My Healer Mom Let Me Die

Lilah’s POV

It had been a week since I vanished into the shadows. The moon hung low in the sky, casting eerie shadows on the forest floor.

Yet, my mother, a powerful healer of the pack, acted as if I had never existed at all. I had been following her for the past few days. Ironically, it was Mia, my cousin, who first sensed my absence.

“Aunt Elena, Lilah hasn’t been home in days. Do you think something’s happened to her?” Mia asked, her voice trembling as she looked up at my mother. Dressed in flowing white clothing that made her appear fragile and delicate, she looked almost ethereal.

Mom flashed Mia a warm smile, one she never had for me. “Don’t worry about that reckless girl. She probably wandered off into the woods, chasing after some foolish adventure. I’m here for you, just like your mother wanted before she… died.”

Tears welled up in Mia's eyes as she hugged Mom tightly. “I knew it, you’re the best to me, Aunt Elena.”

Mom held her close, a gentle smile spreading across her face. “You’re my favorite, Mia. You always will be.”

Watching them, my heart felt like it was being ripped apart. Here I was, a lost spirit in my own home, seeing the motherly love I’d never known being given freely to someone else. My father had died when I was very young, and after my mother’s sister, Madeline, succumbed to illness, Mom had taken Mia in, making her the center of her world.

Suddenly, my memories crashed over me like a wave. After Madeline’s death, Mom had kicked me out of my room to make space for Mia. I had protested, refusing to leave my room, but Mom’s patience was thin. One slap across the face had silenced me.

“Lilah, do as I say! Or I’ll kick you out of this house!” she shouted, her eyes blazing with anger.

That night, I had cried myself to sleep in the dark, damp basement, suffocating in my own sadness. When I surfaced the next day, my swollen eyes had drawn no pity from her.

And now, as I stood there, a mere observer in my own life, I felt only pain.

Mia handed Mom a bright, shiny certificate, pride lighting up her face. “Aunt Elena, look! I won first place!”

Mom’s eyes sparkled with genuine delight as she examined the certificate. She pressed a big kiss to Mia’s cheek. “Sweetheart, you’re incredible! I’m so proud of you!”

“Thank you! I wouldn’t be who I am without you,” Mia gushed, her voice warm and sincere. “Can I call you mom?”

Mom looked surprised, and for a moment, her eyes glistened with emotion. “Oh, my dear girl. Of course you can.”

“But what about Lilah?” Mia hesitated, biting her lip. “She’s your real daughter. Wouldn’t she be upset?”

Mentioning my name turned Mom's smile into a scowl. “Lilah? She might as well be dead for all I care.”

At that moment, I thought to myself, You got your wish, didn’t you, Mom?

Seeing them embrace felt like a dagger to my heart. I should have seen this coming. Since Mia moved in, she had easily stepped into the role of the perfect daughter, charming my mother at every turn. She brought gifts, cooked meals, and even visited Mom at the pack house when she was buried under her work with Alpha Blake.

Mia fit the role of Mom's daughter far better than I ever had. The cool night air brushed against me, a reminder of my solitude as I floated, lost in the depths of my sorrow.

As the moon hung high, illuminating the forest, I couldn’t help but wonder, Does Mom even spare a moment to think of me? Does she remember how I spent my birthday alone?

I wanted to scream, to tell her that I was here, that I existed beyond her negligence.

But my voice was lost in the wind. Deep in thought, I decided to leave them be, because it just proved how much Mom loved Mia.

While I wandered outside, I suddenly saw Alpha Blake. He looked stressed, clearly dealing with the case. As I accidentally walked toward him, he stopped, and that made me stop too.

When I looked over my shoulder, my eyes widened as I saw him looking my way, almost as if he could see me.

“What the hell did I just feel?” he whispered, talking to himself.

At that moment, I felt like he was sensing my presence.