THIRD PERSON'S POV

Alpha Rylan and his entourage arrived at the Darkwood Pack hours later. Earlier, when the mind link from his Luna, Alara, came, he didn't even believe her words. He thought that she was making things up.

"An attack? Impossible," he mumbled to himself, enabling Serena and Beta Jaxon to hear him.

"Is there something wrong, Alpha?" The Beta asked, looking serious.

However, he just shook his head, still thinking Alara's words were ridiculous. "Alara said we're under attack."

Upon hearing that, Serena hugged his arm, squishing her chest a bit. "Oh no, she must be so upset that you chose to be with me instead of attending Aiden's coming-of-age ritual."

That was what he thought as well. Alara had the tendency to do this. That was how he perceived the woman. He thought she was lying and was just playing mind games again, not until another mind link came.

An elder mind linked him, carrying a message that sent a chill down his spine. "Alpha, Darkwood is under attack! The Grimrose Pack ambushed us. We need you!"

Without hesitation, Rylan commanded his group to turn back. "We’re going home. Now!" he barked, urgency and anger lacing his voice.

That was how they canceled their supposed meeting with Shadow Pack and immediately went back to fight for their pack. And at that moment, Beta Jaxon, ever loyal, shifted into his massive brown wolf and led the charge, the warriors following suit. Rylan’s wolf, a formidable beast with midnight-black fur and piercing golden eyes, surged forward, every muscle rippling with power.

As they entered the Darkwood Pack's territory, the sounds of battle grew louder. Snarls and yelps filled the air. Rylan's heart pounded with rage against the rival pack. How dare they ambushed Darkwood on the day he was not there and his Beta? They were cowards! He pushed himself harder, a blur of black fur tearing through.

Upon running, the scene was chaotic. Grimrose wolves clashed with the remaining Darkwood defenders, blood and fur flying. Rylan wasted no time, diving into the fray with a thunderous growl. He was a force of nature, his powerful jaws snapping at the enemy, tearing through their ranks with ruthless efficiency.

Beta Jaxon was right beside him, his brown wolf equally fierce. Jaxon tackled one of the enemies, a massive grey wolf, and they rolled across the ground in a tangle of claws and teeth. Jaxon’s powerful limbs pinned the enemy down, his jaws closing around the wolf’s throat, ending the fight with a decisive snap.

Rylan, meanwhile, took down wolf after wolf, his golden eyes blazing with fury. He ripped through the Grimrose lines, his claws leaving deep gouges in their flesh. The Darkwood warriors, emboldened by their Alpha’s return, fought with renewed vigor, pushing back the attackers.

As the battle raged on, Rylan spotted a cluster of Grimrose wolves attempting to regroup. He let out a bone-chilling howl, a call to his pack that sent shivers down the spines of friend and foe alike. The Darkwood wolves responded in kind, their howls echoing through the forest as they pressed the attack.

Rylan’s eyes narrowed as he locked onto one of the warriors of the Grimrose pack, a scarred silver wolf. With a snarl, he lunged, his powerful legs propelling him forward. The two wolves collided with a crash, their teeth snapping and claws raking. Rylan’s sheer strength and fury overwhelmed the Grimrose leader, and with a final, brutal bite, he ended the fight.

The remaining Grimrose wolves, seeing their leader fall, began to retreat. Rylan let out another howl, this time a victory cry. The Darkwood wolves took up the call, chasing the invaders from their territory. The battle was won, but it had come at a great cost.

As the pack began to celebrate their hard-fought victory, Rylan shifted back to his human form, his chest heaving with exertion.

Meanwhile, as the pack outside cheered their victory, Alara was left inside the pack house, mourning the loss of her son. While Rylan was out there, celebrating, her tears were falling nonstop. The Alpha didn't even look for them, he didn't even ask anyone where his family was—his son, his Luna.

He simply... didn't care.

The celebration of victory rang hollow in her ears, overshadowed by grief.

As Darkwood Pack celebrated their hard-fought victory, cheers, and laughter filling the air, I felt like an outsider in my home. The sounds of their joy were a cruel contrast to the heavy weight of grief that pressed down on my heart. I couldn’t bear to be there, amidst their revelry, while my son lay cold and lifeless.

Without hesitation, I made my decision. I needed answers, a sliver of hope—anything to save Aiden. While the others were busy celebrating with Rylan, I slipped away. Shifting into my wolf form, a sleek silver with piercing blue eyes, I gently placed Aiden’s body on my back. His frame felt unbearably light.

I moved swiftly through the forest, my paws barely making a sound on the forest floor. The journey to the neighboring town was a blur of trees and shadows. My mind focused solely on reaching the witch healer. Every step was a desperate plea, a prayer that there might still be a chance to bring Aiden back.

Arriving at the witch’s cottage, I shifted back to my human form, cradling Aiden in my arms as I knocked frantically on the door. An elderly woman with wise eyes opened it, her expression softening as she took in the sight before her.

“Please,” I begged, my voice trembling. “My son… I need your help.”

She stepped aside, allowing me to enter. “Come in, child. Lay him here,” she instructed, gesturing to a wooden table covered with a patchwork quilt. I gently placed Aiden down, my hands shaking as I did so.

The witch moved with practiced ease, her hands glowing softly as she examined Aiden. Her brow furrowed, and she let out a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “He’s gone.”

