The Wife He Gave Away

"Luna said it's the best option. Let's just go with her recommendation."

I nearly dropped the spatula. The words hung in the air like smoke from burnt toast, thick and impossible to ignore. I flipped the last slice anyway, buying myself a second before turning to face my husband.

Dominic sat at the dining table, already dressed for work, scrolling through his phone with that calm, unbothered expression he wore so well. The morning light filtered through the kitchen window, catching the silver strands just beginning to show at his temples. He looked every bit the steady beta he'd always been, until recently.

I set the plate down a little harder than necessary. "About that elite werewolf school you mentioned yesterday... I think our son's current school is good enough. I don't see the need to transfer him to a place like that."

He smiled. It was the indulgent kind, the one that said I was being cute but unreasonable. "Luna knows what she's doing, Seraphina. She's only been in position a month and she's already transforming the pack's education system. This isn't personal."

I hesitated, my wolf stirring uneasily beneath my skin. Luna Valeria... had swept into our pack like a golden breeze the moment she married Alpha Alaric. Now she was suddenly everywhere, especially in my family's decisions.

First it was the class placement. I'd let that slide because Dominic had insisted it was harmless. But now this? An elite school packed with Alpha heirs and future leaders? We were betas. Solid, dependable betas who worked hard and kept our heads down. That world wasn't ours.

I crossed my arms, maternal instinct flaring hot in my chest. "She's meddling in our private affairs, Dominic. She's known our son for what, a few weeks? I've raised him. I know what's best for him."

He shrugged, taking a sip of coffee. "She made it clear when she took the role as chair of the Education Committee, she's overhauling everything. Education, healthcare, support systems for every pup in the pack. She's not targeting us. She genuinely wants every child to have the best future possible. Don't overthink it, love...."

Don't overthink it. The phrase grated against my nerves. No one knew my son better than I did. Why should this outsider, no matter how high her title, decide what was best for him?

I leaned against the counter, trying to keep my voice steady. "That school is designed to raise future pack leaders. It's full of Alpha children. We're just two beta parents. Is it fair to put that kind of pressure on him? What if his grades slip? What if the others exclude him or make him feel small?"

Dominic's smile faltered, a flicker of impatience crossing his face. "Luna's recommendations are limited, Seraphina. The fact that she offered one to our son proves how exceptional he is. The decision's already made."

My stomach dropped. "You mean you already agreed to it?"

He nodded once, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I just don't want him to end up like us, ordinary betas with no real future."

The words hit like a slap. I froze, spatula still in hand, staring at the man I'd built a life with. Ordinary? No real future? I had never once thought of our life that way. We had a home. We had each other. We had a son who laughed easily and slept without nightmares. Was that suddenly not enough?

Before I could find my voice, soft footsteps padded into the kitchen.

"Morning, Mom. Dad." Our son yawned, rubbing sleep from his eyes, his messy hair sticking up in every direction.

Dominic stood quickly, kissed my cheek... too brief, too automatic, and grabbed his briefcase. "Have a good day, Seraphina. I'll pick him up this afternoon."

The door clicked shut behind him.

I forced a smile for my son and slid the plate of toast and eggs in front of him. We ate in relative silence, my mind still reeling. When we finally headed out, I dropped him off at school on my way to work like always. My job at the pack's supply warehouse was closer, so mornings were mine. Dominic's administrative role let him handle afternoons....

Halfway there, something glinted at my son's throat.

"What's that necklace?" I asked, keeping my tone light.

He touched it proudly. "Luna gave it to me yesterday. It's cool, right? She said it matches hers."

My grip tightened on the steering wheel. The same necklace?

At the school gate, my heart stuttered when I saw her.

Luna Valeria... stood near the entrance in a soft cream blouse and tailored trousers, her long dark hair cascading perfectly over one shoulder. She looked radiant, every inch the Alpha's mate.

And around her neck hung the exact same delicate silver chain with its small moonstone pendant that my son now wore.

My son's face lit up the moment he saw her. "Luna!"

He ran straight to her. She opened her arms with a warm laugh and hugged him like they'd known each other for years. The sight sent an uncomfortable twist through my chest.

"Seraphina," she greeted me sweetly when I approached, her smile bright and polished. "It's so nice to finally meet you properly. I'm Valeria, the new chair of the Education Committee. I'll be spending a lot more time around the school from now on."

