The Monster Alpha Who Became My Second Chance

Rosalie

The car overturned once. Then again. After that, everything blurred into fragments of metal, sky, and desperate screams.

What stayed with me most wasnt the sight, but the soundJulian crying from the back seat, the horrifying crunch of steel as the vehicle plunged over the cliff, and my own voice breaking as I screamed for him.

Julian!

The world spun violently. My head struck something hard. Glass exploded around us. The seatbelt dug painfully into my shoulder while gravity dragged us downward without mercy.

There were four of us inside the car. Vivian was behind the wheel, I sat beside her in the front passenger seat. In the back sat the two boysmy son, Julian, and Aiden, Vivians six-year-old child.

Then everything went black.

**

When consciousness returned, the air was sharp with antiseptic and blood. A white ceiling hovered above me, lights too bright and unfocused. My body felt as if it had been dismantled and put back together incorrectly. My ears wouldnt stop ringing.

Even breathing hurt.

Julian I rasped.

No response.

I tried to lift myself, but pain tore through my ribs and forced me back down. A nurse hurried over immediately.

Maam, please, you need to lie still

My son, I said, barely able to form the words. My throat burned. Where is my son? Julian. He was with me in the car.

The hesitation in her expression made my stomach drop before she even spoke.

Hes in critical condition, she said quietly. The doctors are doing everything they can.

Critical condition.

It felt unreal. Julian had been talking just minutes earlier. He had been holding his teddy bear, laughing softly, telling me he wanted ice cream after we got home.

Take me to him, I demanded.

You also require treatment, maam

I dont care, I snapped, my voice breaking. Fix him. Do whatever it takes. Just save my son.

The staff exchanged uneasy glances.

The cost of treatment one of them began carefully. It could run into the millions.

Ill pay, I answered instantly. I was Luna of Winterfang Pack. Alpha Cedric Ashbournes mate. Money was never supposed to be an obstacle.

Please, I pleaded. Just save him.

They left quickly after that. Once the room quieted, another thought struck me like ice.

Vivian, I said weakly. And Aiden where are they?

Oh, the nurse replied, almost indifferent. They were transferred.

Transferred?

Yes. To a larger hospital in the capital. An Alpha arranged itAlpha Cedric.

My breath caught.

My husband transferred them?

Yes. He appeared extremely anxious when the woman regained consciousness. She was crying and insisted she and her son be moved immediately.

My hands tightened around the sheets.

And me? I whispered. And my son?

The nurse frowned slightly. Im not certain, maam.

Something cold and heavy settled in my chest. He left us behind? His own son and his Luna?

With shaking hands, I grabbed my phone and called Alpha Cedric. He answered on the third ring.

What is it? His voice was clipped, irritated.

Alpha, I exhaled in relief, forcing strength into my voice. Julian is in critical condition. They need surgery right away. It will cost millions but

Enough, Rosalie, he cut in sharply.

I froze. What?

Ive already heard everything from Vivian, he continued, anger rising in his tone. You were drunk and insisted on driving. You put them all in danger. Aiden is covered in bandages. Vivian is injured because of you.

My eyes widened in disbelief. Thats not true

Dont lie to me.

His breathing was heavy, controlled rage spilling through the line.

And millions? he scoffed. So you can waste more money on alcohol? Im suspending your access. Dont ask me for a single cent. Learn your lesson.

My chest tightened painfully. But our son

The call ended.

I stared at the screen in disbelief.

Disconnected.

I tried calling again. And again. And again.

Until a cold automated message informed me my number had been blocked.

Blocked.

I sat there on the hospital bed, staring at the lifeless phone in my hands, while somewhere inside the same building my child fought for his life alone.

I begged the hospital after that. I told them I would find the money. I begged them to operate first, to believe me, to waitbut time does not pause for a mothers desperation.

That night, Julian went into cardiac arrest.

I wasnt allowed inside the ICU. I only saw it happen from beyond the glassthe monitor line flattening into an endless, merciless line.

No pulse. No rhythm. No sound.

My son was gone.

You may claim the body once the bill is settled, maam. Were sorry. It is hospital policy.

