I was never the kind who cried or gave up easily, but since my son Gideon had finally succumbed to his illness two days ago, I couldn’t stop the tears from falling. I couldn't eat, sleep, think, or drag myself off the floor. The devastation and the anger I felt were unlike any other because of how young Gideon was; he was only seven when he lost his life.

I couldn’t help but feel that he deserved more from everything, especially from his father. What pained me more was that Damon was the reason why this happened to our son in the first place. He only cared about himself and was immensely arrogant just because he belonged to a werewolf clan of royal families.

His sense of superiority and ruthlessness, even though he wasn’t the most feared and strongest alpha in the world, had earned him plenty of enemies, finally causing a war to break out two years ago. Yes, we were lucky to have survived, but at the expense of our son.

Gideon was trapped in the carnage during this war, suffering severe injuries and getting poisoned by wolfsbane. The amount of the vile liquid that got into his system made it hard for the pack doctors to save him. It was more than his body could take.

They tried formulating a cure as if their lives depended on it, but since the poison had already affected his entire body, he was unable to utilize his healing and shifting abilities. For two years, he suffered physically and emotionally because not only was he unable to walk or breathe well, but he also lost his ability to speak.

Gideon was only able to express his emotions through his thoughts, and oftentimes, he would ask where his father was. He only wanted to spend time with Damon, but sadly, his father never spent time with him even as he was on the brink of death.

Gideon was such a wonderful kid. He could've become one of the greatest alphas that ever lived. He was strong-willed but had the kindest soul. He had a lot to offer, more than both Damon and I could give, and yet ever since he was born, Damon never paid him enough attention.

He looked up to his father like he was a god and only wanted to be near him, but Damon only had time for his childhood friend, Annabelle. Until Gideon’s last breath, Damon was nowhere to be found. In the end, I buried Gideon alone with only our beta Finn to help me.

The thought of Gideon begging for me to find his father before he lost all his life force and the pain of laying my son to rest in his father’s absence tossed my heart into disarray. I would’ve understood if he couldn’t come home due to his duties as an alpha, but to later learn that he was away celebrating Annabelle’s birthday while our son bled some more and gasped for air had kept me in an unending nightmare I couldn’t wake from.

With the little strength I had, I realized that I was worth more than someone who would simply accept Damon's lies and cruelty. I had poured myself into our connection, only to find myself left empty, longing for a mate I had once cherished.

I remembered my laughter, my dreams, and the she-wolf I used to be before I started losing pieces of myself to him. I loved Damon more than my life, but the warmth of our love had been extinguished by his selfish ways. The dreams we once shared—all of them felt distant now. With newfound resolve, I spoke through our bond.

“I deserve better,” I whispered, letting the words flow like a mantra, knowing well that he heard me loud and clear.

I felt his thoughts and the way he tried to formulate a question, only to stop midway. My heart raced as I waited for Damon to speak back, but when he didn't entertain our mind-link, the burden I had been feeling had suddenly lifted. I knew then that I didn’t have to remain in a cage of despair, so I quickly packed my belongings, believing that I was ready to break free.

With one last glance at the cozy little room that held so many memories of Gideon, I turned to leave. With each step I took toward the front door, I could almost feel the freedom calling me, a promise of less heartache. Just as I was about to reach for the handle, my pulse suddenly quickened.

I knew then that Damon was home; I could feel it through our damn connection. I looked around the house, thinking of going through the back door, but Damon’s voice broke through the silence, a dark melody tangled with authority.

"Just where do you think you're going?" He asked as he walked through the door, looking at the luggage I had in each of my hands.

His dark hair fell into his eyes, and for a split second, I caught a glimpse of that roguish charm that had drawn me in from the start. I hesitated, my hands suddenly sweating, but when I finally noticed that he was carrying Annabelle in his arms, her blonde waves bouncing with each step Damon took, I started seeing red.

I wasn't jealous; I was way past that. I had made up my mind that I was going to leave Damon no matter the cost. It didn't matter that severing our bond as mates could weaken my wolf abilities. I saw red because I was reminded of how much Gideon had suffered because of them.

I was reminded how selfish Damon was, and how badly we were treated by him when we were supposed to be his life. Annabelle was only his childhood friend, and yet he treated her better than he ever treated me or Gideon. I resented them to the core.

"Hey, Dakota, what’s going on?” she asked, glancing between us as she pretended that there was nothing odd with the situation we were in.

Annabelle was a great manipulator; she always knew how to act innocent and play the victim card well. I just found it funny that Damon kept falling for her acts.

I looked between her and Damon, his expression unreadable. “It looks like Dakota is about to leave,” he said when I didn't answer Annabelle at all, his voice a mix of annoyance and provocation.

“Leave?” Annabelle echoed as one of her brows lifted. “Oh, please, Dakota. You're not actually thinking of leaving because of this, are you?”

She pointed at her and Damon as if telling me that her being carried by my mate was not a big deal. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. I didn’t want to hash out my internal struggles in front of her; I didn’t want her to see the cracks in my resolve. But at the same time, I badly wanted to teach her a lesson.

“Annabelle,” I started softly, but she cut me off, which was probably for the best since I was barely containing the urge to say something I'd probably regret.

“No, Dakota. I was injured during training. Since the pack hospital was too far, Damon, being the kind protector he is with me, decided to take care of me here," she said, her gaze flicking back to Damon. “You don't mind, do you?”

For a moment, it felt like the world around me faded away. The noise of the street, the buzzing of the city—none of it mattered. All that existed was the three of us, bound by untold words and unresolved feelings.

