My Mate Wanted Our Son’s Marrow to Save Him

The last customer had left an hour ago, leaving only the scent of lavender and sage lingering in my apothecary. I moved methodically through the shop, counting the day's earnings and organizing the herbal remedies I'd prepared. Five years of building this life from nothing had taught me the value of routine—of knowing exactly where everything belonged.

As I turned the key in the lock, a chill crept up my spine. Something wasn't right.

I froze, my hand still on the doorknob. The street outside was quiet, with only the distant hum of Seattle traffic breaking the evening silence. But there was something else—something that made my wolf stir uneasily within me.

An aura. Familiar. Decaying.

"Scarlett."

The voice hit me like a physical blow. I knew it instantly, though it was raspier than I remembered, stripped of its former commanding power.

I turned slowly, my Luna aura flaring instinctively as protection. There, standing on my porch, were the last two people I ever wanted to see again.

Kingston Price. My former mate. The man who had once been the center of my world.

And beside him, Edith Baker. His mother. The woman whose perfect smile had hidden so many poisonous secrets.

"Alpha Price," I said, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. "What an unexpected surprise."

He wasn't the majestic Alpha I remembered. His once-powerful frame was gaunt, his skin sallow. But it was his eyes that shocked me most—hollow, desperate, and haunted by pain that went beyond physical suffering.

"We need to talk," Edith said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "May we come in?"

"No." The word came out sharper than I intended. "Whatever you have to say, say it here."

Kingston swayed slightly, as if standing required all his remaining strength. Then, to my astonishment, he lowered himself to his knees on my porch. Edith hesitated only a moment before following suit.

"Please," Kingston whispered, the word clearly foreign on his tongue. "Our son... Cade... he's our only hope."

I felt my wolf bristle at the mention of Cade's name in his mouth. "My son," I corrected coldly. "You lost any right to call him that five years ago."

"We know we have no right to ask," Edith interjected, her voice taking on a practiced tremor. "But Kingston is dying. The cellular decay in his wolf—it's terminal. Cade is his only compatible donor."

I studied them both, these powerful werewolves reduced to begging on my doorstep. Once, I might have felt satisfaction at their fall. Now, I felt nothing but cold determination.

"No," I said simply.

Kingston's face crumpled. "Scarlett, please. I know I don't deserve—"

"You think you don't deserve it?" I cut him off, my Luna aura surging forward. "Let me remind you of what you deserve, Kingston."

I stepped closer, letting my aura press against his weakened one. "When Cade was six months old, he developed a fever that wouldn't break. His wolf was struggling to form, and I sent you mind-link after mind-link begging for help."

Kingston flinched as if I'd struck him.

"You ignored every one," I continued, my voice dropping to ice. "Do you know where you were? Paris. Comforting Lilian while our son fought for his life."

"That was—" he began.

"A choice," I finished for him. "Just like this is my choice. You lost the right to call yourself a father five years ago."

Edith's mask slipped then, her pleading eyes hardening into something calculating and cold.

"Enough of this pathetic display," she snarled, rising to her feet. Her Luna aura flared, pushing toward me with commanding force. "You will help us. That boy belongs to the Obsidian Moon Pack!"

I stood my ground as her aura washed over me, feeling nothing but contempt for this woman who had helped destroy so many lives.

"You will obey—" she started.

"I don't think so."

The voice came from behind me—deep, steady, and carrying the weight of genuine power.

Chandler Martinez stepped onto my porch, his Beta aura expanding to fill the space between us. He moved with deliberate calm, positioning himself slightly in front of me in a clear protective stance.

"Ms. Clark and her son are under Silverwood Pack protection in this neutral territory," he stated, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You have no authority here, former Luna Baker."

Edith's face contorted with fury as her commanding aura crashed against Chandler's steady presence. Kingston remained kneeling, his eyes fixed on me with desperate pleading.

"The boy is Alpha blood," Edith hissed.

"And he's also a late bloomer with a fragile aura," Chandler replied calmly. "Any donation would kill him. Now leave, before I call the Lycan Council about unauthorized territorial incursion."

I watched as humiliation and defeat washed over Kingston's face. For a moment, I thought he might challenge Chandler—but his wolf was too weak, his body too broken.

"This isn't over," Edith promised, her voice venomous as she helped Kingston to his feet.

"Yes," I said quietly. "It is."