Unwanted Mate's Redemption

The four pups I bore were all raised under the Luna’s name. For this, Marcellus Cruz, the Beta of the Blue Pack, had comforted me for over a decade:

"The pups will still honor you as their mother. If they don’t, I’ll break their legs."

Under my care, my eldest pup, Dorian, passed the pack trials at just 15, becoming the youngest Delta in our history. My second pup, Quentin, excelled as a warrior, earning his place as a Gamma. Even my younger twins, Ryder and Nathanael, showed remarkable promise, their names whispered with pride throughout the pack.

Yet, they spent their days fawning over Raelyn, the Luna, their voices dripping with admiration:

"All of this is thanks to Mother’s guidance."

During my fourth birth, I nearly lost my life—and the pup with me. But Marcellus and my pups stayed glued to Raelyn’s bedside, never once sparing a glance for me.

The healer, Zaylee, couldn’t bear to watch. "Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked, her voice heavy with pity.

I looked down at the tiny bundle in my arms, my heart aching with resolve.

"Yes," I said quietly. "Help me find a driver. I need to leave—now."

==============================

"Karina, you can’t be serious," Zaylee protested, her face pale with concern. "You’ve just survived something that could’ve killed you. You need to rest, to recover. And your position—if you’re caught leaving the pack without permission, there’ll be no mercy."

She was right. As an unmated Omega, I was little more than a servant. I gently stroked the pup’s cheek. This one had been different from the start, almost taking my life in the process. But I’d made a selfish decision in return, one that would finally set me free.

Zaylee continued to plead, but I reached under my pillow and pulled out a piece of paper.

"Don’t worry," I said. "The Beta has agreed."

The release letter was something I’d forced Marcellus to sign years ago, when I’d stepped aside to let Raelyn take my place. I never thought I’d use it, but after more than a decade in the Blue Pack, I’d grown tired.

The man I loved was another’s mate. The pups I’d raised called another woman "Mother."

While they clustered around Raelyn’s sickbed, I wrapped myself and the pup in a thick coat and slipped out the side gate of the pack house. A sturdy SUV waited, the driver, Sage, already behind the wheel.

"Where to?" she asked briskly, her scarf tied tightly around her head.

The birth had drained every ounce of strength from me, and the short walk from the infirmary to the gate felt like a marathon. I pulled the coat aside to gaze at the pup’s peaceful face and let out a sigh of relief.

"Silver Moon Pack," I said. "Can you take us?"

Sage hesitated. "That’s a long way. You didn’t mention that earlier."

I understood. For most in the Blue Pack, the Silver Moon Pack was a distant,