My Alpha Chose Her Over Our Dying Pup

When my pup's life begins to fade, there's only one thing that can save him—Moondew. But my Alpha husband, Leo Hartwood, takes it to treat his childhood sweetheart's minor fever. I call him 99 times, begging him to bring it back. When he finally answers, his voice is ice-cold. "Stop using our pup to manipulate me. There's no way my heir is in danger." That night, our pup dies. Even then, Leo refuses to believe me. He insists the death certificate is fake and accuses me of staging a funeral just to get his attention. So I file to have our mate bond dissolved and prepare to return home to the Frosthaven Pack. On the day of the funeral, Leo shows up with his childhood sweetheart, Lilian Garner, and stands in front of our pup's grave, calling me cruel and selfish. Then he comes closer. For the first time, he realizes he can no longer sense our pup. All the color drains from his face. "Aurora… Where's our pup?" Chapter 1 "Leo, I want to end our mate bond." This time, Leo Hartwood was finally the one who called me. "Enough, Aurora. First you used our pup's life as an excuse, and now you're threatening to reject me. This is all just another attempt to get my attention, isn't it? "I've told you over and over again. You're not just my mate. You're the Luna of this entire pack. Can you stop being so selfish?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Yesterday, the pup I was carrying had suddenly taken a turn for the worse. The pack doctor told me there was only one thing that could save him—Moondew, a rare potion brewed by witches. I had one vial. It was the last lifesaving potion my father, the Alpha of the Frosthaven Pack, had given me before I married Leo. I rushed home and tore through my belongings, desperate to find the Moondew and save my pup. That was when I learned someone had taken it just ten minutes earlier. It was none other than Leo Hartwood. My own mate had taken it for Lilian Garner, who only had a temperature. Leo had sacrificed our pup's only chance of survival over something so trivial. I called him again and again. When that didn't work, I flooded his phone with messages, desperate to explain what was happening. Our pup was dying. Leo needed to know. After countless rejected calls, he finally picked up. I didn't even get a chance to speak. "This has gone too far, Aurora. You're seriously using our pup's life to manipulate me now? Lilian needs peace and quiet while she recovers. Stop making up excuses to call me." "I'm not making anything up!" I blurted out before he could hang up again. "I have the medical report from the pack doctor! "Our pup is getting weaker. The Moondew can still save him. He's our first pup, Leo. You don't want anything to happen to him either, do you?" "Enough!" His voice turned icy. "Are you threatening me now? I thought you were just jealous of Lilian, but this? Bribing a doctor to falsify a medical report just so you can take her medicine away from her? I'm disappointed in you, Aurora." "I didn't! Please, Leo!" I screamed his name, but the line went dead. At that exact moment, the monitor beside me sounded an alarm. Then the heartbeat disappeared. Our pup was gone, and there was nothing I could do to save him. When the pack doctors rushed in, I curled my arms protectively around my stomach and refused to let any of them near me. It wasn't until I'd cried myself weak that everything went black. Just before I lost consciousness, my thoughts drifted to Leo. Ever since Lilian returned to the pack, she'd become the center of his world. Lilian was in poor health, he said. So when I fell ill, the herbs meant for my treatment somehow ended up with her instead. Lilian needed help settling back into the pack, he said. So at every pack gathering, it was Lilian who stood beside the Alpha instead of me, his Luna. He was the Alpha, he said. It was his duty to look after every pack member. It had taken me far too long to realize the truth. There was only one person Leo ever seemed to care about—Lilian. And when he spoke about protecting his pack, apparently neither his mate nor his own pup counted. In the end, even our pup's life had mattered less to him than Lilian's fever. Leo sighed, and when he spoke again, some of the irritation had left his voice. "I know you don't like her, but she's sick. She needs the Moondew more than you do. I'll make it up to you. You can have anything you want from the pack hospital's supply of herbs. Will that make you happy? "But don't lie to me about our pup again, Aurora. It hurts me when you do that." He probably expected me to react the way I always had. To argue with him, demand that he send Lilian away, and make him swear before the Moon Goddess that I was the only mate he would ever be loyal to. But I didn't. "Fine," I said, and ended the call. It was the first time I'd ever hung up on him. He could give me every herb in the pack hospital, and it wouldn't bring our pup back. And Leo still had no idea that soon, I wouldn't be here either. After the call, I went to the Council of Elders alone and filed a petition to have our mate bond dissolved without his consent. Chapter 2 When I returned to the pack from the Council of Elders, I saw Lilian's latest post. The caption read, "I only had a fever, and someone still went out of his way to get me precious Moondew. Couldn't ask for a more dependable Alpha!" In the photo, Lilian was smiling as she held up the vial of Moondew my father had given me. A wolf stood with his back to the camera behind her. I recognized him immediately. He was my husband—my Alpha. The comments were already pouring in. Some gushed over how sweet they were together and wished them a lifetime of happiness. Others were asking if Lilian was the Luna of the Moonlight Pack. I stared at the post without shedding a single tear. I'd cried enough when I lost my pup. Whatever love I had left for Leo and whatever hope I'd still placed in him had died