Marked Once, Free Forever

I had been with Marcus Hale for eight years. I gave him two children, but his heart had always belonged to another she-wolf. When my cousin, his first love, returned to the pack, I finally realized it was time to end things.

I went to the pack's administration office to file the paperwork to leave the pack.

But the moment I stepped inside, I heard Marcus's voice.

"The pack anniversary banquet is next month. That dress fits you perfectly."

Then a she-wolf replied, sounding hesitant, "But that gown belongs to the Luna. Wouldn't it be inappropriate for me to wear it?"

My son, Rowan Hale, chimed in eagerly, "It won't be, Aunt Clara. You look way prettier than Mom in it. Can you be our mom instead?"

Marcus chuckled and explained gently to Clara Whitmore, "Don't take the kids too seriously. They just really like you. And honestly, that dress was designed for you in the first place. Things just didn't work out back then."

A trace of regret flickered in his eyes.

I stood hidden behind the staircase and heard every word.

The four of them really did look like a family together.

But when they turned and saw me standing there, their smiles froze instantly.

Clara recovered first. She smiled warmly and opened her arms as she walked toward me.

"Zoey, what a coincidence! I didn't expect to see you here."

Before her hands could even touch my clothes, Marcus stepped between us.

He frowned slightly and said to Clara, "Don't touch her. She's filthy. She'll stain your dress."

I froze, my face tingling as embarrassment washed over me.

Clara noticed my expression and lightly punched Marcus in the chest.

"Is that how an Alpha is supposed to behave? How could you talk about your mate like that?"

Then she turned to me. "Don't take it personally. He just says the first thing that pops up in his head. He really loves you. I'm sure of it. I know him better than anyone."

Despite getting punched, Marcus didn't get angry at all. Instead, he smiled at Clara indulgently.

His hand even lingered where she had hit him, his eyes full of quiet delight.

Behind them, my daughter, Noelle Hale, pouted.

"Mom, you're so petty."

Rowan looked at me with open hostility. "Are you jealous because Dad invited Aunt Clara to the anniversary banquet? Since when did you get so petty?"

I looked at the children I had carried for nine months and given birth to, and my heart slowly went cold.

"Clara can attend the banquet as Luna next month. It'll save me the trouble."

Marcus grabbed my wrist, clearly irritated. "Stop this. Look at yourself. You're my Luna. Start acting like it."

I replied flatly, "When you took your family of four to Firefly Woods, did you remember that I was your Luna?"

Marcus had no answer. He grabbed Clara's hand and turned to leave.

"Your mom may be under some kind of spell. She's not thinking clearly. I'll announce that the Luna is unwell, and Clara will attend the anniversary as acting Luna."

The two kids' eyes lit up instantly. They cheered, "Yay! Aunt Clara, we're so glad you're back. You'll be our mom from now on."

Clara looked at the children, then at me, her expression uneasy. "Kids say silly things. Don't take it to heart. The Luna's role is far too important for me to fill in for. You should be the one to attend—"

"No," Marcus cut her off immediately. "She'll just ruin everything if she goes."

The children echoed his decision. "Yeah. We don't want her there. She's a bad mom. We're done with her."

I nodded, looking at the four people who looked more like a family than I ever did with them.

"You're right. Marcus, let's sever our mate bond."