My heart pounded hard as I turned back to Craig, my tone low but firm, carrying all the weight of my resolve. “Do you honestly believe our son is faking it too?”
Craig’s silence was suffocating. His eyes darted around, scanning the empty room as if Dustin would suddenly appear out of thin air.
Trying to mask the irritation creeping into his voice, Craig finally asked, “Where did you take Dustin? I can’t sense him anywhere.”
His doubt cut deep. He couldn’t even believe that our son had been suffering for all this time. If only I had his strength—I would have summoned the finest healers to help Dustin immediately. But as Luna, my power was limited by the boundaries of our pack—and by Craig’s refusal to recognize me.
Had he bothered to come home even once, he would have seen the table covered in herbal medicines, and Dustin’s pale, fragile form lying quietly nearby. But he never did.
I remembered the day Dustin told me he didn’t have much time left. His voice was so weak, his eyes reflecting a truth too painful to deny. Though I clung to hope with every fiber of my being, I knew he was right, given how fast his health was failing. Dustin’s dying wish had been simple: to celebrate his birthday together, as a family.
Driven by desperation, I had begged Craig, even dropping to my knees in complete surrender. I grabbed his pants, my voice breaking as I promised that this would be the last time I ever troubled him. I said I was ready to let him go—to set him free. In that moment, my Alpha looked down at me, his eyes flashing with surprise and something else I couldn’t quite understand.
His voice trembled, laced with disbelief and a hint of happiness. “Are you serious?”
“Yes,” I whispered, closing my eyes as tears spilled down my cheeks.
From the very moment I saw Craig, I had loved him fiercely. It was love at first sight—so obvious, everyone around us noticed. Even before I understood we were fated mates, my heart belonged to him. I had chased his attention, followed him everywhere, done whatever I could just to capture his heart.
But instead of reciprocating, Craig grew to despise me. His hatred peaked when, during his coming-of-age ceremony, he learned I was his destined mate. That revelation only deepened his bitterness; he had wanted Sonya by his side instead.