Thirty Days Before My Alpha Lost Me Forever

Before my twenty-first birthday, pack law required me to name a First Guardian. In the Blood Moon Pack, most wolves chose a parent. Some chose their future mate. My parents had died years ago, so I wrote down Alpha Ivander—the adoptive father who had taken me in when I was thirteen and raised me as his own. The next day, he returned the form. “Choose someone else.” Before I could ask why, he spoke again, his voice cold and distant. “I’ve taken care of you for years, Lina, but I’m still your adoptive father. Whatever feelings you think you have for me are inappropriate.” It took me a moment to understand. He thought I was in love with him. From that day on, Ivander withdrew every privilege he had once given me. He revoked my access to the Alpha’s estate, blocked our private mind link, and ordered his assistant never to report anything about me to him again. I tried to see him once, hoping to explain, but the guards stopped me at the gate. “Alpha Ivander gave us direct orders. He doesn’t want to see you.” After that, whenever we crossed paths in the territory, he turned and walked away. Six months passed. Then I was diagnosed with Wolf Spirit Decay. The healer told me there was no cure. I had no more than thirty days left to live.