FORBIDDEN KISS

My mate, Ethan Rickman, is an Omega without a wolf. No official position is willing to hire him. That means we live in poverty, but I've always believed that our love can overcome anything.

Seven years after our mating, hunger drives me and our son, Theo Rickman, to dig through trash bins late at night, looking for food.

Theo moves quickly and quietly. He's become skilled at it. With a cheerful grin, he whispers to me, "Mom, this bin belongs to an award-winning restaurant! The food's fresh and tastes great. Let's bring some back for Dad!"

The next day, I put on the cleanest clothes I own and head to that same restaurant, hoping to get hired as a janitor.

If I get the job, maybe I can bring home leftovers before they're tossed out.

But when I look up, I see Ethan stepping out of a luxury car worth millions. Behind him stands a woman and child, both dressed in designer clothes.

I recognize her instantly. She's Mira Alstone, his childhood sweetheart.

The restaurant owner gives me an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Ms. Everdeen. Alpha Ethan reserved the whole place for Mira today. I have to focus on serving them, so I don't have time for interviews. Maybe come back another day?"

In that moment, Theo and I both freeze where we stand.

…

How much would it cost to book the entire award-winning restaurant? Would it be a few hundred dollars, or more like a couple thousand?

My hands trembled as I looked it up. The cost was over a hundred thousand dollars, enough to feed us for seven years.

The number felt like a fine needle, pricking at my eyes until they ached.

"Mom, that was Dad, right? Is he really not a wolfless Omega, but an Alpha?"

Theo Rickman finally worked up the courage to ask me after a long silence. His face was filled with confusion and unease, but he waited patiently for my answer.

It was indeed Ethan Rickman, my husband. However, the way he'd booked out a restaurant as an Alpha was a side of him neither of us had ever seen.

Theo had grown up being looked down on because Ethan didn't have his wolf.

His teachers overlooked him, as if mediocrity had been written into his bones. His classmates mocked him behind his back, saying weakness ran in his blood.

Even neighbors would sneer at his face. "His dad's a wolfless Omega. He's never going to amount to anything."

Theo had always been strong. He never bowed his head or complained. He never once thought having an Omega father was something to be ashamed of.

Yet, all the hardship he'd endured felt like a cruel joke.

As I looked at his dry, brittle hair from long-term malnutrition, my chest tightened until I could barely breathe. My lips parted, but I couldn't get a word out.

Theo sensed my pain and forced a smile.

"It's okay. Maybe Dad's just busy. Let's go home, Mom. Don't be sad." His voice trailed off until it nearly vanished.

My heart skipped a beat. I reached out and cupped his face. His cheeks were already streaked with tears.

Without thinking, I scooped him up and practically fled the scene.

Theo kept glancing back until the figures of the three people inside the restaurant vanished from sight.

After we got home that night, I thought for a long time. In the end, I looked up the process of breaking a mate bond.

Just then, the old door creaked loudly. It was Ethan, coming home.

I sat quietly in the living room as Theo ran up to greet him like always.

Ethan scooped him up with a grin. "Have you grown taller again? At this rate, you'll catch up to me soon."

It was surreal.

My mind was a mess. He looked like a loving father, just like always. Until today, I had never once questioned his love for us.

Theo's voice lit up with joy. He eagerly held up a flyer with a picture on it. "Dad, can I have this toy? It's not that expensive, and it lasts a long time—"

However, Ethan cut him off, voice apologetic. "Sorry. Let's wait a little longer, okay?"

Normally, Theo would've just let it go. But today, he was unusually stubborn. It felt like he was trying to prove something.

His childish voice was filled with a hint of persistence. "Why do we have to wait?"

I knew what he really wanted to say was, "Why? You clearly have the money to book a whole award-winning restaurant for another pup. So why won't you buy me a toy? Am I not your pup?"

However, Theo had been raised to be too well-behaved. Even with his voice trembling, he didn't say it.

In the end, Ethan gave in and said yes.

By the time I came to my senses, Theo was already hugging me.

Theo was beaming as he said in my ear, "Dad said yes, Mom! He really did! Did you hear him?"

I nodded hard, happy for him. I was so excited I couldn't sleep that night.

He waited a day, two days, even a whole week, but the toy never appeared.

That night, when Ethan came home empty-handed once again, Theo finally broke down. He ran to his room and cried quietly under the covers.

Ethan didn't notice a thing. He handed me a pouch of herbs and spoke with a smile.

"Cheryl, could you help me mix this into a tonic? I need it by tomorrow."

I took one look and instantly recognized that it was a supplement for a pregnant she-wolf.

The tight knot in my mind suddenly snapped.

By the time I realized what I was doing, I'd already hurled the herbs at him.

Ethan froze in place, staring at me in disbelief.

"Cheryl, are you okay? Why are you acting like this? This isn't like you…" He paused when he saw the tears in my eyes.

He was the one who got hit, yet I was the one about to break down.

I asked, "Where's Theo's gift?"

Embarrassment flickered across his face. He gently pulled me into his arms, his voice soft like he was coaxing a frightened animal.

"Don't cry, Cheryl. It breaks my heart when you cry. I've been saving up. I swear I'll get it for him soon. Just give me a little more time, okay?"

I rested in his strong, warm embrace. That once-heart-melting voice above my head made my heart turn colder and colder.

He'd said the same thing countless times over the years. "Just wait. Be patient. I'm working hard out there."

But it was all lies, and I was done waiting.

While he showered, I slipped into Theo's room and gently pulled back the blanket.

I looked him straight into his teary eyes and asked, "If I break the mate bond with your dad, who would you choose to stay with?"