Leo stared at me pitifully, his lips trembling as he whispered, "Mom, I haven't eaten all day. My stomach hurts."
I did not move a muscle. I just stared at him coldly.
"Mom, can you make me some soup?" he continued begging. "Maybe some roast beef?"
I walked right past him, pulled out my key, and slid it into the lock. "No," I said, my voice ice-cold.
Leo froze, realizing for the first time that I meant it—that I wasn't just brushing him off.
"Mom, you've always loved me the most. You can't just leave me like this!" he protested.
I stopped and turned to him. "Why? Why should I care for you?
"Leo, I'm no longer your mother. You're in Owen's custody now. You were the one who insisted on staying with him. You told me to get out of your house, remember?"
Panicked, Leo scrambled up from the ground and grabbed my arm. "Mom, even if you dissolved your mate bond with Dad, you're still my mother. We're related by blood!"
That was exactly why I had cherished him and loved him for ten yea