that day too. My father had been right all along. Leo was never going to be the mate I needed, no matter how convincing his promises had once sounded. Three years ago, I'd fallen for Leo the moment I met him. My father had only agreed to let us marry because I refused to give Leo up. Before I left home, he gave me one final warning. "Never build your life around someone else, Aurora. The only person you can always count on is yourself." Then his expression softened. "And if you ever grow tired of the life you've chosen, remember this. The Frosthaven Pack will always be your home." My father had even opened the northern trade routes to Leo's pack so I could have a better life here. It was an exception he'd never made for anyone before. At the time, I'd dismissed his warning as a father worrying too much about his daughter. Then came my Luna Ceremony. Leo's vows brought me to tears and moved the entire pack. After that, I never once doubted him. When Lilian came back, all the promises he'd made before the Moon Goddess became meaningless. I was still the Luna of the Moonlight Pack; I was still Leo's mate. However, his heart and attention belonged to someone else. The day Leo found out I was with a pup was the only time in months that he came home willingly. He held me with such care, as though I were suddenly the most precious thing in the world. "We're going to have a pup." For a while, I let myself believe it meant something. I thought he still cared about me. I thought our pup might bring him back to me. Then he took the one thing that could have saved our pup and gave it to Lillian for a simple fever. This morning, the pack doctor placed a small container in my hands. Inside were the remains of the pup I'd carried. It was the first time I'd ever seen my pup, and I was already saying goodbye. The memory made my chest tighten, but there were no tears left. I took out my phone and sent my father a message. "I've changed my mind. I'm ready to take over the northern trade routes." The funeral for our pup was set for three days from now. Once it was over, I would leave the Moonlight Pack for good. But there was one last thing I needed to do first. I called Leo. As usual, he didn't answer. So I sent him a message instead, telling him when the funeral would be held. It was a long time before he finally replied. Even through a screen, I could feel his anger. "Aurora, I already told you I'll come home to see you and the pup once Lilian is better. How much longer are you going to keep this up? "I'm an Alpha. Looking after the members of my pack is my responsibility. You're the one who keeps imagining there's something more between me and Lilian. All this jealousy and suspicion can't be good for the pup, either. "And now you want to reject me and hold some fake funeral? Is threatening your Alpha the only way you know how to get what you want? Have you ever considered what you'll do if I actually accept your rejection? "Stop playing these games just to get my attention. Admit it, Aurora. You can't live without me." I stared at his messages, almost amazed by the arrogance of them. Leo was the Alpha of the Moonlight Pack. One call to the pack hospital was all it would take to learn the truth, but he hadn't even bothered. He was too wrapped up in Lilian to spare a moment to find out whether his own pup was still alive. Whatever was going on between them had crossed the line of an Alpha simply looking after a member of his pack a long time ago. But it didn't matter anymore. Neither did he. Chapter 3 This wasn't the first time I'd told Leo I wanted to end our mate bond. He'd never taken me seriously. He always assumed I was speaking out of anger. He'd tell me to calm down and stop saying things that hurt him, then win me over with the same sweet promises. "Aurora, you're my one and only mate. You're the only Luna I'll ever choose." Everyone in the Moonlight Pack believed I could never bring myself to leave him. Leo believed it most of all. He thought this time would be no different. Eventually, I would give in, forgive him, and everything would go back to the way it was. This time, I didn't even reply. On the day of the funeral, I stood alone before my pup's grave and said my final goodbye. No one came with me. Leo had used his authority as Alpha to forbid anyone in the pack from taking part in what he called my little performance. Even now, he was convinced I was lying. A car sent by my father was already waiting outside the cemetery to take me home to the Frosthaven Pack. I took one last look at the grave, then turned away. I was ready to leave without another word. But before I could take more than a few steps, I saw Leo at the end of the path; Lilian was right beside him. The two people responsible for my pup's death had come together. Even at my pup's funeral, Leo couldn't bring himself to leave her behind. Lilian looked perfectly healthy, a rosy glow in her cheeks. The sight of her took me straight back to that night. Lying there helpless as I felt my pup's life slowly fading away, knowing there was nothing I could do to stop it. Leo glanced past me toward the grave, his expression turning cold. "I can't believe you actually went through with this. You were so jealous of Lilian that you staged a funeral for our pup just to spite her. I'm disappointed in you, Aurora." A bitter laugh escaped me. "So what are you going to do about it? Accept my rejection?" Leo faltered for a moment before his brows drew together. "Why are you bringing that up again?" Before I could answer, Lilian stepped forward to stand beside him. "Aurora, you're the Luna of this pack. You can't keep throwing a tantrum whenever something doesn't go your way. "This never needed to become such a big deal. You nearly dragged the entire pack into it. I was the one who convinced the Alpha to come here today so the two of you could talk things out." I looked her up and down. "That's funny. When exactly did you become