The Alpha's Mistake

"Don't forget, your mother still needs the drug from my company. I told you there's only one type of surgery that can cure her heart disease, and I’ve scheduled it for next week." Trent's voice was a low growl, a warning that sent a shiver down my spine.

He was no longer the alpha I once thought I knew. The wolf within him had begun to surface, a dangerous predator who would do anything to protect what he saw as his territory—including Winona, the woman who had come between us.

"Are you saying you would abandon my mother for her?" I asked, my voice trembling with disbelief. My mother had always treated Trent like her own son, welcoming him into our pack when he had no one else. She had seen the potential in him. She believed that he could be a strong alpha and loyal mate for me. In her eyes, Trent was the perfect match — a werewolf who could lead and protect.

Trent had respected my mother deeply, not just because she had once saved his life, but because she had shown him kindness when others had not. He had promised her, again and again, that he would cure her heart disease, that she would live a long life and see her grandchildren run through the forest. But now, he was threatening to cut her off, to let her die, all because of Winona.

He pulled out his phone, his eyes dark with intent. "That's right. So, are you going to apologize, or not?"

His words stung, each one like a lash against my skin. I had already lost hope in Trent, but this—this was a new level of betrayal. My heart ached, and before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face. Having human blood running in my veins because my father wouldn’t let me transform even though my wolf was there and in pain; she felt like a prisoner inside my body.

Trent’s expression faltered for a moment as he saw my tears. There was a flicker of something in his eyes—does his wolf feel my wolf’s agony? But before he could say anything, Winona, standing beside him with her arms crossed, sneered at me with disdain.

"I really don’t understand why you're being so dramatic," she said, her voice cold. "I didn’t dig up your family's grave!"

With a wave of her hand, she ordered the wolfmen behind me, "Refill the grave and let my baby rest in peace."

The two wolfmen released their grip on me and turned back to their task. But I couldn’t let them desecrate my mother’s resting place any further. I stepped forward, my hands trembling with rage.

"Are you done?!" Trent snarled, grabbing me roughly by the arm and shoving me aside.

I stumbled and fell hard to the ground. My shoulder hit my mother’s urn, and to my horror, it tipped over, spilling her ashes across the wet earth. For a moment, the world went silent. The pain was so intense it stole my breath away.

Watching my mother die with regrets had been the most agonizing experience of my life. Now, I couldn’t even protect what remained of her. The grief and hatred that surged within me were unbearable.

As if mocking my despair, the sky opened up, and rain began to pour down in torrents. The downpour soaked the ashes, turning them into a muddy paste. I screamed in anguish, falling to my knees as I tried desperately to gather them up with my hands.

"No, no!" I sobbed, but it was useless. The rain washed my mother away, and I was powerless to stop it.

Winona walked over, her footsteps squelching in the mud. She looked down at me, a twisted smile playing on her lips. "Niana, why are you lying on the ground like a dog for a stranger's ashes? Enough of this charade."

Her words were the final straw. With a surge of strength fueled by fury, I pushed her away. She staggered back, her eyes wide with surprise, but Trent was there to catch her before she fell.

"Niana, you almost pushed Winona to the ground!" Trent’s voice filled with fury. "I’ll teach you a lesson today!"

He raised his phone to his ear and called his Beta, "Rod, don’t send the gift. Also, stop providing the drugs for Niana’s mother and cancel the surgery immediately!"

There was a pause on the other end before Rod, replied, "Alpha, your Luna’s mother died on your mating ceremony day."

Trent’s face drained of color. "What nonsense are you talking about? How is that possible?" he demanded, his voice shaking with disbelief.

"It’s true, Alpha," Rod insisted. "I also discovered that the grave where Ms. Lei buried her dog belongs to Luna’s mother."