AN'S

a! P

y car before a small body

ps cu

littl

My five-year-old son crashed into my chest

ap

immediately buried hi

you!" he

o his hair. "I mis

n weeks, the tightne

nth abroad, moving between hospitals and business meetings while trying to

e call was

d to ho

s laughter without

home, I had no intention of

thing?" he asked, pull

row. "Is that wh

gig

ay

and tapped

ra

ase, stop

voice came fr

er face flushed. She stopped a few feet a

I told you not to run like that?

ned his arms

apa is

y's face

master. I ca

fore turning my att

e's B

left my mou

was inside, perhaps waiting in our bed

er smile d

ered he

ghtened ar

's wr

ing,

red a

u look like som

swal

has died

at me when

or a second befor

ld settled i

g before most people noticed it. The nanny's hands trembled against h

hiding s

y wife?" I

an, perhaps

wer

cked across

ened. The nanny flinched, and my so

elf to take

he

ront of

red my

what ha

ogether. For a moment, I tho

shoulders

lla left

red a

t wh

he left t

dug into my

he

days

s hung b

da

two days ago, and nobody

hy

y's lips

e step to

y my wife would leave this

ook he

ha. I only know th

h wh

filled wi

Alpha

the world se

ri

epbro

he man who had sat at my table, laugh

ad left m

my Lyca

y teeth. The air around me seemed to tigh

guard drop

stumbled

a, pl

t my

br

ano

s still i

o do to Adrian. I could not let him fee

wallow

r

d at th

son to

nked. "

ow

rward, but my

want to sta

st tig

nd gently loosened his

e care of some

just ca

kno

le mouth

going awa

arder than anything t

ed his

not going

ly promise I

ore reluctantly allowin

ter," she whispered

over his

ap

ced a

come and se

nd followed

hey disappeared

towards the

off

e what Bella h

hing from my home, I wanted

-

d my office, I knew

ll windows, my files remained stacked in their usual or

lope lay in the c

en across it in B

several seconds b

pe was alr

a folded sh

fold

nc

u read this, I

e every right to be. But I can no longer pret

uncan. I r

ace beside you. You treated me well,

ever in lov

ways love

I cannot spend the rest of my life pretending that you a

you deserve to be loved. And I deserve the ch

don't lo

go, D

ll

he lette

lower

n't fated mates, and neither of us had ever pretended otherwise. W

I needed a Lu

rful families had begun questioning my position. Bella came from a respected family. Ou

agreed w

our arrang

ldn't give, but I had offered her loy

one of it had

the letter

per cr

teful

ed out before I

her to raise my son beside me, believing that whatever

me by running away

mmed against

oth hands o

oaned benea

rcing him to his knees. I imagined dragging him back to th

uldn't brin

ble to leave with my son none the wiser ab

aight

d made h

who had already decided

Ad

other matte

e meant. He had known the position I

etrayed

r again and tossed it

ur freedo

e came

t me to welcome e

-

walked into my office ca

up from the rep

t is

the Frost Moo

it th

front of me bu

inued

al seconds,

e someth

ught you might want to see

e envelope and

f Frost Moon extended an invitation for me to

row

rona

Luna while I dealt with the m

he letter o

w it

mained whe

lp

ttending another pack's celebration. We

esit

thing else yo

back in

pe

young women. Some of them are from respected families, an

on remained

nd

red his

e who can help with his daily needs and keep him

d not

ontinued

le woman there. Someone who coul

finger agai

son's questions about Bella

was

she com

ne someth

had arranged for the nanny to spend more time with him, bu

omeone he c

uld be there w

n at the inv

a

about to become the Frost Moon Luna. I had no interest in

iven me something

eligible women, including those see

or my son without wasting month

from my

are m

straig

ending the

es

hould w

ned my

two

d turned tow

et

sto

strongest men with me, and I want our sec

stood,

l

attention to t

k was preparing to

on: to find a suitable woman w

ing

gain. I had no intention of trusting an

on I had just agreed to attend was sitting in a dungeon,

tion and slipped it

da

e what Frost Mo