The Useless Powerful Alpha And His Useless Mate

POV: Zosha

"I'm in love with your brother."

That was Julian's congratulations to me for bringing our daughter into the world.

I shifted against the thin hospital mattress, wincing as a sharp ache shot through my lower half. My arms were trembling with exhaustion, but I refused to loosen my grip on the tiny, warm bundle resting against my chest.

Briar let out a soft, mewling sound, her little nose scrunching as she slept.

Julian stood near the foot of the bed, looking immaculate. His designer coat was free of lint, his watch gleaming under the lights—a cruel contrast to my sweat-stained hospital gown and tangled hair.

"You're finally here," I breathed, desperate for warmth. "The doctor said we can take her home tomorrow. She's healthy, Julian. Come look at her."

Julian didn't take a single step forward. His hands remained buried in his tailored trousers.

"I'm not taking you home, Zosha."

My exhausted brain struggled to make sense of the words. "What do you mean? Did you forget the car seat?"

"I'm leaving you."

The air was sucked clean from the room.

"What?" My voice cracked. I instinctively pulled Briar closer to my chest. "Julian, stop. I was in labor for twenty hours. This isn't funny."

"I'm not joking." His voice was cold, completely detached from the life we had shared for three years. "I can't live this lie anymore. The marriage. The pretense. I don't want to be a father. I don't want to be a husband. Honestly... I don't even want to be a man."

I stared at him, my pulse pounding against my ribs.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm transitioning," he said, lifting his chin with quiet defiance. "My name is Juliet now. And I'm finally living my truth. The life I was supposed to have before you trapped me in this marriage with your fat body. Look at you. Just look at your stomach. I find it absolutely disgusting."

My breath caught in my throat.

This was the person who had pursued me relentlessly when I worked double shifts at a convenience store. The person who swore to love every curve of my body.

Before the numbness could finish taking over, the door opened wider.

A young man stepped quietly into the room, coming to stand right beside Julian and my chest caved in.

"Elian?" I whispered. "What are you doing here? Tell her to stop. Tell her to get a grip."

My younger brother wouldn't look at me. He stared at the floor, shifting uncomfortably.

Then Julian reached out. Elian hesitated for only a fraction of a second before sliding his hand into Julian's, lacing their fingers together right in front of my bed.

"Elian is my partner now," Julian said smoothly.

"No..." The word tore out of my throat, rough and shattered. "No! Elian, look at me! Look at your sister!"

He flinched, finally lifting his eyes. There was guilt in them, but it was quickly overshadowed by defensiveness.

"Don't make a scene, Zosha. We didn't plan for this to happen. It just... happened."

"You didn't plan it?" Hot tears spilled down my cheeks. "I dropped out of high school for you! I scrubbed floors, worked sixteen-hour shifts, and ruined my own future to pay your university tuition so you could make something of yourself!

"And you repay me by sleeping with my spouse?!"

"Don't guilt-trip him," Julian snapped, stepping forward to shield Elian. "Your sacrifices were your choice. You let yourself go. Week after week, I had to watch you gain weight. I had to get drunk just to touch you. With Elian, I finally know what real intimacy feels like."

Every sacrifice I had ever made felt like acid in my veins.

Julian pulled a checkbook from the pocket of the coat and tossed a single piece of paper onto the side table.

Beside it was a signed copy of our divorce agreement.

"The joint accounts are cleared. And the apartment lease ends next week. The divorce paperwork is already being processed. Don't contact us again. She's your problem now."

They turned and walked out of the room, leaving me alone with the cries of my newborn daughter.

*Five Years Later*

"Zosha! You've got company at the door!"

Cleo, my best friend, called out from the bathroom over the sound of running water and Briar's splashing.

"Got it!"

I wiped my wet hands on an apron and opened the front door, expecting the landlord demanding overdue rent.

Instead, the blood drained entirely from my face.

Julian and Elian stood in the dingy apartment hallway.

Julian looked stunning, her hair styled and her elegant feminine pantsuit complemented by expensive diamond jewelry. Elian was dressed in a sharp Italian suit, standing proudly beside her.

"What the hell do you want?" I hissed, moving to slam the door.

Julian shoved a hand against the wood, stopping it effortlessly. In her other hand, she held a thick envelope sealed with red wax.

"You've been served," Julian said, her voice dripping with venomous amusement.

"Served?" My stomach dropped.

