“I knew she never really cared for me,” Mikael confirmed, and it tore at Rayvin’s heart. “But I never blamed her for it. You saw me as your successor, as a carbon copy of you. She saw me as a duty, a box to check as Luna. I understood this early on. It didn’t mean it was easy to live with. Do you remember the summer Grey, his sister and mother spent here? I dreamed about Lilly asking me if I wanted to go back with them when they left. I had never seen another Luna with her children. I thought our family was how all Alpha families were. But seeing her, how she treated her children and how often Alpha George called to check on his family and how much attention both Grey and Lotte got. It was eye opening and gut wrenching all at the same time,” Mikael explained. Rayvin could feel the old pain he carried through their mate bond. “I gave you everything. I made sure you grew up strong, not spoiled,” his father objected.“You gave me nothing. I had to earn everything, even your attention. T