After Son's Death, Mate's Departure

The rogue attack came without warning. One moment I was helping in the pack nursery, the next, warriors were shouting for everyone to take shelter. I ran toward the medical center, my heart pounding against my ribs as screams echoed through our territory.

"Cassidy!" Someone grabbed my arm. "You shouldn't be here!"

I shook them off. "My son is out there!"

The medical center was chaos when I burst through the doors. Blood stained the floors, healers rushed between beds, and the metallic scent of werewolf blood filled the air. My wolf clawed at my insides, desperate to find our pup.

"Ellis!" I screamed, pushing past warriors who tried to hold me back.

Then I saw him. My beautiful boy lay on a bed in the corner, his small chest barely rising. Dr. Adrian—my mate, our pack's Alpha, and the man I'd sacrificed everything for—stood over him with a scalpel in his hand.

"Adrian!" I cried, rushing to Ellis's side.

My son's eyes fluttered open when I took his hand. "Mom," he whispered, his voice so faint I could barely hear it.

"I'm here, baby. I'm right here." I pressed my lips to his forehead, tasting blood and fear.

Adrian's hands moved with practiced precision, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. "The rogues got through our defenses," he said clinically. "Ellis took a direct hit to his chest."

"Save him," I begged, my voice breaking. "Please, Adrian. Do whatever it takes."

For a moment, something flickered in Adrian's eyes—regret, perhaps, or grief—but it vanished so quickly I thought I'd imagined it. He continued working, his movements mechanical now.

"I'm trying," he said, but his tone told me everything.

Ellis's hand tightened around mine. "It hurts, Mom."

"I know, baby. I know." I stroked his hair with my free hand, tears streaming down my face. "Just hold on. Your dad is going to fix you up."

But even as I spoke the words, I felt Ellis's life slipping away. His breathing grew shallow, his skin cold despite the warmth of the room.

"M-Mom," he gasped. "I love you."

Those were his last words. When his hand went limp in mine, something inside me shattered. A howl tore from my throat—raw, primal, and filled with such anguish that everyone in the medical center froze.

My wolf took over, mourning our lost cub with a grief too powerful for human words. I didn't hear Adrian call my name. I didn't see the healers step back in shock at the power in my cry. All I knew was that my son—my beautiful, innocent son—was gone.

---

Hours later, I sat numb in our bedroom, Ellis's favorite toy clutched to my chest. The pack had gathered to mourn, but Adrian had disappeared into his office. When he finally emerged, his face was composed, almost impatient.

"Cassidy," he said, straightening his tie. "I need to leave tonight."

I looked up, disbelieving. "What?"

"The Alpha conference. It's being led by Lycan King Grant Morgan