the Luna of the Moonlight Pack?" Lilian's eyes immediately reddened. She recoiled as if I'd frightened her, then gave two weak coughs. "That's enough, Aurora!" Leo snapped, reaching out to steady her. "Stop upsetting her." He moved protectively in front of Lilian. "She's never done anything to you. Why are you always attacking her? You even lied about our pup dying just so you could blame her!" I stared at him for a long moment before a bitter smile crossed my face. "Stop pretending you care about our pup. If you really cared, where were you when he was dying? Where were you when we lost him?" "How long are you going to keep lying to me, Aurora?" Lilian hurried between us, her eyes filling with tears. "Please, don't fight because of me! I'm sorry!" Leo immediately softened. "Don't worry. None of this is your fault." Watching the two of them, I suddenly found the whole thing exhausting. I had nothing left to say. I stepped around Lilian and headed for the exit. But just as I passed her, she let out a startled cry and stumbled sideways. "Lilian!" Leo caught her before she hit the ground. When he looked at me again, he was barely holding back his anger. "How could you attack a member of your own pack? If anything happens to Lillian, even being my Luna won't protect you from the consequences!" I didn't bother defending myself. I didn't care enough to. "You won't have to punish me. I'm leaving on my own." I turned away, but footsteps followed me. "Stop!" Leo grabbed my arm. I turned back, ready to pull myself free, only to find him frozen. We were standing so close that there was no way he could miss it now. Something about me had changed. My scent wasn't the same. And the presence he'd once been able to sense from the pup I carried was gone. Leo's eyes slowly dropped to my stomach. All the anger drained from his face as his voice trembled. "Aurora… Where's our pup? Where is he?" Chapter 4 A sharp ache went through my chest, and I tore my arm from his grasp. "I told you, Leo. I told you over and over again. You chose not to believe me." From the moment our pup began to weaken, I'd called him again and again, begging him to listen. He never did. To Leo, every desperate call and every frantic message had been nothing more than another scheme to get his attention. "I'm sorry." Leo lowered his head. "I should've believed you. This is my fault." For the first time, I saw tears in the proud Alpha's eyes. "I thought you were lying. I thought you were letting your jealousy get the better of you. And our pup..." His voice broke. "I thought he was strong. I never imagined we could lose him. If I'd known he was really in danger, I would've brought you the Moondew myself. "Please forgive me, Aurora. You know you and our pup mean more to me than anything. No one could ever come before the two of you." Once, those words might have been enough. I might have believed his tears, wrapped my arms around him, and forgiven everything because I loved him too much to stay angry. Not anymore. His tears meant nothing to me now. There was no point in wondering what he would have done if he'd known the truth. I'd told him the truth. He simply hadn't believed me. No apology could bring our pup back. And deep down, I knew something else too. If I could turn back time and live through that night all over again, Leo would still choose Lilian. Lillian came up beside him and placed a comforting hand on his arm. "Leo, you can't blame yourself. You didn't know." Then she turned to me, and the sympathy vanished from her face. "You knew you were carrying the Alpha's heir, Aurora. As Luna, you should've been more careful. You failed to protect your own pup, and now you're blaming the Alpha for it?" "Shut up!" Leo rounded on her so sharply that Lilian flinched. She shot me a furious look but didn't dare say another word. Leo turned back to me and took my hand. His eyes were still red. "Please forgive me, Aurora. Neither of us wanted this to happen. "Don't put yourself through this anymore. We'll have more pups someday. As many as you want. I'll protect them myself, and they'll grow up safe and strong. They'll be my heirs. "So please, stop talking about ending our mate bond. Don't leave me." He sounded sincere. It only made me sick. I couldn't even tell anymore whether he meant a word of it or whether this was simply the same thing he'd always done. Say whatever I wanted to hear whenever he thought I might actually leave. I wanted to tell him there would be no future for us. There would be no more pups. I wanted to tell him I was leaving him and the pack that had brought me nothing but pain. Instead, I smiled. "Alright. I promise." I wouldn't ask him to end our mate bond again. There was no need. Soon, the petition I'd filed to have our bond dissolved without his consent would take effect. For now, I only needed Leo to believe everything between us was fine long enough for me to get away. I watched as he placed a bouquet of flowers on our pup's grave. While his attention was elsewhere, I quietly turned to leave. I'd barely taken a few steps when he heard me. His voice was edged with panic. "Aurora? Where are you going?" I kept my expression calm. "I bought so many things for the pup. I need to go home and pack them away." "I'll come with you." He started toward me. "No." The answer came too quickly, and I immediately softened my tone. "It's okay. I can handle it myself. "Besides, I'm sure our pup would like some time alone with his father." That stopped him. I walked away from Leo without looking back. The Cullinan my father had sent was still waiting around the corner. By tonight, it would take me home to the Frosthaven Pack. As the car pulled away, I gazed through the window at the clouds stretching across the horizon. For the first time in years, I could breathe again. I was free. Tomorrow would be a new day. I didn't need to build my life around anyone else anymore. From now on, my life would be my own.