3
I grew up an orphan. My parents died when I was too young to remember their faces.
All I had was my sister Emma, both of us raised in the pack’s orphanage. She presented as an Omega, making our lives even
harder.
When Ryan discovered I was his mate, his parents – the pack’s former Beta pair – were horrified.
“An orphan?” Katherine had sneered. “With no bloodline? No status? With an Omega sister?”
But Ryan had stood firm then. “I only have one mate in this life,” he’d declared. “And it’s Celeste.”
Now, a decade later, he spent the night holding Marcus and me in the basement, as if it could erase his betrayal.
Morning came too soon. Marcus woke and immediately lunged at Ryan, tiny fists flying.
“Marcus, stop,” I caught him mid–attack. “Don’t treat your father like this.”
Ryan’s face lit up. He gathered us both in his arms..
“I love only you two,” he whispered. “Forever. I’ll make everything right, I promise. Marcus will be my only heir.”
He took Marcus to the garden for training, personally demonstrating combat stances and wolf forms.
While they trained, Ryan called me over, holding out my phone.
“Call your sister,” he said kindly. “I know you miss her.”
Poor, foolish Ryan. He thought my Omega sister posed no threat to his plans.
He didn’t know Emma had found her mate six months ago – Alpha Alexander Stone of the Blood Moon Pack.
My fingers trembled as I dialed her number.
Soon, very soon, my son and I would be free.
Over the next few days, I forced myself to watch Jamie’s torment of Marcus in silence. Each moment carved another scar on my
heart.
“Kneel, bastard,” Jamie would sneer in the garden, pointing to his muddy boots. “Put my shoes on properly. Both of them.”
Marcus caught my eye, his small face brave despite his trembling hands.
“Faster!” Jamie kicked Marcus in the ribs. “This is how they’ll treat you in Silver Prison anyway.”
My claws dug deeper into my palms. Blood dripped onto the basement floor, but I didn’t dare move. Not yet.
Sarah watched from her perch on the garden bench, smirking as her son tormented mine.
1/3
That night, my brave, gentle Marcus snuck downstairs with stolen medical supplies.