We exchanged pleasantries, but the air felt charged. Then she tilted her head, voice dripping with concern. "You know, if work is keeping you too busy, you might consider stepping back a little. A child's future is so much more important than a minor job, don't you think?"

My eyebrows shot up. Minor job? I worked hard to provide for my family. My wolf bristled.

"I appreciate the advice," I said calmly but firmly, meeting her gaze without flinching. "But I'm perfectly capable of balancing both. My son's future has always been my priority."

Valeria's perfect smile stiffened for the briefest second.

Before she could reply, my son tugged eagerly on her hand. "Come on, Luna. Walk me to class?"

She looked down at him with genuine affection, then back at me with that same sweet smile. "Then go take care of your important work, Seraphina. Don't worry about his education, he's in good hands with me."

As they walked away together, my son chatting animatedly, a small group of parents quickly gathered around Valeria, showering her with compliments and eager questions. I stood frozen at the gate, watching them disappear into the crowd.

The realization settled over me like a cold mist.

I had just been neatly edged out of my own son's morning.

And something told me this was only the beginning.

The warehouse gates loomed ahead as I pulled into the pack's supply district, but my mind was still stuck at the school gate. Luna's words echoed with every step I took toward the patrol route: Go take care of your important work. The way she'd said it, so sweetly, like she was doing me a favor. My wolf paced restlessly under my skin, claws itching to lash out at something, anything.

I grabbed my clipboard and started the morning circuit, checking inventory crates and security perimeters. The air smelled of pine resin and fresh lumber, normal pack territory scents that usually grounded me. Today they didn't.

A few rows down, I spotted a young mother strolling hand-in-hand with her pup, both laughing as he pointed at a butterfly. The boy couldn't have been more than five, chubby cheeks flushed with joy. Something in my chest twisted hard.

Of course I knew how important time with my son was. When he was tiny, I'd quit my job cold. Bills piled up like snowdrifts, meals got smaller, but our little apartment rang with his giggles every single day. I'd rock him through teething nights, tell him silly stories until he fell asleep on my chest. Money was tight enough to hurt, yet those months felt richer than anything...

Then reality bit. Rent notices, healer fees for his fevers, the pack's rising tithes. When he started school, I made the call, swallowed my guilt and asked for my old position back. They took me, thank the Moon. I didn't regret it. Not really. I still woke before dawn to fry eggs exactly how he liked them. I still dragged myself home exhausted and helped with spelling lists until my eyes crossed. I was present. I was there...

So why did Luna's casual dismissal burn like silver?

I shook my head and kept walking, boots crunching on gravel. She was flawless on the surface, elegant cream blouses, not a hair out of place, that soft polished smile that never quite reached her eyes. Always saying the right things. Too perfect. Like a noblewoman handing out charity instead of real advice. She'd never scraped by on beta wages. Never chosen between new shoes for her pup or groceries for the week. She spoke of "the children's future" like it was a shiny trophy she could gift everyone, but what did she know about the sweat and sacrifice it actually took?

I bet she saw this as another political win. Polish her image as the caring new Luna. After all, Alpha Alaric's marriages had always been alliances. His first wife, Valeria's older sister, had been frail, dying in childbirth. Now the younger sister swept in a month ago, determined to outshine the ghost. She'd inserted herself into every committee, every decision. The Alpha really did have questionable taste in wives.

A sudden shift in the air yanked me from my thoughts. Power rippled across the yard like an invisible wave... heavy, commanding, impossible to ignore. Heads turned. Shoulders straightened. Conversations died.

Alpha Alaric had arrived for inspection.

He strode through the gates like he owned the very ground, which, technically, he did. Tall, sharp-featured, radiating raw dominance that made even seasoned betas lower their gazes. Cold. Ruthless. The kind of leader you feared and respected in equal measure. I'd seen him from afar plenty of times but rarely this close. Today he wasn't alone.

A small boy trailed half a step behind him... pale, thin, maybe eight or nine. Dark hair fell into hollow eyes. I'd heard the rumors: this was the son from the first Luna. Frail since birth, rarely seen in public, whispered to be unfavored. He moved like a shadow, clutching the edge of his father's coat as if it might vanish.

Alaric's sharp gaze swept the area, missing nothing. When it landed on me for a split second, I felt the weight of it like a physical push. I nodded respectfully and kept patrolling, but my stomach stayed knotted.