The words echoed hollowly in my ears.

Body.

They spoke of Julian as if he were an item to be collected.

I just need to see him, I whispered.

Im sorry.

All they gave me was his teddy bearthe small brown one he had refused to let go of even when they took him away. I held it tightly against my chest.

In my mind, he was still warm. Still laughing. Still mine.

He couldnt be gone.

Not him.

I left the hospital that afternoon and returned to Winterfang Pack. The estate stood as it always didtall, cold, and unwelcoming, as if nothing inside its walls had ever changed.

Alpha Cedric was outside, leaning against a pillar with a cigarette between his fingers. He looked untouched by grief.

I walked toward him slowly.

Alpha, I called.

He didnt even look at me.

I need my access cards back, I said, my voice rough. Please. I need to pay the hospital.

For what? he replied flatly.

For Julian. My lips trembled. Our son.

A short, humorless laugh escaped him.

Stop pretending, Rosalie.

I blinked. What?

Vivian told me Julian wasnt seriously injured, he said sharply. But Aiden is covered in wounds. If youre going to use my money for alcohol again, dont expect a single coin.

I wasnt drunk! I shouted. Vivian was the one driving!

You endangered a child, he snapped, stepping closer. Dont lie to me.

Our child, I whispered.

He ignored it.

My knees hit the cold ground before I even realized I had moved. The Luna of Winterfang Pack knelt before him without dignity, without prideonly desperation.

Please, I begged. Ill pay you back. I swear. Just let me save Julian.

He looked down at me as if I were something beneath contempt.

Before he could answer, his phone rang.

Vivian.

He answered immediately, switching it to speaker as he walked away.

Alpha Vivians voice came through weak and trembling. Im still hurting and Aiden is crying. His injuries are so painful

My fingers curled tightly into my palms.

Lies.

When I last saw her, she had barely a scratchprotected by the cars safety system for the driver.

Dont worry, Alpha Cedric said gently, a softness he had never once used with me. Ill be there soon.

The call ended.

Something inside me went still.

Vivian had twisted everything. She had been the one driving, yet she made it sound like I was responsible. And Julianmy Julianhad internal injuries that couldnt be seen on the surface. She likely assumed Aiden was worse off simply because his wounds were visible.

But Cedric never questioned it. Never investigated. He chose her words over mine.

I should have understood earlier.

I had abandoned my family, my parents, and everything familiar just to be with him. Now, there was no one left to turn to.

Except the people I once left behind.

If that was the only way to save my son, I would crawl back to them.

That night, sleep never came. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Julians face, heard his laughter, the way he called me Mommy. The silence of the room pressed in on me until I couldnt breathe.

So I drank.

One glass. Then another. And another.

If Cedric already believed I was a drunk, then perhaps I might as well become one.

The alcohol burned, but it dulled nothing. Not grief. Not fear. Not guilt. I drank until time itself disappeared.

When I finally woke, my head throbbed violently.

My arms felt wrongtoo heavy, too restrained. I tried to move and couldnt.

When my vision cleared, I saw them.

Straps. Leather restraints around my wrists, ankles, and torso.

What?

I looked around wildly. White coats. Medical uniforms. Hands holding me down.

Panic surged through me. What are you doing? Let me go!

The door opened.

Alpha Cedric stepped inside.

Behind him stood Vivian.

She looked untouched. Uninjured. Calm. As if nothing had ever happened.

AlAlpha? My voice cracked. What is the meaning of this?

Rosalie

The men in white werent hospital personnel. They werent doctors at all. I realized it the moment I noticed the emblem stitched onto their uniforms and heard one of them murmur under his breath, Be careful, shes resisting.

Resisting? Of course I was resisting.

Shes an alcoholic whos already put lives at risk, Cedric said behind me, his tone flat and decisive. Send her to rehab. Keep her there until shes stable.

He spoke like he was finalizing a contract, not deciding the course of my life.

No! I screamed, struggling against the restraints on my wrists. Im not an alcoholic! I only drank because Julian

My voice broke. The words I neededJulian is deadnever made it out. Before I could say anything more, Vivian stepped in exactly as if she had been waiting for her cue.

