6

Alex tugged at my sleeve. "Mommy, when we go to the new pack, will I have to see Father again?"

I pulled him close, breathing in his puppy scent. "No, baby. Never again."

"Good," he whispered. "I don't want to be a Beta anyway. I want to be a healer like you."

Theo's assistant called again that evening.

"He's asking for you," she said hopefully. "Maybe if you just talked..."

"No," I said firmly. "Let him stay with his chosen family."

Three days.

And then we'd be gone.

But on the day we were finalizing our pack transfer, Alex suddenly doubled over in pain.

His skin was burning hot, bones shifting beneath the surface. The early signs of a premature shift.

Fear gripped my heart. Alex had always been gifted - all his trainers said he'd shift early. But shifting before ten could cut a wolf's lifespan in half.

That's why I'd spent a million dollars on the inhibitory potion months ago, keeping it locked in our safe.

"Hold on, baby," I whispered, racing home to get the potion.

But when I opened the safe, it was empty.

My hands shaking, I called Theo.

"The inhibitory potion - where is it?"

"Oh, that." His voice was casual. "Marcus showed signs of early shifting, so I borrowed it. Emergency situation."

"Take it back right now," I demanded. "Alex is starting to shift."

Theo's laugh was cold. "What game are you playing now? How convenient that Alex suddenly needs to shift right when Marcus does."

"Are you trying to kill Marcus by denying him the potion?" His voice turned ugly. "Besides, didn't you want me to focus on Sarah and Marcus? Why the jealousy act now?"

The call ended with a click.

I stared at my phone in despair, hearing Alex's whimpers of pain from the next room.

"Mom..." he called weakly. "It hurts..."

"I'm sorry," I whispered, gathering him in my arms. "The potion..."

"It's okay," he managed a smile through his pain. "I can be strong."

My hands were trembling as I called Ada. She bought another inhibitory potion from the witch and sent to us immediately.

An hour later, the pack radio crackled with news:

"Breaking news: Young prodigy Marcus, ward of Beta Theo, has achieved his first shift at the incredible age of four! Beta Theo stayed by his side throughout the process, helping manage the transition..."

I listened with cold fury as they described how Theo had "fortunately" acquired an inhibitory potion just in time.

Alex was curled in my lap, fighting against his own premature shift, while the potion that should have been his was being celebrated across pack radio.

"Theo," I whispered to the empty room, "since you love them so much, Alex and I will help you keep them."

The day after Alex recovered from his near-shift.

I submitted our pack withdrawal papers, sent the mate bond dissolution request to the Alpha Council, and removed my mate mark with the ritual herbs Ada had sent. With Alex in my arms, I left the territory that had been our home for five years.