From that day on, I thought Thane would be more sensible and would really try to become a better person as he promised me. But, all that he did was clinging to Anna all the time, refusing to do any work assigned by the elders or me, saying it was not up to his standards and when given hard work which could be ‘up to his standards’, he would mess things up.

The next month, he turned fifteen. I called off all my meetings as I wanted to make this day special for my son. He had gone for his training and I utilised this time in making preparations for his birthday celebration. We were having arguments over his training session for the past few days. I thought we could reduce our distance on this happy occasion and was doing everything with all of my heart. I baked Thane’s favourite cake at home. I packed the key of a brand new Ferrari in a small box. It was Thane's birthday gift. I knew how crazy he had been for having his own car. After preparing everything, all that I was doing was waiting for my son's return in a dim light. I waited for a long time, but he didn't come. Usually he arrived at 6:00 PM after his evening training but it had been 8:00 PM now and he hadn't returned yet.

Being worried, I dialed his number. He didn't pick it up. It enhanced my worriedness. I was going to dial his number again when my phone buzzed with notifications.

It was from Thane's social media account. He had been uploading pictures on his social media account. In one of the photos I saw Thane sitting in a restaurant along with Theon and Anna. There was also a caption which read [My Favourite Restaurant! Thanks Mamma Anna for the surprise. I love it!]

In another photo, he was cutting the cake while Theon and Anna were standing on either of his sides, looking like a perfect family.

In another photo, Thane was rubbing the cream of the cake on Anna's cheeks. The picture also had a caption which read [My Favourite Person!]

I stared this post for a long while before I laughed ironically looking at the cake I had prepared by burning my hands. I then switched off my phone, not intending to watch his other posts and threw it aside. I recalled the day when Thane said he didn't want to go abroad because he would miss his Mamma and Dad. Now that I thought about it, I realized the word ‘Mamma’ was actually not directed at me. It was for Anna.

The realization hit me harder and I laughed and cried at the same time. But, at the same time it helped me feel content with my decision that I had made years ago, knowing Thane was not biologically related to me.

I had been staring at the preparation I had made when the main door pushed open and Thane walked in, yelling excitedly, “Mom, whose Ferrari is parked outside? It's brand new and the colour is exactly what I want!”

Theon chased after him, looking surprised. He looked up at me and then the decorations. A sense of guilt and regret appeared in his eyes as he asked, “Did you do all this to celebrate Thane’s birthday?”

Only now did Thane looked around himself and the cake I had prepared for him. He then looked up at me, asking in a spoiled voice, “Mom, why didn't you come celebrate my birthday in the restaurant? Dad said you were busy with your meetings but it looks like you weren't.”

I shot a glance at Theon. He chuckled and immediately intervened to cover it up while saying, “I thought you would be busy with your meetings. That's why I didn't ask you. Anna and I-”

“It's okay,” I cut him off, “I was really busy, Thane. But, I can't ignore my son's birthday, can I?” I said in a soft voice. He smiled and hugged me instantly.

Theon took a sigh of relief. He didn't think much of it and began laughing, thinking that I was just an ignorant fool and hadn't seen through his conspiracy.

After breaking our hug, Thane’s eyes began scanning through the items lying on the table where the cake was placed. He didn't bother looking at the cake I had prepared and instantly picked the small gift box. He then tore it open and took the key out, yelling excitedly, “I knew it! I knew it…”

“It's for me, right Mom? You bought the car for me.” He yelled excitedly. I nodded my head before saying in a soft voice, “It's your birthday gift.”

“Yes!” He jumped in excitement and ran outside after throwing the small box that hit the cake I had prepared. I smiled ironically, staring at the cake while Thane and Theon ran out for a ride in the car. The last word I heard from my son was “Let's call Mamma Anna for a ride. She will love it.”

I stood there, frozen in time, as the sound of Thane's excited laughter and the roar of the Ferrari's engine faded into the distance. The cake I had lovingly prepared, now laid in ruins, the small gift box having crushed a significant portion of it.

I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness and betrayal. Thane's words, "Let's call Mamma Anna for a ride. She will love it," cut deep into my heart. It was clear that Anna had become the central figure in Thane's life, and I was just a peripheral character.

As I gazed at the destroyed cake, I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I had tried so hard to make this day special for Thane, to show him how much I cared. But it seemed like no matter what I did, I would always be relegated to the background.

The sound of the door opening broke the silence, and Theon walked in, a sheepish grin on his face. "Hey, I'm sorry about the cake. Thane got a bit carried away."

I forced a smile, trying to hide my true emotions as I said,"It's okay, it's just a cake."

Theon's expression turned serious, and he took a step closer to me before saying,"You know, I think Thane is just going through a phase. He'll come around eventually."

I raised an eyebrow while asking in a sarcastic voice,"A phase? You call this a phase?"

Theon's eyes darted around the room, avoiding mine. "Well, you know what I mean. He's just entering his adolescence."

I laughed bitterly before saying in a casual voice, “You are right, it's just his adolescence. Nothing else.”

Days turned into weeks, and the wound of Thane's ignorance still lingered through my heart. I thought that with time, things would get better, but it seemed like Thane's affection for Anna only grew stronger.

One sunny afternoon, I decided to surprise Thane by attending his school's annual sports day. I had been looking forward to it all week, eager to see my son participate in the events.

As I arrived at the school, I was filled with excitement and pride. I spotted Thane on the field, his eyes shining with enthusiasm as he prepared for the upcoming race.