The rest of the day blurred. By evening I was home, cooking dinner on autopilot while my son chattered about his day, mostly about Luna showing him the new library. Dominic came in late, kissed my cheek again, and praised the food without really looking at me. The necklace still glinted at our son's throat.

Sleep came hard that night....

The next morning, patrol took me past the quieter edges of the administrative buildings. I rounded a corner and froze.

There, on a hidden stone staircase tucked behind storage sheds, sat the Alpha's son. Alone. Knees drawn to his chest, arms wrapped tight, eyes blank and hollow like he'd checked out of the world. No guards. No tutors. Just a small, lonely boy in oversized silence.

My maternal instincts surged before I could think. I approached slowly, keeping my voice gentle. "Hey there... mind if I sit for a minute?"

He didn't look up, but he didn't bolt either. I lowered myself to the step below his, leaving space.

"I'm Seraphina. I work here sometimes. You look like you could use a friend."

Silence stretched. Then, barely audible: "I don't have friends."

My heart cracked. "That's no fun. What's your name?"

"Elias."

"Nice to meet you, Elias." I let a soft wave of my rare calming ability drift toward him... nothing forceful, just a gentle warmth that eased tense shoulders and quieted racing hearts in pups. It had always come naturally to me, like a lullaby only wolves could feel. His posture loosened a fraction.

"Why aren't you at school today?" I asked lightly.

He hugged his knees tighter. "I don't go to school. Father hires tutors. They teach me at home."

I blinked. Private tutors sounded luxurious, but the loneliness radiating off him told a different story. No playground chaos. No friends racing through hallways. Just endless lessons in an empty room.

"That must get pretty quiet," I said. "Want to play a quick game? I know one with rocks and sticks... my son loves it."

He hesitated, then gave the tiniest nod.

We spent the next twenty minutes building a tiny fortress out of pebbles and twigs. I told him ridiculous stories about brave beta wolves outsmarting arrogant alphas, keeping my tone light. His responses started as single words, then grew into shy sentences. A small smile even ghosted across his face when my "wolf" character tripped over his own tail.

For a moment, the heavy weight in my chest lifted. He was just a pup who needed someone to see him.

Then the air changed again, charged, electric, dangerous.

Heavy footsteps approached. Power pressed down like a storm front.

I looked up.

Alpha Alaric stood at the base of the stairs, dark eyes locked on us. His expression was unreadable, but the tension in his jaw said everything. Elias shrank instantly, the brief spark of life vanishing.

"Elias," Alaric said, voice low and commanding. "What are you doing here?"

The boy scrambled to his feet. "I... I was just..."

My wolf bristled at the fear in his tone, but I kept my face calm and rose slowly. "Alpha. I found him sitting alone. We were only talking. He seemed... lonely."

Alaric's gaze snapped to me, sharp enough to cut. For one heartbeat, something flickered behind the ice... surprise? irritation?... before the mask slammed back down.

"You overstep, beta," he said coldly, but there was an undercurrent I couldn't quite name. "He has tutors waiting."

Elias's small shoulders slumped. He moved toward his father without another word.

As they turned to leave, Alaric glanced back once. Our eyes met again, longer this time. My calming ability still hummed faintly in the air between us, and for the briefest moment, the ruthless Alpha looked almost... human.

Alpha Alaric's voice cut through the air like a whip. "Elias."

The boy flinched, head bowed so low his chin nearly touched his chest. His small hands twisted the hem of his shirt, knuckles white. He was only seven or eight, exactly my son's age.....yet he looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him. Not a single word left his lips.

Alaric didn't even glance at me. His attention stayed locked on his son, cold and unrelenting. "You were told to wait by the car. Explain."

Elias's shoulders curled inward. The silence stretched, heavy and painful.

I couldn't stay quiet any longer. The boy's hollow eyes from earlier still haunted me. "Alpha," I said gently, keeping my tone respectful, "perhaps he could benefit from being around more children his own age. It might...."

Alaric's head snapped toward me. His eyes narrowed, sharp and accusing. "Are you trying to recommend your own child?" The words lashed out, icy and dismissive. "Focus on your work, beta. Don't meddle in others' family matters. And don't think you can climb to the top through shortcuts. Got it?"

Shock slammed into me. Heat rushed to my face. Climb to the top? Shortcuts? Did he seriously believe I was using his lonely son to push my own agenda? My wolf snarled inside my chest, but I bit my tongue. Arguing with the Alpha was suicide. Still, the injustice burned. Did he even know his own wife was out there meddling in everyone else's families... pushing necklaces, new schools, and "better futures" on my son while I stood here getting scolded for basic kindness?

