After My Mate Betrayed Our Bond, I Struck Back

The pain tore through me in waves as I pushed one final time. My son's first cry pierced the air of the Alpha suite, and for one precious moment, pure joy flooded my heart. He was perfect – ten tiny fingers, ten tiny toes, and a tuft of dark hair like his father's.

'He's beautiful,' I whispered, reaching out to hold him. But before I could touch my baby, Ryan's cold voice cut through my exhausted haze.

'Charlotte.' The formal use of my name sent ice through my veins. My mate stood at the foot of the bed, his face an emotionless mask. 'We need to discuss something.'

I clutched the sheets tighter, suddenly aware of Victoria hovering in the doorway like a shadow. The triumphant gleam in her eyes made my stomach twist.

'As you know, Victoria took those silver bullets meant for me during last month's attack.' Ryan's Alpha tone vibrated through the air, each word hammering into my chest. 'She nearly died protecting me – protecting this pack.'

I stared at him in disbelief. 'Ryan, what are you—'

'You will relinquish your Luna title,' he continued, as if I hadn't spoken. 'And Victoria will adopt the pup.'

The world tilted sideways. 'No.' The word came out as a broken whisper. 'No, you can't—he's our son!'

'It's a fair exchange for Victoria's sacrifice.' Ryan wouldn't meet my eyes. 'She can't have pups of her own. This is how you'll repay her loyalty to the pack.'

I looked desperately at my newborn son, still being cleaned by the pack healer. My arms ached to hold him, to protect him. 'Please, Ryan.' I reached for our mate bond, searching for any trace of the love we once shared. 'He's our fated child—'

'This isn't up for discussion.' His Alpha tone crushed down on me, making it hard to breathe. 'The decision is final.'

As if on cue, Victoria glided forward to take my baby. My wolf, dormant all these years, suddenly stirred deep within me. The sensation was like molten lava in my veins.

I barely made it back to the omega quarters before the first bone-shattering spasm hit. I collapsed onto the cold floor, my body convulsing as something primal clawed its way to the surface. Each crack of shifting bone felt like lightning strikes through my flesh.

'Help!' I tried to scream, but it came out as a strangled howl. My skin burned as silver fur erupted across my body. After years of being wolfless, my inner wolf was finally emerging – in the most excruciating transformation I'd ever witnessed.

Through the haze of agony, I heard Elara Vance, our pack healer, arguing with someone at the door.

'Alpha, she's in critical condition! The late awakening combined with the mate bond strain—'

'Move her to isolation.' Ryan's voice was distant, detached. 'We can't have her disrupting the pack celebration.'

'But sir, this could kill her if—'

'That was an order, Healer Vance.'

As unconsciousness pulled me under, I