The Alpha’s Rejected Luna

I am Marcus Kelly’s ex-mate, the one nobody in the Silverfang Pack likes to talk about. Back then, I thought having a pup would secure my place as the Luna of the pack, but they quickly deemed me unworthy. As soon as my son, Quinn, was weaned, they cast me out.

Two years after the rejection, the monthly stipend Marcus had agreed to provide was nearly depleted. Just as I was wondering how to survive, Axton Grant, the Delta steward of the Kelly family, appeared at my doorstep with Quinn.

“Alpha Marcus has been preoccupied with pack affairs and requests that you care for the pup for a while,” he said curtly before leaving us in an awkward silence.

“What’s your father up to? We severed the mate bond with the agreement to stay out of each other’s lives,” I remarked, my voice sharp.

In a quiet voice, Quinn replied, “Dad might lose his position as Alpha.”

I let out a dry laugh. “Lose his position? That’s nothing. I’m barely scraping by.”

Quinn’s eyes lit up. “I have a lot of allowance from the pack treasury,” he said eagerly, opening his small backpack to reveal a bundle of cash. “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll take care of you!”

The year Marcus and I severed our bond, Quinn had just turned one. As I packed and left, Quinn was held by Axton, wailing and reaching out for me.

I didn’t give him a glance, and I didn’t turn back even once as I left.

Two years had passed since then. Quinn had grown taller, his speech clear, and bore an uncanny resemblance to Marcus, lacking any trace of my genes. He was still well-behaved, sitting neatly on the couch with his backpack, staring blankly at my wilting fern.

I turned my attention to the glass of cold water, hesitated briefly, and then poured it out. I unearthed the coffee maker that had been collecting dust.

“Here, have some coffee,” I said, placing the warm mug in front of him.

“Thank you, Mom,” Quinn accepted it with both hands, smiling sweetly at me.

He was tidy and clean, a stark contrast to my messy apartment. Taking a deep breath, I handed him an iPad to watch cartoons while I slipped into the bedroom to call Marcus.

The phone rang for ages before he picked up. His voice was as aloof as ever, “What do you want?”

I countered, “What do you think I called for? You’re the Alpha of the Silverfang Pack; even if you lost your position, you could still afford to raise a pup, right?”

“You’re his mother. Isn’t that your responsibility?”

“Oh, now you want to call me his mother? When we severed the bond, your pack told me I wasn’t fit to be his mother, advised me to take the money and leave, and if we met again, to pretend we didn’t know each other.”

Marcus was silent for a couple of seconds. “I’ll come to pick him up in a couple of days.”

“You have two days, not a second more. Otherwise, don’t blame me if your pup ends up on the streets.”

I hung up and turned around to find Quinn standing quietly in the doorway, watching me.

My heart ached slightly, and I put away the phone casually. “Didn’t the pack teach you that eavesdropping is rude?”

Quinn lowered his head, nudging his backpack toward me with his foot.

“I’ll give you all my allowance.

“I won’t be picky with food, I won’t cause trouble, I’ll be really good and listen.

“Mom, could you not leave me?”