Mate Bond Broken

I knew something was wrong the moment Dad's truck pulled into our driveway. The golden wolf spirits that usually danced around our house—the ones only I could see—suddenly scattered like frightened birds. In their place, something dark and cold crept across our front yard, making my skin crawl.

Mom was in the kitchen making her famous honey cakes when the front door slammed open. She looked up with that bright smile she always wore when Dad came home, flour dusting her cheek. But her expression froze when she saw him.

Dad wasn't alone.

A woman with long black hair stepped through our doorway, her hand resting possessively on a very pregnant belly. The moment I laid eyes on her, my spiritual sight flared to life without warning. Dark auras swirled around her head like angry storm clouds, so thick and menacing that I had to grip the kitchen counter to steady myself. I'd never seen anything so... wrong.

"Cassandra," Dad said, his voice strangely formal. "We need to talk."

Mom's hands trembled as she set down her mixing bowl. The golden spirits that usually hovered protectively around her shoulders flickered, as if sensing the danger approaching. "Rex? What's going on? Who is this?"

The pregnant woman stepped forward with a smile that made my stomach turn. When she spoke, her voice dripped false sweetness. "I'm Nyomi Foster. Your husband's chosen mate."

The words hit our kitchen like a physical blow. Mom stumbled backward, her face draining of all color. "What?"

Dad's aura, which had always been a steady silver-blue in my sight, suddenly turned murky and cold. Shadows I'd never seen before began creeping around his edges. "Cassandra, I'm rejecting our mate bond. Nyomi is carrying my child, and I've chosen her as my Luna."

I watched in horror as the golden spirits around Mom began to dim. Her hand flew to her throat, to the place where Dad's mark had always been. "Rex, please. We can work through this. We have Star, we have our life together—"

"No." Dad's voice was sharp, final. "My decision is made. The formal rejection will happen at tomorrow night's pack gathering. You have until then to... adjust."

Nyomi moved closer to him, her dark auras spreading like poison through our home. When she looked at me, something predatory gleamed in her eyes. "Hello, Star. I hope we can be friends."

I couldn't speak. My spiritual sight was screaming warnings, showing me things that made no sense. Why couldn't Dad see the darkness surrounding this woman? Why couldn't he see how the golden spirits around Mom were crying out in pain?

"Star belongs with me," Dad continued, not even looking at me. "An Alpha's daughter needs proper training. She'll stay in the pack house."

"No." The word burst from my lips before I could stop it. Both adults turned to stare at me, but I only had eyes for my mother. The golden spirits around her were flickering like candle flames in a hurricane,