She lifted a hand to her mouth and sobbed softly. Rosalie please. This is for your own good.

Youre lying! I snapped at her. You were the one driving that night. You

Please dont agitate the patient, one of the staff said under his breath.

Vivian moved closer, tears streaming down her face so flawlessly it almost felt rehearsed.

I was the one who suggested this to Alpha Cedric, she said gently, as though she were offering kindness instead of destruction. Think about your son. He wouldnt want a mother like this right?

Her words cut deeper than anything physical ever could.

I fought harder against the straps. You liar! Im not an alcoholic! You were drivingyou killed

The needle went into my arm before I could finish. Coldness spread instantly through my veins.

My strength drained. My vision wavered. The last thing I saw was Vivian clinging to Cedrics arm while he looked at me with a gaze full of disappointment.

**

When I woke again, the room wasnt a hospital ward. It was worsesterile, bare, and suffocating in its emptiness.

White walls without warmth. A barred window. A locked door.

A rehabilitation center.

A cage.

I asked for my phone first. They refused. I asked to make a call. They refused again.

Alpha Cedric arranged everything, a nurse said carefully, almost apologetic. No outside contact for now.

For now.

They spoke as if I were dangerous. As if I needed to be contained.

Meanwhile, my sons body was still lying in a hospital somewhere. Unclaimed. Without a funeral. Without goodbye. And I was locked away because my husband chose to believe her over me.

At first, I fought constantly. I screamed, demanded, argued. Every outburst was recorded, every protest labeled as aggressive behavior.

Eventually, I learned to stop shouting.

Silence became survivalbut it never meant surrender. The rage stayed, simmering just beneath the surface, keeping me awake, keeping me alive.

At night, when everything was quiet, I would lie staring at the ceiling, imagining Julians small hands reaching for me. I remembered how he used to slip into my bed after nightmares, curling into my side like I could protect him from anything.

And then I would see it againthe flat line on the monitor.

That was always when the anger returned, sharp and steady.

They thought this place would break me. They were wrong. It was reshaping me into something colder.

**

Days later, I was told I had a visitor. I wasnt expecting anyone.

When I was led into the visitation room, my breath caught.

Celine.

The nurse from the hospital.

She rushed forward the moment the guard stepped back.

Rosalie she whispered, eyes glossy with tears. Im so sorry.

Seeing herthe only person who had been there when everything fell apartnearly cracked the fragile control Id built around myself.

Celine, I said softly. Please tell me. My son

Her gaze dropped.

They still havent released him, she said quietly. Because of the bill

I swallowed hard, forcing the pain down. Help me, I pleaded, gripping her hands across the table. Please, dont let Cedric or Vivian go near him. They dont deserve him. They dont deserve any part of him.

Celines tears fell freely now. I wont let them, she promised. Ill do everything I can.

Please, I whispered. Hes all I have left.

The guard signaled the end of the visit. As she was taken away, I held onto those words like a lifeline. For the first time since everything shattered, I had something resembling hope.

**

A week later, Alpha Cedric arrived.

The staff straightened immediately, as if royalty had entered the building.

He walked in looking irritated, already impatient before he even spoke.

Where is my son? he demanded.

My son.

Now he called him his.

The word burned in my throat, but I stayed silent. I couldnt afford to lose control.

He stepped closer to the table. Rosalie. Where is Julian?

You have no right to keep him from me, he continued sharply. Did you send him to Ashmoon Pack? To your parents?

At the mention of Ashmoon Pack, something tightened in my chest. The family I had abandoned for him.

Did you hide him there? he snapped.

I met his eyes calmly. Why dont you ask Vivian? I said evenly. She seems to know everything. And you seem to believe her every word.

His jaw tightened. For a moment, I thought he might explode. Instead, he slammed his palm onto the table and walked out without another word.

Not long after, Vivian came.

She brought Aiden with her.

The boy looked perfectly fineno injuries, no bandages, no limp. Nothing to match the tragedy they had described.

