Ever since I lost my Alpha, Kael, in a brutal fight with some nasty rogues, I've been raising our young son, Finn, all by myself.

My old pack has been pushing me to take a new Alpha, you know, so Finn and I would have protection.

But I truly believed my Mate Bond with Kael was unbreakable.

Then, on the Blood Moon ceremony, the fifth anniversary of Kael's “sacrifice,” I overheard Kael's father, old Alpha Marcus, tearing into Kael's quiet twin brother, Ronan:

“Kael! You damn wolf! It was Ronan who went down on Blood Moon Cliff five years ago! He was the cursed one! You faked your death, lived as Ronan, all to protect Alina? You lied to the whole pack, to your sacred mate, and your own flesh and blood! Was it worth it?!”

“For five years, Elara has raised Finn from a tiny pup all alone. You gave your so-called 'niece' a fake 'father,' but did you ever think? The day you put on Ronan's mask, Finn lost his real father for good!”

I felt like I'd been struck by lightning.

After Kael “died,” Ronan had been the dutiful uncle, “looking after” Finn and me.

I never dreamed he was Kael in disguise.

And he did all this just to protect Alina, Ronan's destined mate, who was already pregnant?!

That night, under the bright moon, I snuck away and sent a message to my cousin, the Head Beta of the Silver-Moon Pack:

“Tell your Alpha Lucian that I, Elara, accept his courtship offer.”

After my Alpha Kael died fighting those rogues, old Alpha Marcus was terrified I'd take Finn, their only Alpha heir, and leave the Stone Creek Pack, or worse, get marked by another Alpha.

I turned down every match my mother tried to make, warned off any male who got too close, and kept reassuring Marcus and his mate that Kael's bloodline would stay pure.

I was going to honor my Mate Bond with Kael, always.

Five years. Five years without Kael's warm hugs, without his deep voice whispering in my ear. I gritted my teeth through so many cold nights.

Finn was my only comfort.

But then, at the Blood Moon ceremony marking five years since Kael's “sacrifice,” I overheard Marcus roaring at “Ronan”:

“Kael! You selfish, blind fool of a wolf! How much longer are you going to keep up this charade?!”

He called him Kael?! My blood ran cold.

A calm, familiar voice came from inside the den – Ronan, Kael's twin brother.

“Father, you know I had no choice.”

“Kael! Ronan was the one cursed by the Moon Goddess since he was a pup, the sickly one! Ronan was the one torn apart on Blood Moon Cliff! Why did you fake your death and take his place?!”

Fake his death?!

I froze, my claws digging into my palms. Then, the man who'd held me close every night, the man now wearing Ronan's face, spoke:

“Father, Alina was already carrying Ronan's child. She's so delicate; how could she handle losing her mate? As for Elara, I gave her a strong son, something to give her standing in the pack. That's enough.”

“From the day Ronan fell, I decided to take his place, to protect Alina and her daughter. Let the name Kael be buried on Blood Moon Cliff for good.”

I couldn't listen anymore. My head was pounding.

So, it wasn't my Kael who died. It was Ronan.

And the Alpha who was supposed to share the moonlight with me chose to disappear from our lives to protect another female and her cub.

Tears streamed down my face.

Kael had been my savior.

When rogues ambushed me, almost dragged me off and ruined my name, he'd stepped in front of the whole pack, brought me under his wing, and promised to protect me for life.

His scent used to be my safest harbor.

Our mating was passionate, intense.

He never let any other male even look at me twice. Every full moon together was precious.

Everyone said Kael's love would make every other female wolf jealous.

That's why I was so determined to keep our Mate Bond alive after he “died.”

I was such an idiot.

Kael was the strongest Alpha the Stone Creek Pack had seen in a century, full of energy, never even got a sniffle. How could a few rogues take him down so easily?

It was all a carefully crafted lie. He'd played the role of “uncle” for five years, all to protect his moonlight – a moonlight that wasn't mine.

So, what about me and Finn? Were we just pawns he could toss aside in his grand Alpha plan?

I bit down hard on my arm, then used every ounce of strength I had to stumble away.

?

Back in our shabby den, Finn woke up when I came in. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and sniffed the air around me.

My heart shattered looking at his golden wolf eyes and strong jaw, so much like Kael's.

How could Kael, his Alpha father, bear to let his own cub grow up fatherless, to be teased by other pups?

Sensing my overwhelming grief, Finn nuzzled my neck with his furry little head.

“Momma, did you find out about Alpha Kael?”

It hit me. After Kael showed up as “Ronan,” Finn would always slip up and call him “Daddy.”

I'd always scold him, tell him that was Uncle Ronan, not his father Kael.

I just thought my little cub missed his dead father terribly. I never realized a child's eyes see the clearest!

