Alpha Frederick Herrera brought back his former mate from the rogue lands.

The woman claimed she was dying, and her only wish was to mate with him.

Alpha, who had once vowed never to take another mate, agreed to make her his Luna.

Later, he even let her take my mother Chelsea’s cherished den and drown our beloved cat, Whiskers.

Watching my mother remain silent, I begged Alpha with tears in my eyes:

"Mother has her pack. If she leaves, we’ll never find her again."

But he didn’t care. "Chloe, your mother has no pack. As long as you’re here, she won’t leave."

Until one day, my mother squeezed my hand and whispered, "Chloe, will you come with me?"

I knew her pack had come to take her away.

==============================

Everyone at school was talking about how my father was taking a new mate.

My father, Alpha Frederick Herrera of the Northern Pack, was not just any Alpha—he was the Lycan King Nash Phillips’s most trusted ally. But what truly made him stand out was his bond with my mother, Luna Chelsea Moore.

My mother was the most extraordinary woman in the world. She knew everything from the stars to the earth, and her healing abilities were unmatched.

It was said that during the war against a rogue invasion, it was my mother who stood by my father’s side and led the pack to victory.

But what made my father most famous was the vow he made on their marking day: "I, Frederick Herrera, Alpha of the Northern Pack, swear to mark Chelsea Moore as my one and only mate. If I break this vow, may the Moon Goddess strike me down."

So how could my father possibly take another mate?

I clenched my fists and shouted at the loudest of them, "You’re lying! My father and mother are the most devoted pair in the world. You’re just jealous!"

The boy, a rival of mine, stood up with a smug grin. "My mom said your mother was just a placeholder. The woman Alpha brought back is his true mate. You and your mother are just leftovers now!"

I shoved him, tossing my hair back and lifting my chin. "What? Expecting me to cry? Not a chance!"

I had seen how much my father adored my mother. Everyone in the pack had seen it.

When my mother was young, she took a poisoned arrow meant for my father. It nearly killed her.

My father, desperate, searched for healers and prayed to the Moon Goddess. He even prepared poison for himself, vowing to join her if she didn’t survive.

After that, wherever my mother went, my father was there. Even a gust of wind that ruffled her hair would send him into a protective frenzy.

After their marking, my father spoiled her endlessly.

My mother loved the honey cakes from the south, so my father spent three days in the kitchen learning to make them himself. From then on, our pack’s kitchen never ran out of his homemade honey cakes.

The other Alphas and Betas often teased him about being whipped, but my father would just hold my mother’s hand and say, "I’m the lucky one."

And he was. The line of suitors for my mother had stretched to the edge of the territory, but she had chosen him.

Before class ended, I excused myself and ran home, my bag bouncing against my side.

I just missed my mother, that’s all. It had nothing to do with the rumors.

The boy called after me, "Your father doesn’t want you anymore!"

Without looking back, I yelled, "You’re full of it!"

The car hadn’t even come to a full stop in front of the Northern Pack’s mansion when I jumped out, my feet hitting the pavement with a thud. The startled gasps of the pack members followed me, but I ignored them, running straight into the house.

“Mom!” I called out, my voice bubbling with excitement, not noticing the careful, hurried steps of the pack around me. When I burst into the living room, my eyes immediately landed on my dad, Frederick Herrera, standing tall and broad-shouldered with his back to me. He was the Alpha of the Northern Pack, his presence commanding and his aura overwhelming. I had to crane my neck to look up at him.

Normally, I would have run straight to him, wrapping my arms around his neck as he laughed and hoisted me onto his shoulders, spinning me around the yard. But this time, I froze mid-step. My mom, Chelsea, turned away quickly when she saw me, her head bowed as if she was wiping tears.

“Mom,” I said softly.

“Hey,” she replied, turning back with a calm smile, her usual composed self. I walked over to her, passing my dad, who bent down to reach for me. Instinctively, I sidestepped him. I wasn’t a little kid anymore. In a high-ranking pack like ours, we grew up fast, and reading the room was second nature.

Mom took my hand, standing tall as she faced my dad. “Frederick, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. She’s not sick, and she’s not dying. If you want to take another mate, then reject me.”

His brow furrowed, his Alpha tone sharp and unyielding. “Chelsea, multiple healers have confirmed she only has a month left. Are you really saying her life means less to you than a title? All she wants is to fulfill a childhood dream. She won’t take anything from you. After a month, we’ll give her a proper burial, and everything will go back to normal.”

His voice softened slightly, but his authority was still palpable. “We grew up together. I won’t let her suffer. As for you, rejection is out of the question. If you want to test me, then go ahead.”

I clung to my mom’s sleeve, staring up at him with wide eyes. I’d never seen my dad speak to her like this. My entire life, he’d always softened his voice around her, careful not to scare her with his Alpha tone. Now, his words were sharp, his aura suffocating.

I felt my mom’s hand tremble in mine, growing colder by the second. In that moment, something in me snapped. I pushed forward, shoving at my dad’s chest with all my strength. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I held them back, glaring up at him.

“Don’t you dare talk to her like that!” I shouted, my voice shaking with anger. “Everyone’s saying you’re going to take another mate. Tell me it’s not true!”

He looked down at me, his hand reaching out, but I turned my face away, his fingers brushing past my cheek. He straightened, his hands clasped behind his back. “Chloe, stay out of grown-up matters.”

That was it. The tears spilled over, rolling down my cheeks like drops of rain. My dad had never called me by my full name before. He’d always called me “Chloe” or “sweetheart,” his voice warm and affectionate. Now, it was cold, distant.

I quickly wiped my tears with my sleeve, not wanting my mom to see me cry. When I turned back, I caught sight of a woman walking gracefully into the room. Before anyone could speak, she knelt in the center of the living room, her presence soft yet unsettling.