A week later, the Beta steward brought Mason and Maya back to the main house after their training camp ended.

The two cubs burst into the house and headed straight for the kitchen area, their faces full of unconcealed pride and a desire to show off.

"Mother!" Maya shrieked, her voice full of glee. "Did you know? Auntie Isabella twisted her ankle leading our trial, and Father was so worried!"

Mason eagerly added, his tone full of adoration for Isabella and contempt for me, "Father immediately called the entire pack's medical team and personally cleaned Auntie Isabella's wound, applied the most precious moon-dew balm. He even postponed an emergency pack meeting and stayed by her side, soothing her with his Alpha scent!"

I stood in front of the oven, silently listening to the cubs' grating boasts, my fingers steadily pulling on oven mitts.

"Mother, are you even listening to us?" Maya stomped her little foot impatiently, making a dull thud. "Father is so good to Auntie Isabella, much better than to you—"

The oven timer dinged softly, cutting off her endless complaints.

A rich, sweet scent of honey and oats instantly filled the kitchen.

Both cubs' eyes lit up immediately.

They sniffed eagerly and crowded around.

"It's honey oat cakes!" Mason stood on his tiptoes, trying to see what was on the baking sheet. "It's the traditional offering for the Full Moon Festival! I want some!"

I took out the baking sheet.

On it were several golden-brown honey oat cakes, but one of them was slightly burnt on the edge and not perfectly shaped.

I frowned, and without any hesitation, I tipped the imperfect oat cake into the nearby trash can.

"Ah!" Maya shrieked, her voice piercing. "Why did you throw it away! That's a gift from the Moon Goddess!"

"It's burnt, and the shape is bad. It can't be used to worship the Moon Goddess, and it can't be eaten," I explained calmly. This was pack tradition.

"You're lying to us!" Mason angrily stuck out his little paw, about to kick the trash can.

But he got burned slightly and quickly pulled it back, glaring at me with even fiercer eyes. "You did it on purpose! Just because we like Auntie Isabella more, you're jealous of her, so you don't want to give us honey oat cakes! You're a bad mother! You're unworthy of your healing gifts!"

Maya's little face turned bright red, even showing a hint of a pup's snarl. "Our pack doesn't have a mother like you! The Moon Goddess won't bless you either!"

I took off my gloves.

My heart felt like an invisible wolf claw was clenching it hard; even the sting of the mate bond felt numb.

I looked at these two cubs, born from my very life force, my blood running in their veins, yet they seemed so alien and vicious now.

"Good," I said softly. "I don't have cubs like you either."

"From now on, go find your perfect Auntie Isabella. Let her make you honey oat cakes that please the Moon Goddess."

With that, I didn't look at them again and turned towards the stairs leading to my side bedroom.

Behind me came the cubs' hysterical screams and threatening growls. "We hate you! We'll always hate you! We'll tell Father you insulted the Moon Goddess!"

My steps faltered slightly, but I didn't turn back.

Just as my foot landed on the third step, a huge force suddenly shoved me hard from behind—

"Go die! Useless Omega! You're not fit to be Luna!" It was Mason's hateful roar. He had actually shifted briefly into his pup-wolf form and rammed his head into me!

The world spun.

I completely lost my balance and fell heavily from the edge of the not-so-low staircase landing!

Intense pain shot through my whole body.

Warm wolf blood seeped from my forehead, blurring my vision.

The two cubs, in their half-wolf forms, stood at the edge of the landing, looking down at me, their faces twisted in malicious grins.

"Serves you right!" Maya's shrill voice was full of glee.

"That's what you get for not giving us the perfect honey oat cakes! That's what you get for upsetting Auntie Isabella!" Mason growled viciously, baring his sharp wolf teeth.

I struggled to push myself up, but the searing pain in my back kept me from moving.

Blood dripped from my chin onto the cold floor tiles.

I looked at these two little demons, unable to connect them with the frail cubs I had nurtured in my womb, nourished day and night with my healing wolf ability, and fought to bring into the world.

The main door of the house was suddenly thrown open.

"What's going on? What's all this noise!"

Ethan's low voice came, tinged with annoyance.

Behind him was Isabella, smiling sweetly.

When they saw the scene before them, all three wolves froze.

"Father!" The two cubs instantly dropped their ferocious act, shifting back into innocent human forms, and rushed towards Ethan, crying. "Mother… Mother threw away the honey oat cakes for the Moon Goddess, and she wouldn't let us eat them, and she said… she said she doesn't want us anymore, boo hoo!"

Ethan's gaze first fell on the burnt oat cake in the trash can, then shifted to me, covered in blood and looking wretched.

"Aria, why do you have to pick on two cubs? They're just children!"

His voice was icy, judging me. "Saying such things to your own cubs, even hurting them. Do you even deserve to be a mother?"

I leaned against the cold wall, slowly, painfully, getting to my feet.

Blood stained my dress red.

I looked at Ethan, at his handsome yet cold face, and suddenly, I smiled.

"In your eyes, I have never been worthy of anything."

My voice was weak from blood loss but clearer than ever before.

"I see that now. I see my place in this pack."

Ethan's pupils constricted sharply, as if he hadn't expected me to talk back so bluntly.

"Since the Luna you want is Isabella," I wiped the blood from my face.

With every word, the pain in my chest intensified. "And the cubs only want her as their mother, then I'll step down. I'll make your perfect Alpha family whole."

The air instantly froze.

Even the wind seemed to stop blowing.