She sat across from me, her expression soft and pitiful.

Poor thing, she said lightly. I told you you shouldve controlled your drinking.

She was provoking me. Testing me. I refused to give her the reaction she wanted, keeping my hands still on the table.

Aiden climbed onto the chair beside her, swinging his legs. That was when I saw it.

A teddy bear in his arms.

Brown. Worn. One ear loosely stitched.

My breath caught violently.

On its paw, faint but unmistakable, was a stitched name.

Julian.

My body moved before I could think. I stood so fast the chair scraped harshly against the floor. I reached across and grabbed the bear.

Thats mine! Aiden cried immediately, breaking into loud sobs.

No, I said, my voice trembling. This belongs to Julian. This is my sons.

Vivians eyes widened in exaggerated shock. Rosalie, what are you doing? Give it back!

Its his! I shouted. It was the only thing he ever heldhis favorite

The last thing he touched.

Vivian rose quickly, trying to pull it from me. Are you insane? Hes just a child!

Heavy footsteps echoed behind us.

Alpha Cedric entered.

Of course he didlike this was some twisted family scene he belonged in.

What is going on here? he demanded.

Aiden immediately ran to him, crying. Daddy! She stole my bear!

Vivian stepped in beside Cedric, wrapping an arm around the boy.

Rosalie took it from him, she said tearfully. Hes already traumatized enough.

Cedrics gaze snapped to me. Its just a damn toy, he said sharply.

Its Julians, I said quietly. It belonged to him.

I gave Aiden his things, he replied coldly. You were hiding him anyway. Those toys were just cluttering the packhouse.

Cluttering.

My sons things. Reduced to clutter.

Something inside me broke.

Those were his! I shouted. You had no right!

I wanted to tell him it was the last thing Julian ever held. That he died with it. But the words lodged in my throat.

Then Vivian reached again. Give it back, she hissed, her tears gone.

No, I said firmly, gripping it tighter.

Cedric lost what little patience he had left.

For Goddess sake, he muttered, stepping forward and grabbing the bear himself.

For a moment, all three of us pulled at it.

Then

A sharp rip.

The fabric tore straight down the middle. Stuffing spilled out like snow. The bear split into two uneven halves.

Silence fell instantly.

I stared at what remained in Cedrics hands.

It felt exactly like my chestripped open, hollow, irreparable.

Aiden cried louder. Vivian gasped dramatically. Cedric looked annoyed.

But all I could see was Julians name, now divided by a jagged tear.

And just like that, even the last piece of him was gone.

Rosalie

They let me out after two weeks. It was originally supposed to take a full month, but somehow Alpha Cedric intervened and shortened it. I didnt need anyone to tell me. I already knew it was him.

The head therapist described my discharge as significant improvement. To me, it felt less like recovery and more like influencehis influence pulling strings I couldnt see.

When I finally stepped outside the rehabilitation center, the winter air hit my skin in a way that felt almost unfamiliar. It was as if I had been buried for too long and was only now being dragged back into the world.

Alpha Cedric was waiting by the car. He looked exhausted, but not like someone grieving. More like a man drained by inconvenience.

For a long moment, neither of us spoke. Just two people who once called each other mates, now standing as strangers tied together by something that felt more like restraint than bond.

Ill drive, he said at last.

I didnt argue. I simply got into the passenger seat. Inside the car, the silence pressed down heavily, thick enough to suffocate. Every so often, I felt his eyes flick toward me, as if he was silently judging whether I was normal again.

After a while, he broke the silence.

Im sorry about what happened before, he said, keeping his gaze fixed on the road. Everything was chaotic.

Chaotic. That was what he reduced our sons death to.

My fingers tightened around the torn half of the teddy bear hidden inside my coat pocket.

We can bring Julian home now, he added after a moment. If hes really in Ashmoon Pack.

My head turned slowly toward him. But Julian is

The car suddenly chimed, interrupting my words.

Incoming call: Vivian.

He answered without hesitation, and the call immediately played through the speakers.

Alpha, please! Vivians voice came through, broken and panicked. Aiden collapsed again! I dont know what to do!