"A petition for full custody of Briar," Elian spoke up, his voice smooth and cold. "Julian and I are getting married next month. We can offer Briar an estate, private tutors, and pack status. What can you give her, Zosha? Moldy ceilings and food stamps?"

"Are you out of your minds?!" My voice shook with pure fury. "You abandoned her the day she drew her first breath! You called her a burden!"

"Things change," Julian sneered, slapping the envelope against my chest.

I stared at her, struggling to understand what I was hearing.

"Why now? You haven't cared about Briar for five years. Why suddenly pretend you want to be a parent?"

Julian's lips curled.

"Perhaps I'm tired of watching you struggle while raising a child who deserves better. Besides, Elian and I are building a family of our own. It would be nice to have Briar with us."

Something about the way she said it made my stomach turn.

She wasn't here because she had suddenly developed maternal instincts. She wanted Briar because she could afford to take her, and because having my daughter would give her something else to boast about.

Elian stepped forward.

"The Pack Council reviewed the petition this morning. Under pack law, both parents must demonstrate that they can provide a stable environment for a pup. That includes suitable accommodation, reliable income, financial reserves and proper guardianship arrangements."

I tightened my grip on the envelope.

"What does that have to do with me?"

Julian smiled.

"Everything. You're an unbonded female living in a cramped apartment, working two jobs just to survive. Meanwhile, Elian and I have the resources to provide Briar with everything she needs."

"You abandoned her!"

"And now I'm in a position to give her a better life."

My hands began trembling.

Elian took over. "You have thirty days to demonstrate that you can meet the Council's financial requirements. You'll need to show proof of a stable six-figure annual income, five-figure savings and suitable accommodation. Otherwise, the Council could grant us permanent custody."

"Thirty days?" I gasped. "That's impossible!"

"Then start packing her little bags," Julian laughed, adjusting her diamond rings. "Because no bank will loan money to a high-school dropout with zero qualifications. Briar is coming home to us."

They turned on their designer heels and walked away down the dingy corridor, leaving me trembling in the doorway.

I stared after them before finally looking down at the envelope.

The Council seal was real, same with the petition.

And I had thirty days to save my daughter.

I tore the envelope open, scanning the documents with increasingly unsteady hands.

I sank against the door, sliding down to the floor.

My fingers fumbled for my phone as I dialed the number of the family attorney Cleo had recommended last month.

"Mr. Vance?" I choked out when the line connected. "It's Zosha. They served me. They're trying to take Briar."

"Zosha, listen to me carefully," the lawyer sighed heavily over the phone. "Your ex-wife's family has immense financial power. We need to file an emergency injunction before their petition advances. My retainer f*e is fifteen thousand dollars. If you don't have that money in my account within forty-eight hours, I can't file the injunction in time."

"Fifteen thousand...?"

"That's just the initial legal f*e. The Council will also require evidence that you can meet its financial requirements during the custody assessment. You have thirty days to prepare those documents, but we cannot afford to lose the opportunity to challenge the petition now."

I closed my eyes.

"Mr. Vance, I don't have that kind of money."

"I understand, but without the retainer, there's very little I can do."

The call ended.

I worked two retail shifts and cleaned offices at night, barely clearing two thousand a month after daycare. No bank would give me a loan. No reputable job would hire me without a degree.

And now Julian wanted to take the only person I had left.

I stared at the photograph on the small table beside me. Briar was grinning at the camera, her little silver-blue eyes almost disappearing beneath her cheeks.

I couldn't lose her.

There was only one place in the entire city where an unbonded woman could walk out with stacks of cash in a single night.

The Labyrinth.

The underground, high-stakes club for wealthy Alphas where dancers made thousands in tips.

I had walked past it a dozen times on my late-night cleaning shifts, listening to the girls talk about the fortunes dropped on that stage. I had always sworn I would never degrade myself like that.

But I had also once believed my husband would never abandon me.

I had learned the hard way that depending on someone else to secure my future was a mistake.

I pushed myself off the floor, wiping the tears furiously from my face.

My pride didn't matter. My dignity didn't matter.

Briar was my life. And I would go through hell itself to keep her. I would never give Julian the satisfaction of watching me lose my daughter.

I picked up my phone and searched for The Labyrinth's contact.

My fingers hovered over the screen.

I'd sworn I would never return to that world. But promises meant very little when your child's future was at stake.

Tonight, Lilith was coming back.