I was a bad mother and definitely not letting him visit me.

What do pups really know? It’s the adults who teach them everything. And yet, here was Quinn, his small heart filled with concern for me, despite everything.

As I held him, I couldn’t help but wonder if Marcus even realized the kind of bond he was letting Quinn form with me. Or if he even cared.

Quinn stayed at my place for two days. Aside from the clothes he brought, everything else I provided was disposable. I had no intention of letting him leave any trace behind in my home. The last thing I needed was reminders of a life I had carefully distanced myself from.

Marcus arrived the second evening, his Alpha presence filling the room the moment he stepped through the door. When he and Quinn saw each other, the tension was palpable, thick with unspoken words and unresolved history. I was impatient, eager to cut the encounter short. “Alpha Marcus,” I said, my tone clipped, “take him with you. I don’t have time for this.”

His eyes narrowed, the faint glow of his Alpha aura flickering with irritation. “Alani, this is your own son. How can you be so eager to get rid of him? Do you have no conscience? Aren’t you worried that Quinn might hear this and feel upset?”

I crossed my arms, leaning against the doorway. “This is just who I am,” I replied with a hint of irony. “Isn’t it better for him to see my true colors sooner rather than later? This way, he won’t have unrealistic expectations of me.”

Marcus’s jaw tightened, his Alpha tone sharpening. “He really cares about you.”

I let out a dry laugh. “Oh, and what good is that? Will it pay the bills? Will it ensure I live a comfortable life?”

He stepped closer, his towering frame casting a shadow over me. “You were the one who pursued me back then, weren’t you? After getting pregnant, you used the child to pressure me into the mate bond, isn’t that right? And during our separation, you chose money over the child, didn’t you? Alani, ask yourself honestly, haven’t you benefited enough from using Quinn as leverage against me?”

I nodded, refusing to flinch under his scrutiny. “Yes, you’re not wrong. So, since you know my true nature so well, it’s even more important for Quinn to stay away from me so he doesn’t get hurt.”

For a moment, Marcus’s composure wavered, the storm beneath his calm exterior threatening to break. But he held it back, his Alpha instincts keeping him in check. He reached out and picked Quinn up, his movements stiff but careful. Quinn looked at me with those haunting eyes, filled with a hope I couldn’t bring myself to acknowledge. I turned away, refusing to meet his gaze.

At the door, Marcus paused and turned back to me. “If back then, you had pursued Rayden and had his child, would your attitude be the same now?”

The mention of Rayden caught me off guard, but I recovered quickly, my voice steady. “At least Rayden wouldn’t have left me alone during my pregnancy, nor would he have abandoned his family to party.”

Marcus’s expression darkened. “Yes, if Rayden is so wonderful, why didn’t you pursue him back then?”

I smiled bitterly. “He’s so decent, how could I bear to drag him down? It was more fitting to get entangled with a jerk like you.”

The truth was, I never intended to argue with Marcus in front of Quinn. Not that I’m an exemplary mother—my pursuit of the mate bond with Marcus and the pregnancy that followed were purely strategic, with Quinn’s existence simply a stepping stone to securing my place in the Silverfang Pack. Yet Quinn is so well-behaved, so unlike the calculating world he was born into. Even someone as self-centered as I can occasionally feel a pang of guilt.

But the relationship between Marcus and me is beyond repair. We despise each other to the point where we can’t even muster the usual politeness adults feign. His bitterness and my indifference have created a chasm too wide to bridge.

Marcus gave a bitter smile, his Alpha aura dimming as he looked at me. “Looks like you’ve realized you can’t squeeze any more money out of me, so you’ve stopped even pretending.”

He patted Quinn’s head, his voice softening slightly. “You see that, kid? This is the kind of person your mother is.”

Quinn just watched me quietly, his expression unreadable. I didn’t wait for Marcus to say anything else. With a sharp “bang,” I slammed the door shut, cutting off the sight of them both. My wolf stirred within me, a faint whisper of regret, but I silenced it. There was no room for weakness in the life I had chosen.