The shift in Cedric was instant. His entire expression changed.

Calm down, Alli, he said, his tone softening. Im coming. Ill be there soon.

Without asking me, he made a sharp turn. The car changed direction immediately, heading toward the hospital. Of course it did.

When we arrived, Vivian was already outside the emergency entrance, crying into her hands. The moment she spotted us, she rushed forward.

But instead of going to Cedric, she came straight to me.

Where is Julian? she demanded, grabbing my arms tightly. Tell mewhere is he?

I stared at her, confused by her intensity.

Please, calm down, Alli, Alpha Cedric said, stepping between us. He placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her gently against him. She collapsed into his chest, sobbing uncontrollably.

After a moment, she pulled back, eyes swollen and red.

Aiden needs a bone marrow transplant, she said shakily. He has rare Alpha blood. The doctors said finding a match wont be easy.

Cedric stiffened immediately. Ill get tested.

And he did. We were brought into a private room where doctors collected his sample first, then Vivians. Neither of them matched.

When the doctor returned shaking his head, Vivian completely broke down.

We need Julian! she cried desperately.

Her hands clung to Cedrics shirt.

Hes his brother! Theyre half-siblingshe has to match!

My ears rang at her words.

Half-siblings.

I froze. What did you just say? I almost convinced myself I had misheard.

Vivians breathing turned uneven. Years ago the night before your wedding I was with him.

The room seemed to tighten around me.

Thats when Aiden was conceived, she continued, voice trembling but steady. Hes your husbands son too, Alpha.

Everything tilted slightly. The night before my wedding. I remembered it clearlyhow Cedric had told me he was dealing with pack matters. How I waited, nervous and excited, believing in a future that wasnt what I thought it was.

And all the while, he had been with her.

Cedric grabbed Vivians shoulders. Why didnt you tell me Aiden was my son sooner?

He didnt look angry. He looked unsettled. Worried.

Because you were married! Vivian cried. You had a son with Rosalie. I couldnt destroy that!

Destroy that.

My chest felt painfully empty.

Then Vivian suddenly turned to me, desperation flashing in her eyes. Your son and mine are half-brothers! Julians marrow will match Aiden! Bring him here, Rosalieplease!

I looked at her properly this time. Really looked.

The woman who lied about the accident. The woman who watched me get dragged into rehab. The one who took my sons belongings. The one who slept with my mate before our wedding. The one who caused enough chaos that Cedric froze my accounts while my son lay dying in a hospital bed.

And something inside me shifted. I didnt feel pity. I didnt feel anger anymore either. Just emptiness so deep it felt final.

Im not going to lie anymore, I said quietly. Julian is dead.

The words were soft, but they landed heavily.

Vivians face twisted instantly.

Dont you dare lie! she screamed. You just dont want to help! You want my son to die because he threatens your childs place as heir! Because Aiden is older! Because hes also Cedrics son!

Cedrics expression darkened.

Rosalie, stop this, he said coldly. Youre hiding Julian because you dont want to save Aiden. Thats how selfish you are.

Selfish. The word echoed inside my head. I almost wished it were trueat least then I wouldnt feel this hollow.

I watched my son die, I said faintly. I begged you for help.

Enough, Cedric snapped. Enough of your lies.

**

When Aidens condition worsened again, Cedric stopped arguing with me entirely.

He stepped out into the corridor and began making calls. I watched him through the glasshis voice sharp, commanding, reaching out to other Alphas, other packs, territories far beyond Winterfang.

Within hours, he secured a compatible donor.

Hours.

It took him hours to do what he never even attempted for Julian. For our son.

The irony made my throat tighten.

Aiden was rushed into surgery. Vivian stayed glued to Cedrics side the entire time.

I stood alone in the hallway. No one spoke to me. No one even looked at me.

And in that silence, I made a promise to myself. Cedric would never get closure for Julian. Not as long as he refused to accept the truth.

I would make sure of it.

I was still standing there when footsteps approached.

Rosalie.

I turned. Celine stood behind me, her expression cautious, almost hesitant.

How are you holding up? she asked gently.

