Familial Bond Werewolf 단편 소설 & Mate 소설

My name is Elena, and I died at twenty-two. My parents forced me to take my foster sister’s place and traded me for a territorial alliance. My mate was the most volatile heir of the wolf packs. Beaten bloody and fading fast, I made my eighth call for help. At my adopted sister Seraphina’s birthday party, she played the recording of my final, groveling plea—and laughed. My parents listened to those desperate calls with nothing but irritation, dismissing each one as theatrics, an inconvenience unworthy of their time. My brother snarled over the phone, “Then just die already!” So I did. In the end, it was my three-year-old daughter who made the final call—using her smartwatch to video my mother, live-streaming the freezer where my severed head lay. Now, my spirit watches from above as they all, one by one, begin to unravel.

I am a pureblood Alpha Female. My parents were tied up with pack affairs year-round, so I grew up at their side, living and breathing pack life. After my wolf awakened, every pack duty got dumped on me. When we finally got a break, the whole family agreed to take a trip. Before we left, Mom laid the plane tickets on the table. The five tickets belonged to my parents, Daniel Carter and Vivian Carter; my brother, Marcus Carter; my fated mate, Hale Bennett; and my adopted sister, Leah Foster. Years ago, Leah's father, Gavin Foster, had died saving Marcus during a rogue attack. Born into a frail Omega bloodline and left without a father, Leah had been taken into our family and pampered as one of our own for seven years. I stared at the tickets for a long time. There really wasn't one for me. When I asked Mom what was going on, her eyes darted away. "Don't you have border patrol coming up? I figured you'd be busy, so I didn't buy you one. "Leah finally got some time off. She's been so busy with her job at the council, and we wanted to take her somewhere to relax. The anniversary of her father's death is coming up. We just want her to be happy." Marcus was packing Leah's bags, carefully choosing her favorite pink suitcase. And Hale, my boyfriend of five years, was busy matching her outfits and carefully packing away her passport and boarding pass. "Beatrice, what are you standing around for? Pack up your ski gear and give it to Leah. Gavin saved Marcus's life. We need to show some gratitude." Dad waved at me, motioning for me to get moving too. I stood in the living room, watching my family bustle around. So they did know I existed. They were just using a life debt to wring everything they could out of me. Even my fated mate could defy his instincts and become just one more thing my family was willing to sacrifice to repay their debt to Leah. Since there was no place for me on this trip, I'd give them exactly what they wanted. I lowered my gaze to my phone. The Alpha King

My sister shoved me onstage during her graduation performance, even though she knew silver dust had left me barely able to see. “We need someone blind for the last scene, Ivy. Nobody else can make it look real. You’re perfect.” The spotlights flared, wiping out what little blurry vision I had left. I reached for my mate through our bond, begging for help, but Keller only soothed me. “Five minutes, Ivy. We’re all right here. Don’t be scared.” When I tearfully begged him again to get me off the stage, his patience finally ran out. He blocked our link, just as my parents had blocked theirs. They said they couldn’t let my bad mood ruin my sister’s graduation project, but the project was mine: I had drawn every detail before I was hurt. After the performance, they left with my sister. I felt my way toward the steps, only to fall through a loose trapdoor. A silver spear on a prop rack pierced my chest, and my wolf gave one last, mournful cry inside my mind. On my phone, my family was sending photos from their celebration dinner. “Ivy, stop sulking and come join us. We’ll take another picture when you get here.” I no longer had the strength to answer. They would never have to wait for me to take a family photo again.

The woman in Eden's arms should have been me — but I died on the marking ceremony night. The life that I had planned properly since childhood was ripped away without mercy. My supposed mate and twin sister danced around in glee, looking very happy. If only they knew I was standing before them right now as a ghost — watching every smile, every touch, every stolen moment. Quietly waiting to watch them fall from their high pedestal.

Three days before our bonding ceremony, my mate—Adrian Carson, the Alpha of the Nightfall Pack—placed two velvet boxes on the table. The first box was deep blue. Inside was a set of moonstone jewelry he'd paid a fortune for at an auction. The other contained nothing more than a black leather bracelet that had come free with his auction purchase. It didn't match my dress at all. For the first time, I pointed to the jewelry before anyone else could. "Can I choose first this time?" Adrian gently stroked my cheek. His voice was cool as he spoke beside my ear, "Your sister has always had to be first in everything. If she's not the first choice, she doesn't want it. And you don't care about these things anyway. You'll be fine with whatever's left." I looked at Adrian's matter-of-fact expression and said nothing. I simply felt something inside me disappear. Ever since I was little, I'd always been the shadow behind my sister, Nora Rose—quiet, unnoticed, never fighting for anything. I even had to wait for Nora to blow out the candles on the birthday cake first. Even our bonding ceremony three days from now had been postponed several times for Nora's sake. I pushed the leather bracelet back across the table. "Give both of them to Nora." For the first time, I didn't want to be the one who was left with the leftovers.

This marks the third year since Alan Cohen and I became mates, and today's finally the day of the Luna ceremony. As the ceremony begins, Alan takes my hand. But then he hesitates, refusing to move forward. I'm still trying to make sense of it when my adoptive sister, Eden Parker, suddenly breaks into the mind-link. She says she's just ended a failed mate bond with another Alpha and will be back within the hour. That's when I see a flicker of a smile on Alan's face. Then, without a second glance, he lets go of my hand and walks away. I turn to my adoptive brother, Dexter Parker, and my adoptive father, Hank Parker, hoping for some kind of comfort, only to realize they've already left the ceremony with Alan. And just like that, I became the joke of the entire pack. Eden sends me a photo. She's glowing beside Alan, her arm looped through Dexter's, with Hank beaming next to them. That's when I give up. I reach out through the mind-link to my birth father. "Dad, I'm ready to return to the Bloodmoon Pack."

To save my family, I was dying of silver poisoning, my fiancé Marcus, the Alpha who had promised to never abandon me, now wanted to harvest my healthy kidney for my parents' adopted daughter, Celeste. Nobody cares if I live or die So I refused the conservative treatment plan. I injected myself with the witch's life potion. The price? In 72 hours, I would die from complete organ failure. In those three days, I gave my private healing center—the one I'd built with my own hands—to Celeste. Mom and Dad beamed with joy. "Good girl, you've finally grown up. You're taking care of your sister now." Marcus wanted to postpone our wedding to care for Celeste. I accepted it calmly. He praised me for finally being understanding. I even gave up my position as the pack's chief healer to Celeste. My parents and Marcus were so excited they planned to throw her a grand celebration ball. They invited every important person with status in the pack to honor her new role. I was just curious about one thing. After I died, would they shed a single tear for me?

I was diagnosed with late stage the Hollowing—Wolf Soul Degeneration. According to the Compatible Soul Restructuring Program, I could survive by receiving a soul transplant. If no match were found, I would be brain-dead in three months. After more than two months of waiting, the soul that matched me best was given away by my mate to my sister. The therapist recommended that I keep waiting for a new match, but I refused. I signed a treatment waiver and left Central Medical Center early. All the wealth and resources I had spent years saving—I gave every last bit to my sister, Lisa. For the first time, during the full moon family dinner, my parents smiled at me. My mate moved into Lisa’s room to take care of her. I did not get angry. I even made him breakfast. Even when my little pup asked if she could be his mom, I nodded and said yes. I gave them everything they wanted. So why are they regretting it now? …