Alpha's Betrayal, Luna's Escape

My daughter suffered a severe injury during a pack training session, and we needed the expertise of Dr. Samuels, a renowned healer, for her surgery. Desperate, I reached out to my mate, Malik, the Alpha of our pack.

He responded coldly through our mind link, "I have an important meeting with the council. Handle it yourself, and don’t bother me with such trivial matters."

I was left to watch helplessly as my daughter, Ella, underwent an amputation, her small body trembling on the operating table.

That evening, while packing my bags, I found a receipt for a candlelit dinner in Malik’s suit pocket, along with two torn condom wrappers. His so-called important meeting was nothing but a romantic dinner with someone else, followed by more than just a few hours of pleasure.

Calmly, I called my grandmother, Louise, a respected elder in the Seabrook pack. "Grandma, I’ve made up my mind. Next month, I’ll return to take over your embroidery shop."

On the other end, Louise’s voice was filled with warmth and relief. "Oh, my dear, you’ve finally decided to come back."

Hearing a sound behind me, I quickly ended the call. The bathroom door opened, and through the steam, Jalen, a Gamma in Malik’s pack, emerged, wrapped in a towel. He frowned at me and asked, "Where are my clothes? Why didn’t you put them in the bathroom beforehand?"

"Sorry, I was at the healer’s den this afternoon and forgot," I replied, turning to the closet to fetch a clean set for him. He took the clothes and began to dress, pausing for a moment as if he had just remembered something. He glanced at me and asked in a detached manner, "How’s Ella doing?"

"The healer said... she can recover," I answered, avoiding his gaze, my voice hoarse.

Ella had fallen during a training exercise, her leg severely injured. She was rushed to the nearest healer’s den. That afternoon, the healer told me that we should try to get Dr. Samuels, who had just returned from a conference abroad, to perform the surgery, as it might save her leg. Despite my efforts, I couldn’t secure his help, and Ella ended up needing the amputation.

I personally wheeled her into the operating room, watching her pale little face, my heart aching as if it was being torn apart. Yes, she can recover, but Ella’s leg was gone forever.

"Okay," he replied tersely, now dressed and back to his business-like tone, "Submit the medical expenses to my assistant, Mr. Lee, for reimbursement."

"Alright," I said, suppressing the tumult inside, keeping my voice steady.

The next day, following procedure, I photographed Ella’s medical bills and sent them to Mr. Lee, Malik’s Beta assistant. His reply was prompt, "Madam, the Alpha requires all reimbursements to go through the proper channels. Since it’s past today’s submission deadline, the documents will be presented for approval tomorrow morning. If you’re in a hurry, you may have to come to the office in person."

Once again, the same story.

"Just process it through the usual channels."

I put down my phone and began packing. Ella would need care for the next few months, but she could be discharged soon.

That afternoon, I opened Facebook, and a new post immediately caught my eye. It was from Everly, an Omega in Malik’s pack, posted just moments ago. The picture showed a collection of receipts next to an elegant dessert and a cup of coffee, captioned: "Thanks to the boss for the instant approval and the afternoon treat, thrilled!"

I enlarged the photo, seeing several lines of travel expenses, and was momentarily disoriented. Some people don’t need to follow his rules. Some people can interrupt him, even with trivial matters. But that person wasn’t me. Nor was it Ella.

A wave of nausea surged through me, and I rushed to the bathroom to retch, but nothing came out. Only the bitter taste of bile lingered from my throat to the depths of my heart.