I didnt answer. There was no answer that made sense anymore.

She hesitated, as if deciding whether to continue.

Theres something I should have given you earlier, she said softly.

Just say it, I replied.

She exhaled shakily and handed me a folded document. I tried to give this before but after Julian

Her voice broke. I didnt want to add more pain.

My hands trembled as I opened it. A medical report. From the night of the accident.

Head trauma. Rib fractures. Internal bleeding. My eyes moved down the page.

Then I saw it.

Miscarriage. Eight weeks.

The world went still.

I had been pregnant. I hadnt even known.

That night, I hadnt just lost Julian. I had lost another child I never even got the chance to meet.

Celines voice felt far away. Im so sorry.

But I couldnt cry. Nothing came out anymore. It felt like grief had gone past pain and settled into something quiet and permanent.

How had everything become this?

A mate who betrayed me. A man who believed another woman over me. A child I lost. Another I never knew existed. A life I no longer recognized as mine.

I folded the paper carefully. My hands didnt shake anymore. They were too steady.

Without looking away, I took out my phone.

Celine frowned. Rosalie?

I dialed a number I hadnt used in years.

My office, a calm voice answered.

This is Rosalie Ashbourne, I said evenly. I want my divorce processed.

A pause. From Alpha Cedric?

Yes.

Are you certain?

I looked through the glass wall. Cedric stood with Vivian, holding her hand as they waited for news about Aiden.

Then I thought of Julian. Of the child I would never hear laugh again. Of the heartbeat I never got to know.

Im divorcing Alpha Cedric, I repeated.

Rosalie

The following morning, I returned to the Winterfang Packhouse.

Nothing about the mansion had changed. It still stood grand and distant, untouched by grief as if it had no memory of what it had taken from me. The guards lowered their heads when I passed, their gazes briefly catching on the black dress I wore and the exhaustion etched into my face. None of them tried to stop me.

I moved through the corridors at a steady pace, my heels striking the marble floors that once gave me a sense of belonging. Now, every echo felt like I was trespassing in a place that no longer recognized me. The servants averted their eyes as I passed. I heard murmurs behind me, but no one was brave enough to speak directly.

I went straight to the bedroom. Nohis room now.

I packed only what I needed. A single suitcase. A few sets of clothing. Important documents. And Julians small shirt, folded with care that felt more like pain than tenderness. The moment I held it, something sharp twisted inside my chest again.

By the time I finished, the afternoon light had already shifted when Cedric stepped inside.

We stopped a few steps apart.

His eyes flicked briefly to the suitcase, then settled on me.

So youre finally bringing Julian home? he asked.

I swallowed hard and gave a small nod.

Yes I was bringing him home. Just not in the way he believed.

Dont forget, Cedric added casually, loosening his tie as though we were discussing something ordinary, let him visit his brother. Aidens surgery went well.

Brother.

The word scraped against my ears like something corrosive. The ease with which he said italmost proudmade my stomach turn.

He had mobilized everything overnight for Aiden. Called in favors, reached across territories, moved through every Alpha connection he had. But when Julian was dying, he had shut me out. Suspended my access. Blocked my calls. Left me to beg alone.

I will, I answered quietly.

Because there was nothing else left to say.

He walked past me without another glance.

I remained still long after he left, something dark and heavy settling deeper in my chest. The anger that had once burned now felt infiniteno longer sharp, but consuming.

The journey to Ashmoon Pack stretched for hours, though time barely registered to me. The urn rested in my lap the entire ride. I held it close, as if I could still feel Julian asleep against me the way he used tohis small body warm, his head tucked into my chest during long drives.

I wore black. Not as a choice, but as truth.

When the gates of Ashmoon Pack finally opened, something inside me shifted violently.

Memories rushed in all at oncerunning through these lands as a child, laughing with my brother, training under the watchful eyes of warriors who once treated me like family. I had left all of this behind for Cedric. For a life that turned into this.

The guards stiffened when I stepped out. Their attention dropped immediately to the urn in my hands. Shock rippled across their faces.

No one stopped me.

No one dared.