My knees buckled, and I clutched the edge of the table to steady myself. “No… there must be something you can do. Please, anything.”

Before the witch could respond, another figure emerged from the shadows of the room. An old woman, her eyes sharp and knowing, her presence commanding. “There is more to this than meets the eye,” she said, her voice a whisper of power. “I am the oldest healer witch. Let me see the boy.”

The first witch stepped back, a look of respect on her face. The elder approached Aiden, her gnarled hands hovering over his body. She closed her eyes, murmuring an incantation under her breath. A soft glow enveloped Aiden, and I held my breath, hope and fear warring within me.

After what felt like an eternity, the elder witch opened her eyes, her gaze meeting mine. “He is in a deep slumber, a state between life and death..."

...

When I arrived at the pack, everyone was still celebrating. They were dancing, singing, and howling as the moon shimmered through the light of the bonfire. From the shadows, I watched with tired eyes and trembling hands, fury bubbling within me. They were all here, feasting and looking so happy. Yet, no one cared—no one cared for my son! Not even his father!

I heard Alpha Rylan's mother, Elder Maris, praising him. "My son, you did a great job defeating the Grimrose Pack. Now we can be considered the strongest in the region."

It had been days, and they were still celebrating. Indeed, defeating the Grimrose Pack was a big deal. We had been rivals for years, and from my perspective, they were much stronger than us. Their Alpha was formidable, or so I had heard. I didn't know how it happened, and I didn't know why they rushed to ambush us, knowing they used to be meticulous in their every move. But should I care about that now that I have greater things to worry about?

Alpha Rylan responded calmly, "They underestimated us too much, thinking it was time to attack knowing me and my Beta weren't around. Fools!"

Serena, who was beside him, agreed. "But we wouldn't have won if you weren't here, Alpha. You're the reason for this victory. Finally, right? You're the strongest Alpha in the region. No wonder your son, Aiden, resembles you a lot. He's such a powerful young man too."

Among the crowd, Rylan's sister, Cresia, suddenly interrupted the conversation, "Since you like Aiden so much, you can be his stepmother!"

Cresia had always been close to Serena and wished she could be her sister-in-law. Her words drew laughter from the whole family of Alpha Rylan, my mate, and it seemed that it was also everyone's heartfelt wish. Did the Darkwood Pack hate me so much to the point of not wanting me to be their Luna?

As I walked into the feast, everyone who had just been enjoying themselves suddenly changed their expressions, as if they saw an unwanted guest barging in.

"Alara, where is Aiden?" Rylan asked in a cold voice when he saw that there was no one beside me.

I stared at him with cold eyes. "You still care about your son?"

The Alpha looked unhappy and said in a slightly angry tone, "What are you talking about? Are you still upset about my sudden departure days ago? You know that I am indeed busy and didn't have much time to come to his coming-of-age ritual, but he's the reason I work so hard to lead this pack. I only have this one son, and he is the only heir to the Darkwood Pack. Everything I have will be left for Aiden in the future. How can I not care about him?"

I smirked. "Everything is left for Aiden, you say... If you hadn't said it just now, I would have thought it was left for Serena."

For Serena, Alpha Rylan cruelly left Aiden and me to fight against our rival pack. He didn't even hesitate to go to Shadow Pack, even though he knew Aiden's coming-of-age ritual was a special day for our son. He ignored my kneeling pleas and left just to please Serena's previous pack. When I thought about this, my heart still ached.

When the Darkwood Pack heard what I said, they all looked at me as if I were a stranger. No one expected that I, who was always gentle and obedient, would refute their Alpha in public. Rylan frowned and said impatiently, "I didn't attend his coming-of-age ritual, so what? It didn't even happen because of the ambush. How long are you going to make a fuss over such a trivial thing?"

Serena took the opportunity to instigate. "Luna Alara, I know you are petty and jealous. It's fine when you act capriciously just in front of Alpha Rylan. But today is a big celebration! Our pack just defeated our biggest enemy! Why don't you just tell us where Aiden is? Our Alpha wants to see his son, and for sure, Elder Maris wants to see her grandson as well. How can you deliberately hide Aiden just to vent your anger? You are really unqualified as a mother."

As soon as she said this, everyone looked at me with disgust. Especially Elder Maris, her face turned red with anger. She said sternly, "Anyway, once we complete the coming-of-age ritual this time, Aiden can be independent. My son, bring Aiden here right now, and don't let him meet this irresponsible woman again. Don't let her ruin my precious grandson."

Cresia also glared at me. "Knowing that Aiden was saddened about the ritual, Serena specially cooked his favorite dish. Compared to a petty woman like you, Serena is more like Aiden's mother."

Over the years, I had worked tirelessly without complaint for Aiden. I gave everything unconditionally, but to the Darkwood Pack and to Rylan's family, everything I did couldn't compare to Serena's dish. They actually thought that Serena, the reason why my mate chose to leave that day, was more suitable to be his mother than me.

Ironic.

How ironic.

I laughed, and my laughter was filled with tears.

"Alara, are you going crazy?" Alpha Rylan got angry. "Aiden is my son, not a bargaining chip for you to use to get jealous and make trouble. A woman like you who doesn't care about his preferences and has no sense of responsibility is really not worthy of being his mother."

"Today is a special day for the Darkwood Pack. If you don't want to be here, you can leave, but Aiden must attend. He is my son, a descendant of the Darkwood Pack. Hurry up and bring him out!"