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.

As the day of Thane's return from his training abroad approached, I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. Anna and Theon, on the other hand, were excited, counting down the days until their "family" could be reunited.

On the day of Thane's arrival, Anna and Theon accompanied me to the airport, their lips curled up into smile with excitement. As we waited for Thane to emerge from customs, Anna couldn't stop talking about all the things she had planned for Thane's homecoming.

When Thane finally appeared, Anna and Theon rushed to envelop him in a tight hug, tears of joy rolling down their cheeks. I was standing back with a faint smile on my face while watching the reunion.

After the emotional greeting, Thane turned to me, his eyes gleaming with anticipation as he came up to me and said, "Mom, now that I'm back, it's time for you to step down as alpha. I'm ready to take my rightful place as leader of the pack."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Thane's bold declaration.

"Is that so?" I asked in a calm voice.

Thane nodded. He was looking quite confident as he said,"Yes, Mom. I've been trained by the best, and I'm ready to lead our pack to greatness."

Anna and Theon exchanged a meaningful glance, and their faces were flushed with excitement. I, on the other hand, felt a sense of calmness from inside. I had been expecting this moment for a long time, and I was ready.

"Very well, Thane," I said in a firm voice before adding, "I'll call a gathering of the pack elders, and we'll discuss the terms of the leadership transition."

Thane's face lit up with excitement, and Anna and Theon couldn't help cheering and hugging each other in celebration. But I just smiled, my eyes never leaving Thane's face. Little did they know, I had a surprise in store for them.

As we made our way back to our pack's territory, I couldn't help but think about the events that had transpired during Thane's absence. Theon's infidelity with Anna had become more brazen, and I had caught them on several occasions, sneaking around and stealing kisses.

One particular incident stood out in my mind. I had been out on a walk, enjoying the moonlight, when I stumbled upon Theon and Anna embracing in the shadows. They had been so caught up in their passion that they hadn't even noticed me standing there, watching them.

I had felt a pang of sadness and betrayal, but I had pushed it aside, focusing on my plan for the future.

As we arrived at our pack's territory, I could sense the tension in the air. The pack elders were waiting for us, their faces grave with concern.

The elders were not in favor of handing the Pack in Thane's hands. They had observed Thane for years and knew he was incapable of leading the pack. But, I had given a promise to Thane years ago that when he returned, I would convince the elders for his ownership. That's why after his arrival, he seemed impatient. He kept asking me when I was going to announce him the Alpha of the Pack and I knew Theon and Anna were also looking for the day impatiently.

I didn't hang them for long and immediately called a gathering to make the announcement.

The gathering of the pack elders began, and I stood tall, my eyes locked on Thane's. I knew that this was just the beginning of a long and brutal fight, but I was determined to emerge victorious.

In the presence of all the elders and the alphas of our alliance packs, even the Alpha who was. beaten up by Thane years ago, I announced Thane as the next Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack.

Thane's lips curled into a smile. He finally got what he wanted for years. I had fulfilled his one more wish. But, he didn't know it was not that easy. It wasn't a Ferrari he could easily get from me. I silently observed the sunken faces of the Elders. There was a calmness on their face. A kind of calmness you could see before the typhoon and I knew they were going to burst soon.