Breaking Free from the Alpha's Grip

The shrill ring of my phone pierced the quiet afternoon. I fumbled for it, nearly knocking over my cup of tea as I saw my mother's name flashing on the screen.

"Mom?" I answered, already sensing something was wrong. The connection crackled with static, her breathing labored on the other end.

"Adelaide," Margaret's voice came in gasps. "Can't... breathe..."

My heart lurched as I bolted upright from my chair. "Mom, what's happening? Where are you?"

"Home... allergic reaction... worse than before..."

The line went dead.

I ran. My feet pounded against the forest path leading to our modest home on the outskirts of Silverpine territory. My wolf clawed beneath my skin, desperate to shift and run faster, but I needed my human form when I reached her.

When I burst through the door, I found my mother collapsed on the floor, her body convulsing. Foam gathered at the corners of her mouth, her skin taking on a bluish tinge that sent ice through my veins.

"Mom!" I dropped to my knees beside her. Her eyes rolled back, showing only whites as her body fought against whatever was attacking her system.

This was worse than anything I'd seen before—even worse than three years ago when she'd nearly died from that mysterious illness. Her airways were closing rapidly; she needed help immediately.

I grabbed her medications from the cabinet, but nothing seemed to be working. Her breathing grew more shallow with each passing second.

"I need to get Massimo," I whispered, closing my eyes to concentrate on our mate bond.

I reached through our mind-link, focusing on the connection that had grown increasingly cold over the past months.

"Massimo, please! Mother is dying! I need you NOW!" I projected my thoughts with desperate force.

Silence.

I tried again, pushing harder against the bond. "Massimo! Can you hear me? Please respond!"

Nothing. Just a strange, muffled emptiness where his presence should have been.

Panic clawed at my throat as I watched my mother's lips turn bluer. Her pulse fluttered weakly beneath my fingertips.

"He's not answering," I whispered, tears blurring my vision. "Why isn't he answering?"

I expanded my awareness through the mind-link, searching for any trace of him. Then I felt it—a distant pulse of energy, not directed at me but broadcasting outward. A ceremonial energy that could only mean one thing.

The marking ceremony.

I pushed further, my mental vision sharpening until I could almost see it: the sacred grounds of Silverpine Pack, decorated with silver ribbons and moonflowers. Massimo stood tall and proud in his ceremonial healer's robes, his dark hair gleaming in the afternoon sun.

And beside him stood Lilah Ward, radiant in a white dress, her golden hair cascading down her back as Massimo's hands rested on her shoulders.

"Under the light of the Moon Goddess," Massimo's voice echoed through the mind-link, "I, Massimo Stone, claim you, Lilah Ward, as my chosen mate..."

My stomach twisted into knots as I watched him perform the ritual words, his voice