By the time I reached the main residence, I wasnt surprised to find them already waiting.

My mother stood at the entrance, her hand covering her mouth. My father looked as though the ground beneath him had given way. And Cyrusnow Alpha Cyrusstared at the urn like it might vanish if he blinked too long.

Rosalie my mother whispered, broken.

I couldnt trust my voice. So I stepped forward and placed the urn carefully on the table in the center of the hall.

This is Julian, I said.

Silence swallowed the room whole.

Then my mother collapsed into sobs. My fathers fists clenched until his knuckles went white. Cyrus stepped forward slowly, his voice low and shaking with restrained fury.

What the fuck happened?

So I told them everything.

The accident. Vivian behind the wheel. Cedric believing her without question. The hospital bills I couldnt pay. The blocked calls. The rehabilitation center. Aiden. The bone marrow request. The betrayal before my wedding. The miscarriage I never even knew I had.

I didnt cry once.

When I finished, the air felt suffocating.

Cyrus struck the table hard. Winterfang will answer for this.

My fathers Alpha presence surged, heavy and suffocating. We will call a council. This is grounds for war.

My mother wiped her tears away, her voice trembling with rage. He let his own son die.

War. Blood. Revenge.

For a fleeting moment, it almost felt right. Easy, even.

But I was too tired for war.

Im exhausted, I said quietly.

All eyes turned to me.

I dont want a pack war.

Cyrus frowned sharply. Rosalie

Im going to divorce him, I continued. And Ill deal with them myself.

My father studied me carefully, as if searching for something unspoken. What are you planning?

I hesitated before answering.

Im sorry, I said softly, looking at them both. For leaving. I should have listened. I should have married the Alpha of the Frostfang Pack instead of him.

The memory tightened my throat.

Years ago, they had arranged a political union for me with the Alpha of the Frostfang Pack. Everyone called him a monstercold, ruthless, inhuman in the way he ruled.

I had been young. Terrified. So I ran. I chose Cedric instead, thinking it was love.

And now? Cyrus asked more carefully.

I met his gaze.

If he still agrees Ill marry him this time.

My mother inhaled sharply.

Rosalie, are you certain? Cyrus pressed.

I nodded slowly, eyes drifting toward the cloudy sky beyond the window.

I have a plan, I said. And if it means marrying the Frostfang Alpha, Ill do it.

For Julian. For the child I lost. For the version of myself I buried long ago.

Please arrange a funeral for Julian, I added. On the final day, Ill returndivorced.

A heavy silence followed.

Then my father gave a single nod.

We will honor him properly.

For the first time since everything shattered, I felt something close to relief.

My son would finally be acknowledged.

I returned to Winterfang the next day.

The packhouse felt even colder than before, as if it had grown used to my absence already.

That afternoon, the mail arrived. Among the stack of documents was the envelope I had been waiting for.

Divorce papers.

Official. Final. Sealed.

I stared at the signature line where Cedrics name sat beside mine.

Rosalie Ashbourne.

Not for long.

I folded the papers carefully and walked toward his office.

The door was slightly ajar. His voice carried from inside.

Yes, Ill go see Aiden after this, he said. Make sure he takes his medication.

Always Aiden.

He ended the call and looked up when I entered.

What is it? he asked impatiently. Make it quick. Im heading out to see Aiden.

I stayed silent for a moment, studying him.

The man who once promised me forever without hesitation could barely look at me now.

This is a document from the rehabilitation center that needs your signature, I said evenly, holding up the papers. Just sign it quickly. I have to return it.

He clicked his tongue. Tsk. Give it here.

I stepped forward and placed the papers on his desk.

He didnt read them. Not a single line. He signed where I indicated without pause.

No questions. No hesitation. No care.

He pushed them back toward me.

There, he said. Anything else?

I picked them up and glanced at the ink drying across his name.

Alpha Cedric Ashbourne.

My soon-to-be ex-husband.

No, I said quietly. Thats all.

I turned and walked out, closing the door behind me.

He never realized what he had just signed.

He was too focused on being a father to the child of the woman he never truly let go of.