Found True Mate at Last

The pack registry office smelled of fresh ink and old paper. I shifted my sleeping newborn against my chest, his tiny breaths warming my skin as I approached the clerk's desk. Three weeks had passed since I'd given birth to Grayson's son—our son—and today was the day I'd make it official.

"Isabella Brooks," I said, smiling at the middle-aged woman behind the counter. "I need to register my pup's birth records."

The clerk nodded politely. "Of course. Alpha Grayson's son, correct?"

My heart swelled with pride. Despite the chaos of the past few months—Grayson's increasing distance, the whispers about Harmony Snyder—this moment felt right. This pup was proof of our bond, even if Grayson had been too busy with pack affairs to attend the birth.

"Yes," I replied, adjusting the blanket around my son's face. "His name is Liam."

The clerk's fingers clacked across her keyboard as she pulled up our records. Her expression shifted subtly—a slight furrow between her brows that made my stomach tighten.

"Strange," she muttered, then looked up at me with apologetic eyes. "It seems there's been a... clerical error."

"Clerical error?" I echoed, my voice suddenly dry.

She turned her monitor toward me, pointing to a document that looked official and final. "According to our records, you and Alpha Grayson never completed the marking ceremony."

The room tilted sideways. "That's impossible. We've been together for years."

"But not officially," she said gently. "Without the marking ceremony, your... relationship... isn't recognized by pack law."

My fingers dug into the counter's edge. "What does that mean for my son?"

Her eyes softened with pity. "I'm sorry, Isabella. Without a sealed mate bond, your pup is considered... unmated offspring."

The words hit like physical blows. Unmated offspring. Not the future Alpha heir. Not even technically Grayson's son in the eyes of pack law.

"There must be some mistake," I whispered, but the evidence was right there on the screen—a formal document showing Grayson's name next to an empty "mate" field.

---

That evening, I paced outside Grayson's office, my mind still reeling from the registry visit. I needed answers. Needed to understand how this could happen.

As I raised my hand to knock, voices drifted through the partially open door. I froze.

"You need to choose, Grayson." Harmony's voice, tight with frustration. "Your political duty to me, or your meaningless attachment to her."

"Lower your voice," Grayson growled. "This isn't the time."

"It's never the time!" Harmony hissed. "My family has been patient. My father has connections that could destroy your pack if you continue this charade."

I pressed myself against the wall, my heart hammering. What charade? What was she talking about?

"I've told you I'll handle it," Grayson said, his voice strained. "Isabella just had my son. I can't—"

"Your son?" Harmony's laugh was brittle. "Is that what you're calling him now? How touching. But we both know she was never meant to be your Luna."

The floor seemed to drop from beneath me. Never meant