She Took My Son, I Took Everything From Her

I stood before the gathering of pack elders, my heart pounding with anticipation. I had called this meeting to announce Thane's ascension to alpha, but I could sense the unease in the air after my announcement.

The room fell silent, with some elders exchanging skeptical glances. One of the elder wolves, a wise and aged wolf who had raised me along with my mother, Lydia, stepped forward.

"Elena, we respect you and your position as alpha, but are you certain Thane is ready to lead our pack?" Lydia asked, her voice laced with concern.

I shot a glance at Thane before I turned to Lydia and said,"Yes, I am certain. Thane has been trained by the best, and he has shown great potential as a leader."

But Lydia was not convinced. She immediately added,"Potential, perhaps, but has he shown the ability to lead? To make difficult decisions and protect our pack?"

I felt a surge of defensiveness, but Lydia continued before I could respond.

"We have all witnessed Thane's... antics. The time he accidentally started a fire in the forest, the time he got into a fight with a rival pack's member without provocation... These are not the actions of a responsible leader."

Other elders nodded in agreement. I remained still, silently observing Thane’s expressions. Meanwhile another elder added, "And what about the time he forgot to attend the gathering of the full moon? A simple mistake, perhaps, but one that shows a lack of respect for our traditions and customs."

Thane tried to speak up in his defense, but the elders would not be swayed. They didn't let him talk as one of them said in a cold voice, “Children should not interrupt when elders are talking, kid.”

Thane's face flushed red in anger, but he shut his mouth, daring not to speak again.

"We understand that you want the best for your son, Elena," Lydia said, her voice firm but gentle. "But we cannot afford to have a leader who is careless and irresponsible. Our pack's safety and well-being depend on it."

The room fell silent once more, and Thane knew that he had lost. The elders would not accept Thane as the next alpha. After making their points, everyone was waiting for my decision. Thane was desperately waiting for me to speak in his favour. I shot a glance at everyone before I finally spoke up.

“My dear elders,” I began, “I believe you all want the best of the pack, and I really appreciate your efforts you have put for the well being of the pack in the past few years. But, I’m your Alpha and you should all respect my decision.”

“I still want Thane to lead the pack from today. I believe he will appear to be a great leader only if you all guide them as you have guided me all these years. Thanks for understanding,” I added.

With that I ended our discussion and let Thane take the oath of ownership. To respect my decision, all the elders bent their knees in front of Thane and accepted him as their Alpha. According to our Pack's tradition, all the elders and the members of the committee, including me, took the oath that we would always listen to the Alpha's command.

Soon after this the main door of the hall was pushed open. Theon and Anna walked inside, matching their outfits while holding each other's arms affectionately. Everyone's eyes grew dark as they saw how shamelessly my beta husband walked in my meeting hall with another woman by his side. I, on the other hand, was standing calm and still.

They stopped by Thane’s side. Anna’s lips curled into a wicked grin as she said excitedly, “Congratulations son, you have become the Alpha of the pack. I’m so proud of you.”

“Watch your tongue, you wicked omega! How dare you call Alpha Thane your son? It's disrespectful to him and his mother, Elena.” Lydia scolded Anna before turning to me as she continued, “I told you to be wary of this omega. She is trying to snatch your son.”

I remained silent on Lydia’s accusations. She had been warning me against Anna for years. Only did she know that I was already aware of everything.

Listening to Lydia’s words, Anna laughed sarcastically. Her laughter came to an abrupt halt as she spoke up in a cold voice, “Snatching Elena’s son? What a joke it is! She is the one who has snatched my son for years, letting me shed tears in loneliness.”

Anna's words caused the uproar in the gathering, everyone whispering into each other's ears and asking questions to Anna.

Thane stepped forward. He looked deeply into Anna's eyes and asked, “Mamma Anna, what's going on?”

Anna then turned to Theon and asked, “Are you going to tell him or I disclose the secret?”