He'd always known his real father, drawn by their blood connection. He just didn't understand why, overnight, the Alpha father who used to toss him in the air and rub his stubbly chin against his cheek had become so cold, even pushing him away.

No wonder “Ronan's” care for us always felt… measured.

He'd leave the best cuts of meat outside our den, use his Alpha presence to scare off other males who disrespected us, and secretly leave warm furs for us in winter. But the moment Finn tried to get close, he'd quickly cut it off, insisting he was “Uncle Ronan.”

Everyone else said Ronan was as good to Finn as a real father.

Now, it all felt like a sick joke.

He was Finn's real father, but he deliberately kept his distance, cruelly denying Finn his right to have one.

Didn't he ever wake up in the middle of the night, tormented by the backlash of betraying our Mate Bond?

For these five years, I'd ached over Kael's death countless times, but my love for him kept me going.

Now, I felt it with chilling clarity: the Alpha who had shared my soul and body was truly dead to me.

This betrayed Mate Bond needed to be severed for good.

Calming myself down, I looked Finn straight in the eyes and asked him if he'd be okay if I mated with another Alpha.

Confusion flickered in Finn's eyes, then hardened into determination. “Momma, I don't get why Daddy won't say who he is. But if he's not going to protect you anymore, Finn will! Wherever you go, I go. I'll grow up fast and be strong, like Alpha Lucian of the Silver-Moon Pack!”

Finn hugged me tight with his little body, his tiny, clumsy paws patting my back to comfort me.

“Okay!”

Fighting back tears, I hugged Finn close and then sent a message to my cousin in the Silver-Moon Pack.

From far away, it felt like an answer came back.

My cousin would get my message soon. And so would Lucian.

They hadn't exactly been subtle with their hints these past five years; I'd just been too lost in mourning Kael.

And Alpha Lucian of the Silver-Moon Pack… they said he was the only one who could match Kael in strength. And he seemed to have had his eye on me for a while.

Now, I, Elara, was going to find real security for myself and Finn.

?

The next morning, the Stone Creek Pack felt grim after the Blood Moon ceremony.

I took Finn to the communal eating area.

Kael was right there, tenderly tearing off a juicy piece of deer leg for Alina, then gently stroking the little female cub by her side, who was about Finn's age.

The sight stung my eyes.

Before I knew the truth, I'd imagined countless times how Kael and I would be just like that if he were alive.

Alina snuggled against him, basking in her Alpha's protection, while I could only watch from afar.

My wolf instincts were churning because of last night's revelation, but I forced them down. There was no one left to lick my wounds or soothe my anger.

Kael's eyes flickered to my pale face. He put down the meat he was holding, tore off a smaller but still good piece, and offered it to Finn and me.

“Elara, you should eat more too. Finn's a growing boy.”

His tone was still distant, as if the “dead” Kael had nothing to do with him. He was just a responsible uncle.

“Uncle Ronan, I can take care of Momma myself.”

Finn tilted his head up, his voice calm, then he awkwardly pushed a piece of cooked meat towards me with his little paw.

Kael's hand, holding the deer meat, froze in mid-air. A flicker of shock crossed his face; he even dropped the meat.

It was the first time Finn had called him “Uncle Ronan” so clearly, so distantly.

Before, no matter how Kael corrected him, Finn would stubbornly mumble “Daddy.”

Today, “Uncle Ronan” felt like an invisible wall suddenly thrown up between them.

“Finn, you… didn't you always see your uncle as a shadow of your father? What's different today…?” He tried to keep his voice steady, searching Finn's face for an answer.

Finn bared his sharp little baby teeth in a small grin, his eyes clear.

“Uncle Ronan, Finn just missed Daddy too much before and got confused. Now Finn's grown up. I know my Alpha father, Kael, went to be with the Moon Goddess at Blood Moon Cliff five years ago.”

Kael looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't. He just covered it up with an awkward, “Finn's so sensible now.”

His gaze darted between me and Finn, as if trying to peer into our souls.

The bone in his hand creaked as he gripped it, but he didn't take a bite.

Finn and I just shared our food. Finn even tried to act like a grown wolf, tearing off the best pieces for me.

This made Kael even more uneasy. He kept looking over at us, and finally, he couldn't hold back anymore, a hint of anxiety in his voice.

“Even though I'm not Kael… Finn and I, we still share the same blood.”

“If you ever need anything, just tell me. Don't always try to handle everything yourself.”

I let out a short, sharp laugh that cut through the morning air.

Was that his Alpha possessiveness waking up?

But he was the one who chose to wear the fake mask, who pushed us away with his own hands, who kept scolding Finn for calling him father.

I put down the bone I was gnawing on and signaled to Finn, who was full, to get up.

Before we left, I looked straight into Kael's confused eyes and said,

“Ronan, you're right. Even if you and Kael are twins, you're not Finn's real father.”

“Alina and her child, they're the ones you should be taking care of.”

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