Elias remained frozen, silent. The sight of him twisted something deep in my gut.

Before I could find a safe reply, my phone vibrated sharply in my pocket. I glanced at the screen, my close friend, a teacher at my son's school. Heart already racing, I answered.

"Seraphina...." Her voice was urgent, clipped. "Your son skipped class again. He's not on the grounds. No one knows where he is."

The world tilted. "Again?" The word came out choked.

"This isn't the first time. It's been happening for days now."

I felt the blood drain from my face. Skipping? For days? How had I missed it? Every morning he'd eaten breakfast, kissed my cheek, and seemed perfectly normal. Had I really been that blind?

I looked up at the Alpha, pulse hammering. "I need to leave. My son, he's missing from school."

To my surprise, Alaric didn't argue or demand explanations. He gave one short, curt nod. "You can go."

I didn't wait for more. I bolted.

The drive to the school passed in a blur of red lights and pounding fear. When I burst through the gates, my friend met me at the entrance, her face pale.

"We've searched everywhere," she said quietly. "The usual spots, the playground, even the older wing. He's gone. And Seraphina... this has happened multiple times this week. Different classes. He slips out and doesn't come back until later."

I pressed a hand to my stomach, fighting nausea. "Why didn't anyone tell me sooner?"

She hesitated. "We thought it was a phase. But it's getting worse."

I tried to reach Dominic through our mate bond, pushing my panic toward him. Our son is missing from school. Do you know where he is?

His reply came back calm... too calm. Go home and wait, Seraphina. I'll handle it.

Is he with you? I demanded....

The bond went silent. He'd cut me off.

Frustration and fear clawed at me, but there was nothing left to do here. My friend squeezed my shoulder. "Go home. I'm sure everything will be okay."

I drove back on autopilot, guilt gnawing holes in my chest. Had I been so wrapped up in work, in bills, in trying to hold everything together that I'd missed the signs? Was I becoming the kind of mother Luna implied I was... too busy, and too absent?

The house was dark and empty when I pulled into the driveway. No lights. No voices. My stomach dropped further. I was about to rush back out when the postman's truck slowed at the curb.

"Package for your son," he called, handing me a neatly wrapped box with a bright silver bow. "A special delivery came."

I stared at the tag. Happy Birthday scrawled in elegant handwriting. Signed: With love, Luna Valeria.

Confusion crashed over me. His birthday? We'd celebrated it last week... cake, balloons, the whole thing. Why was Luna sending another gift now?

Before I could even open it, the front door swung open.

Luna stepped inside first, graceful as ever, that perfect smile curving her lips. Dominic followed close behind her, looking relaxed, almost proud. And between them....

My son.

He walked in holding both their hands, one small palm in Luna's, the other in his father's. His face lit up when he saw me, but there was something off about the smile, like he was bracing for trouble.

"Mom!" he said brightly. "Luna took me to see the new training fields. It was amazing!"

I stood frozen in the entryway, the package still clutched in my hands, heart hammering so hard I could barely breathe.

Luna's eyes met mine, soft and sympathetic. "Don't worry, Seraphina. He was perfectly safe with us."

Dominic gave me that same indulgent smile from breakfast. "See? Nothing to panic about."

But all I could see was my son standing between them, comfortable, happy, holding the hands of the woman who was slowly rewriting every rule of my family.

And for the first time, real fear coiled tight in my chest.

This wasn't just meddling anymore.

This felt like the beginning of something much worse.

My heart dropped so fast I felt it hit the floor. Relief crashed into confusion, tangling together until I could barely breathe.

"You found him?" I asked Luna, my voice cautious, almost grateful.

Luna blinked at me with those wide, innocent eyes, then let out a soft, surprised laugh. "Found? Oh no, Seraphina. I've just been taking him out for the past week, to that amusement park he's always wanted to visit. We've been going every single day." She tilted her head, smile never wavering. "Funny, you never even asked where he was. Maybe try caring a little more about your child?"

The words landed like a slap.

Skipping school. For an entire week. For an amusement park. With her.

My blood turned to fire. No one at the school had said a word because no one dared challenge Luna. I opened my mouth, tone sharpening before I could stop it. "You took my son out of school without telling me? For days?"

Dominic snapped instantly. "Seraphina, don't be rude."