2

Unreasonable? I didn't expect Ryan to see me like this.

"Then break our mate bond," I said quietly in the car. "Let me and Marcus go."

"Never." Ryan's eyes flashed dangerously in the mirror. "You're my only mate. Marcus will be my heir after his... training."

The next morning, guards surrounded our house.

Ryan forced a silver-laced water down my throat. Wolfsbane. My wolf howled in agony before falling silent.

He made Marcus drink sleeping grass tea. My son's eyes grew heavy, his small body collapsing into unconsciousness.

"It's for his own good," Ryan said, locking us in. "Until the trial."

A dozen guards took position outside our door.

The next day, voices drifted up from downstairs. Sarah and Katherine – Ryan's mother.

Katherine's hand cracked across my face the moment she saw me.

"We treated Marcus like our own grandson for eight years," she spat. "And you repay us by letting your bastard kill an innocent pup?"

She turned to Sarah, stroking her arm. "You poor dear, suffering in silence all these years, raising Ryan's true son alone."

Sarah dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. "It wasn't hard. Now that Ryan finally acknowledges Jamie, everything was worth it."

Katherine hugged Jamie close. "What would you like, sweetheart? Shall we tour your new home?"

My wolf stirred weakly against the wolfsbane as I watched them parade through my house – my territory.

After they left, Sarah lingered.

"Enjoy these last moments with your son," she smirked. "Silver Prison's calling. Though I doubt he'll survive five years there."

Despite the wolfsbane burning through my veins, my wolf surged forward.

My claws caught her cheek, drawing blood.

Sarah stumbled back, her fake tears forgotten.

"You feral bitch!" she snarled. "RYAN!"

His thundering footsteps approached.

"What did you do?" he roared, rushing to Sarah's side.

My mate. Defending her. Again.

"She attacked me," Sarah whimpered. "After everything we're doing to help Marcus..."

I laughed bitterly. The wolfsbane might weaken my body, but it couldn't touch my rage.

"Help?" I spat. "You're sending an innocent child to prison for your murderous pup."

"Enough!" Katherine burst through the door, her eyes fixing on Sarah's bloodied face. Her wolf exploded forth – massive and silver-streaked with age.

"You dare attack my grandson's mother!" she snarled, fangs bared as she lunged for my throat.

The wolfsbane in my system left me defenseless, but a black blur intercepted – Ryan's wolf, larger than his mother's, planted himself between us.

"Move, son!" Katherine shifted back, trembling with rage. "Eight years! Eight years we've pampered her bastard, treating him like pack royalty!"

She jabbed a manicured finger at me. "And now we find out she not only cheated on you but let her murderous whelp kill an innocent pup!"

"Guards!" Her voice cracked like a whip. "Remove this filth from my house!"

Sarah and Jamie rushed to Ryan, clinging to him the moment he shifted human.

But he pushed them both away.

"Celeste is my mate," he growled. "The only one. If you want, take Jamie and raise him yourself."

Jamie started crying. Ryan didn't even look at him.

Katherine recoiled as if struck. Her face twisted with fury.

"Keep your precious mate then," she spat. "But I won't let her bastard pup steal what rightfully belongs to Jamie."

She snapped her fingers at the guards. "Take the boy to the basement. Jamie will have his room, his training, everything that should have been his by right."

The wolfsbane turned my muscles to water as the guards grabbed Marcus. I couldn't even shift to defend him.

"Mom!" Marcus's cry tore at my heart. His small hands reached for me as they dragged him away. "Please don't let them take me!"

"This is just temporary," Ryan whispered, not meeting my eyes. "I'll make the basement comfortable – carpet, proper bed, everything. And Silver Prison isn't so bad. He'll have tutors, combat training, the best education money can buy."

Sarah's smile gleamed in the shadows. Jamie stopped crying instantly, smirking at Marcus as the guards carried him past.

I said nothing. In fact, I didn’t care about the recommendation and the training courses anymore.

I just wanted to escape. I already had a plan.

Every day, Ryan came home and dined with Sarah and Jamie. He personally coached Jamie in combat training, teaching him the secret fighting techniques passed down through pack leadership.

Meanwhile, Marcus and I rotted in the basement – a space worse than what they gave to common Omegas.

The basement overflowed with Sarah and Jamie's excess – designer clothes, imported toys, training equipment. Things they had too many of to store upstairs.

Our living space had shrunk to a single narrow bed where Marcus and I slept.

At first, Ryan tried to spend nights with us. But Marcus – my brave, betrayed boy – fought him every time.

"I hate you!" Marcus would snarl, tiny fangs bared, kicking and biting. "You're not my father anymore!"

Gradually, Ryan stopped coming.

Instead, he spent his nights upstairs with Sarah and Jamie, playing the perfect family while we languished below.

One night, he crept down while Marcus slept.

"Why do you ignore me?" he whispered, reaching for my hand in the darkness. "I love you. I've never betrayed you. You're my only mate – your wolf knows I've never touched Sarah."

He was right about one thing. My wolf could sense his physical faithfulness.

But what he'd done – sacrificing our son, choosing Sarah's happiness over our family – that betrayal cut deeper than any physical infidelity ever could.

I swallowed my rage and softened my voice.

"Yes, I know you love me," I lied smoothly. "I understand now. And I realized that without you, Marcus and I wouldn't be better off."

" I'll let Marcus go to Silver Prison. But," I continued, "if I'm going to lose my son for five years, I need something in return. Let Marcus resume his training before prison. Stop giving me wolfsbane. Return my phone – I need to talk to my sister."

"Of course!" Ryan pulled me close, relief evident in his voice. "Anything you want, my love."