I wanted to say everything that was plaguing my heart to unload the heaviness I was feeling after losing my precious child, but I knew it would be useless. It was clear to me that Damon never saw me as his mate. He never loved his own son either, so I couldn't see the point of telling them anything.

"No, I don't. You can do whatever you want. Please, feel at home,” I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper.

I was fed up with our dynamic, so I took a step forward, ignoring Damon's piercing gaze as he slowly let Annabelle down on the sofa. He called out to me again, but I didn't bother to stop or look at them. I continued toward the door as if I was deaf and just as I took a step out, Damon roughly yanked me back inside.

"What is your problem? Are you trying to get some attention again, huh?" Damon angrily questioned as his grip tightened around my upper arm.

I looked at him with a blank stare and simply tried to shake his hold off of me, but the look he gave me should have made all the hair on my body stand up. His stance was menacing and dangerous. Surprisingly, I felt calm.

"I don't have a problem. I just want to leave," I boldly answered, knowing that even though I wanted to cut ties with him, he could still impose his power as an alpha on me.

"Stop being an attention seeker, Dakota," He sneered as he got in my face.

Normally, I'd feel a bit afraid when he would do something like this in the past, but after everything that had happened, fear was the last emotion I had for Damon. I felt nothing but disgust at this point.

I was so disgusted by how he treated our son that I didn't want to bother explaining myself anymore. I only wanted to get the hell out. When I was met with silence, I made a move to walk out the door, only to hear Annabelle mutter under her breath.

“You’re being dramatic, Dakota. Damon's just helping me. Stop being so jealous of me all the time,” she said, her tone dripping with condescension. I was supposed to ignore her. That was the plan.

However, Annabelle continued to provoke me by suddenly bringing up Gideon. I felt the air thicken around me. Her words echoed in my mind, more painful than I ever wanted to admit. She casually compared him to me, calling him a weak little wolf, just like she said I was for always playing the victim. At that moment, the anger I held back turned to rage.

"What did you say about my son?" I asked, my voice was low and steady.

How could she reduce my son to that stereotype? I could feel my heart racing, and my claws itching to break free. I had to fight the urge to lash out, but it was like a dam holding back a flood. Annabelle had crossed a line, and I couldn't sit back and let her mock the memory of my son like that.

How could she not understand the burden of my son being treated badly by a mate and still keep my head above water while facing scorn? A small spark of frustration I had simmering inside ignited into an all-consuming flame. I didn’t want to appear weak, but with every taunt, Annabelle chipped away at my resolve until I felt raw and exposed.

I lost it when she finally asked where Gideon was, using the words scrunny little mutt, to describe my precious son. Letting the floodgates open, I looked at her with murder written all over my face, and before Damon could jump in front of me, I leaped toward Annabelle and straddled her.

With my claws and fangs out, I continued to land swings and slashes all over her face and body, making her scream in agony. She tried her best to fight me off, but she couldn't even land a decent punch on me. I was simply stronger and quicker.

"Get off me!" Annabelle screamed as she tried to get me to stop.

I could hear Damon ordering me to do the same, but none of the things they were saying were registering. I wanted to hurt Annabelle so badly that it brought me so much satisfaction to see how bloody her arms were as she tried to cover her face from my assaults.

This was nothing. The pain she was feeling paled in comparison to what Gideon and I went through in Damon's absence. I kept going to the point of insanity, enjoying her cries for help and the feel of her skin ripping as I slashed at it.

A minute later, I was suddenly thrown off of Annabelle, landing harshly on the wall across the room. With an angry growl, Damon approached me and started attacking me the same way I attacked Anabelle.

I didn't try to fight Damon off. I simply rolled into a fetal position and waited until he was finally done hurting and humiliating me. I figured that if I let things be, the sooner I'd be able to get away. Besides, he wouldn't dare kill me as that would be treason.

"Where's Gideon?" Damon finally asked as he wiped the blood stains off his hands on my clothes.

I stayed silent, reliving the last moments of Gideon in my head as I heaved and coughed from the injuries Damon had just given me. When he asked again, I couldn't help but release a sarcastic laugh as I slowly sat. How dare he ask about our son he easily abandoned? I thought to myself. I wiped the blood dripping over my eyes and slowly stood.

"You'll never see him again, so both of you can just go to hell!" I huffed, smiling at Annabelle and Damon eerily before limping away, only to be stopped by Damon once again.

“You’re using him as leverage again, aren't you, Dakota?” he had accused, his eyes sparking with anger.

The accusation stung more than I expected. I was still processing how we had reached this point—how the bond we had once shared felt frayed and taut now. All this time, he thought I was using our son to get whatever I wanted. He thought I was playing games when all I wanted was to give Gideon what he had been hoping for before he died; his father's love.

"Don't ever say I used our son for personal gain. You don't know anything," I answered defiantly.

Damon's jaw ticked as he stared daggers at me. I knew then that he was using his mind link when his eyes became hazy for a moment. Soon, Finn, his beta appeared. The look on Finn's face when he saw my state somehow made me feel vulnerable, because even though he was aware of how Damon was treating me, not once did he see me bloodied, bruised, and scarred.

"Find Gideon and bring him to me," Damon ordered.

Confusion covered Finn's expression as he looked between me and his alpha. When his eyes finally landed on me, Finn had a questioning look, which I completely ignored. When he understood that I hadn't said anything to Damon, he took a deep breath.

"Alpha, Gideon is," he started, nervousness spilling out from him.