My Alpha Let His Mistress Murder My Mother

I didn't knock. I shoved the door open so hard it slammed against the wall, and every head in Dereck's office snapped toward me. My Alpha—my mate—sat behind his desk with his Beta and Gamma flanking him, mid-discussion about border patrol rotations. His eyes flashed amber, irritation flickering across his face before he saw what I held in my trembling hands.

The burner phone.

"Alora, I'm in a—"

"They have her." My voice cracked. I crossed the room in three strides and shoved the screen toward him. "Rogues. They sent this twenty minutes ago."

The footage played on loop. My mother, bound to a chair in some concrete room, duct tape across her mouth. Her eyes were wide, terrified. A rogue in a black hood stood behind her, one hand fisted in her hair, the other pressing a silver blade to her throat. The voice that spoke was distorted, mechanical. "Wolfsbane antidote stores. Safe passage through Shadowcrest territory. Twelve hours. Or she dies."

Dereck watched the video once. Twice. His jaw tightened, but his expression remained controlled. Too controlled. He set the phone down on his desk with deliberate care.

"It's a trap," he said flatly.

I stared at him. "What?"

"Rogues don't negotiate. They kill or they run. This—" He gestured at the phone. "—is extortion theater. They want us to panic and hand over resources."

"Dereck, that's my mother—"

"I know who it is." His tone sharpened. "And I know rogue tactics. They're counting on you reacting emotionally."

My wolf howled inside me, clawing at my ribs. "Then send warriors. Track the signal. Do something."

"We will." He leaned back in his chair, his Alpha aura pressing against the room like a weight. "But we do it smart. Not reckless."

Before I could argue, the door opened. Delaney stepped inside, her pale blonde hair pulled back, her expression soft with concern. She wore a cream sweater that made her look fragile, delicate. She always looked like that. Breakable.

"I heard shouting," she said quietly, her gaze flicking between Dereck and me. "Is everything okay?"

Dereck's posture shifted slightly. Softened. "Rogues made a ransom demand. Alora's mother."

Delaney's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, Alora. I'm so sorry." She crossed to me, reaching for my arm, but I jerked away. Her eyes widened, hurt flickering across her face. "I just want to help."

"Then help me convince him to send warriors," I snapped.

Dereck's Alpha tone cut through the room like a blade. "Enough."

I froze. The command locked my muscles, forced my mouth shut. My wolf whimpered, submission flooding my veins against my will. I hated it. Hated that he could do that to me.

Delaney stepped forward, her voice trembling. "Dereck, maybe I could handle the exchange. I've dealt with rogue negotiations before, back when my father was Beta. I know how they think."

Dereck's gaze shifted to her, considering. "You're wolfsbane-sensitive. It's too dangerous."

"I'll be careful," she said, her tone soft but steady. "And if it helps bring Alora's mother home safely, it's worth the risk."

Something twisted in my chest. I wanted to scream that Delaney had no business negotiating for my mother's life, but the Alpha command still pressed against my throat. I could only watch as Dereck nodded slowly.

"All right. You'll lead the exchange. Take two enforcers. Report back every hour."

Delaney's lips curved into the faintest smile. "Of course, Alpha."

She left the room, and Dereck finally released the command. I gasped, my lungs filling with air as my wolf surged back to the surface.

"You just handed my mother's life to Delaney?" I hissed.

"I handed it to someone who won't let emotion cloud her judgment," Dereck said coldly. "You're too close to this, Alora. You can't think straight."

"She's my mother—"

"And you're my Luna." He stood, rounding the desk. "Which means you trust my decisions. Delaney will handle it. Go back to the pack house and wait."

I stared at him, my mate, the wolf the Moon Goddess chose for me. And I didn't recognize him.

I turned and walked out.

---

The hours crawled. I paced the pack house living room, my phone clutched in one hand, the burner in the other. I tried reaching Dereck through the mind-link. Once. Twice. Ten times.

Each time, his response was clipped. *Delaney's handling it. Stay put.*

My wolf snarled, restless and furious. Something was wrong. I could feel it in my bones, a crawling dread that tightened with every passing minute.

The twelve-hour deadline came and went.

No update. No call. Nothing.

Then, at hour thirteen, a pack enforcer arrived at the border. He carried a second burner phone. The screen was cracked, the casing smeared with dirt. He handed it to me without a word, his face pale.

I turned it on.

The video loaded slowly. My mother, still bound to the chair. The rogue behind her. And then—

One brutal motion.

Ten seconds of the camera holding steady.

Then black.

I don't remember dropping the phone. I don't remember the sound I made. I only remember my wolf screaming, a howl that tore through my mind and shattered everything.