But my joy was short-lived. As I made my way to the stands, I saw Anna already seated, cheering Thane on. She was wearing a bright smile, and her eyes sparkled with pride. But, what caught my eyes was the dress she was wearing. It was a yellow gown, shining brightly in the sunlight. It was the dress I saw in Thane's cupboard a few days ago. A tag ‘Happy Mother's Day’ was stuck to it. I thought Thane was going to surprise me with the gift on the upcoming Mothers’ day as yellow was my favourite colour. After a long time I felt joy of being a mother of a boy.

I waited for the day to arrive soon and when it came I didn't receive any gift from Thane as I expected. Still, I thought he might have forgotten about it and would give it to me when he would recall. But, it was only now that I realized the gift was never meant for me. It was for Anna. But, why must it be on Mothers’ day?

Had Thane already known the truth or it was just because he called Anna as Mamma Anna?

The question lingered within me while Thane finished his race, and as he walked off the field, Anna rushed down to congratulate him. They shared a warm hug, and Anna planted a kiss on his cheek. Thane beamed with happiness, and I felt bitter in my heart.

I tried to push aside my feelings and make my way towards them. After all, it was a big day for my son. But as I approached, Thane's eyes met mine, and he hesitated. Anna, sensing his unease, turned around and smiled at me.

"Hi, Elena! Isn't Thane doing great?" she exclaimed, her voice dripping with sweetness.

I forced a smile, trying to hide my pain. "Yes, he's doing fantastic. Congratulations, Thane!"

But Thane barely acknowledged me. He turned back to Anna, and they continued to celebrate his victory together. I stood there, feeling like an outsider, as they took photos and laughed together.

As the day drew to a close, I realized that I had become a mere spectator in Thane's life. Anna had become his confidante, his partner in every sense of the word. And I was just a footnote, a reminder of a bond that no longer existed.

I turned and walked away, the sound of Thane's laughter and Anna's cheers echoing in my mind. I knew that I had to come to terms with the fact that Thane had chosen Anna over me, and that our bond was irreparably broken.

Soon Thane turned sixteen. It was the time when the Alpha of the Pack needed to move out of the Pack for further trial. Elders call it a necessary test. Every Alpha of our Pack had gone through this test before taking the oath of leadership, even I. It's the toughest phase of an Alpha when they leave the Pack with not much money or belonging. Even their survival is at risk because the wolves from the enemy pack and even the rogue wolves keep their eyes on the attack.

As the day was coming near when Thane had to undergo the test, Anna and Theon were getting worried.

“Thane is just a child. Do you think it's wise to send him off, Alpha Elena? Aren't you worried?” Anna asked, the line of concerns were clearly visible on her forehead.

Theon looked attentively at me before asking in a serious voice, “You are the Alpha of the Pack while I’m your Beta. Can’t we do something hidden to help our son? No one will know about it.”

“Dad, Mamma Anna, why are you all so worried about it?” Thane interrupted, looking very confident. So confident that he made me doubt my thoughts about him. But the next words coming out from my lips shattered all my hope towards him.

“Mom is the Alpha of the Pack. She can absolutely convince the elders to not send me away and just hand over the pack to me. I don't need to go through this useless process. I’m the only Alpha the pack has got. Then what's the use of trial?” He added in a carefree tone. Theon chuckled. He exchanged a glance with Anna before strictly scolding Thane as he said, “Your Mom was also the sole heir of the Pack, the only child of her parents, yet she underwent the process. You are not an exception, Thane. You have to follow the rules.”

“That's because she was a woman, Dad. Anyone could challenge her claim. You could even do that if you wanted. But my case is different. I’m the Alpha, the only heir of the pack. Besides, I’m a man. No one can challenge my claim.” He added confidently. Anna and Theon, knowing the whole truth, felt hesitated. They looked guilty and afraid. Thane then walked ahead and said in a cold voice, “Thane, you shouldn't talk about your Mom like that. Apologize to her now.”

“Stop it,” I cut them off as I came between them. I then turned to Thane as I said in a soft voice, “If my son doesn't want to go through the process, then let it be. I can arrange things for him to work out.”

Thane’s eyes lit up in joy. Meanwhile, Theon and Anna looked stunned. Anna blurted out in a concerned voice, “How will you convince the Elders for Thane, then? What if they don't accept him as the Alpha of the Pack?”

“If they will not accept him then who else would they?” I asked while narrowing my eyes, “Clearly, Thane is the only Alpha in the Pack after me. They have to accept him as their Alpha.”

Theon and Anna were not satisfied with my answer. It's because they knew Thane was not an Alpha. But, I didn't want to expose them now. I had other plans in my mind. So, I added, “I’ll send Thane abroad. He can have fun there and learn more skills. As for the Elders, I'll tell them that he is on trial. They will not know the truth about Thane's whereabouts, not even our enemies. He will be safe and fine.”

Theon and Anna took a sigh of relief. I could see them congratulating each other with their eyes. I forged ignorance towards them and busied myself in making arrangements for Thane's departure.

I, Theon and Anna, we all went to drop Thane on Airport. Anna and Theon seemed so reluctant to part with Thane, especially Anna. She kept on reminding Thane to eat on time, not go out in bad company and always tell her about his whereabouts and so on. I watched them from afar, smiling bitterly.

After Thane left, Anna burst into tears. She cried so much that Theon had to console her while pulling her in his embrace. The scene was so dramatic that people stopped by to look at the scene. A few of them even stopped by me and said, “It's really sad to see your children leave for the first time. The couple are looking so sad. Why don't you go and console your sister and brother-in-law? They are looking really hurt.

I didn't reply to them. Instead, I came out and drove back home to attend my meeting with the Alpha of the alliance packs, leaving my husband alone to console the other woman.