Chapter 1

My mate always put his childhood friend Brooke and her son first.

Eventually, I taught Owen to call him something else.

Alpha Ethan, instead of Dad.

When Owen sprained his wrist at training, he clung to Ethan's shirt. One call from Brooke was all it took for Ethan to walk away.

As I adjusted our son's wrist brace, I taught him to say, “Drive safely, Alpha.”

On the day of my father's birthday dinner, Ethan chose to help Brooke pick out a gift for Mason instead.

I had Owen explain to the family.“The Alpha's busy. He can't be here.”

But afterward, he still asked me to save Dad a piece of cake.

I'd stopped making excuses for Ethan. Owen hadn't.

Then Owen's teacher told Ethan he was the only father who'd missed the school play. At last, looking ashamed, Ethan bought us passes to an amusement park.

We'd barely reached the entrance when Brooke's text arrived.

[Ethan, Mason can't breathe. His inhaler isn't helping. Please come. I don't know what to do.]

For once, Ethan hesitated. He looked down at our son instead of walking away.

I hadn't said a word when Owen let go of his hand.

“Go ahead, Alpha Ethan. Mom can take me on the rides.”

Chapter 1

Ethan's hand stayed where Owen had left it, his fingers still curled around nothing. He hadn't expected those words from our son.

I'd spent six days teaching Owen to say Alpha Ethan instead of Dad. Each time I reminded him, he'd repeat it reluctantly.

Now, without looking at me for permission, he had.

He lifted his chin, all seven years of him, and spoke clearly.

Only the grip of his other hand gave him away; his fingers were digging into mine.

“Come on, Mom. Let's go inside.” He tugged me toward the turnstiles.

People were screaming on the roller coaster beyond the gates. Yesterday, he'd been too excited to sleep. Now he didn't even look up.

Ethan had planned this trip to make up for missing the school play.

Owen had waited backstage in his costume until the very last minute.

While his teacher straightened his collar, he'd asked whether they could start just two minutes late. His dad had promised he'd be there.

Ethan never came.

Brooke's new car had broken down on the highway, so he'd picked her and Mason up. Then he'd stayed to take them out to dinner.

Owen had kept these amusement park passes on his nightstand for two days. He'd checked them before bed, as if the date might change while he slept.

Looking at his tight little face now, I remembered the photograph that had finally made me stop making excuses.

Brooke had posted it that evening: a souvenir photograph taken inside a Ferris wheel cabin. She sat beside Ethan with Mason in her lap, and Ethan had an arm stretched across the boy. Mason wore a paper crown from the park. City lights filled the glass behind them. Anyone could've mistaken it for a family picture.

Underneath, she'd written:

[Some wishes just need the right person to make them come true.]

I'd asked Ethan to take me there more than once.

There was an old story in our pack that mates who kissed at the top would stay together forever.

I knew a Ferris wheel couldn't promise me anything. I'd still wanted to go with him.

“Claire, I don't have two hours to stand in line just to prove I love you,” he'd always said.

Apparently, he did have the time.

When Ethan walked in, I held out my phone with Brooke's post still on the screen.

He glanced at it and frowned before I'd said a word.

“What now? Mason's afraid of heights. Brooke couldn't hold him on her own. I went around with them once.”

He tossed his coat over a chair. “She lost her mate, Claire. I'm the Alpha. Looking after a fallen warrior's family is part of the job. Can you try to understand that for once?”

I glanced toward the doorway. Owen stood there holding his homework, his shoulders hunched. At Ethan's raised voice, he tightened his grip on the pages.

“Mom... is Dad angry with us?”

I set my phone down and crossed the room to him. “You haven't done anything wrong, sweetheart.”

Ethan opened his mouth, but his phone vibrated. He checked the screen and took the call into his study.

I didn't follow. Owen stayed stiff in my arms long after the door closed. His homework was trapped between us, the pages bending against my shoulder.

I loosened my hold enough to take it from him, but he wouldn't let go of my shirt. He was still waiting to find out if we'd fight.

I'd never believed Ethan was in love with Brooke.

He simply thought Owen and I had enough. We could give up a little more, wait a little longer. We weren't the ones who needed him right this second.

I rubbed Owen's back until he finally relaxed. I wasn't going to put him through this again.

That evening, I slipped the agreement to dissolve our mate bond into the stack of documents Ethan needed to sign. He was arranging a tow for Brooke's car when he reached the signature page.

“What's this one?”

“Living arrangements and custody. You should read it.”

“Whatever you think is best.” He held his phone between his ear and shoulder, signed, and pushed the pen back. “You handle things at home.”

The following day, I took the paperwork to Elder Graham. Ethan's consent for Owen to leave the pack with me was in there, too.

Graham checked the signatures twice before he looked up. “You have seven days to withdraw this. After that, I'll dissolve the bond as you've both agreed and approve your release from Cedar Ridge.”

“Please go ahead.”

He studied me for a moment, then closed the folder. He didn't ask me to give Ethan another chance.

Today was day six.

I'd thought I was ready, but Owen's hand was trembling in mine.

Watching my son give up on his father hurt worse than doing it myself.

“Wait.” Ethan caught up with us. “Owen, why did you just call me—”

His phone rang again. He answered, and Brooke's shaky voice carried clearly enough for both of us to hear.

“The doctor wants to keep him for observation. He keeps asking for you, Ethan. I can't get him to settle down.”

Ethan stopped two steps away from us. “I'm on my way.”

He ended the call, looked at Owen, and half reached for him. Then his hand dropped. “We'll talk tonight, okay, Claire?”

I hadn't answered before he turned toward the parking lot. Owen watched until the car disappeared, then finally lowered his head.

I crouched to wipe his cheeks. Before I could, he touched my face, trying to smile through his tears. “Don't be sad, Mom. I can look after you when he's not here.”

I pulled him against me and waited until I could trust my voice. “You don't have to look after me. You just get to be a kid, sweetheart. I'll take care of you.”

Chapter 2

Owen didn't mention the roller coaster again. I got a refund on the passes, took him home, and dragged our largest suitcase out of storage.

My sister Nora had already made up the guest room.

She lived on the West Coast, near the Greywater pack, whose school had offered me a trial lesson teaching art the following Monday.

For the first time in years, I had plans that didn't depend on Ethan's schedule.

I'd just answered Nora when a video from Brooke came through.

She held her wrist up to the camera, showing off a gold bracelet engraved with Cedar Ridge's crest.

Ethan had fastened it on me the day I became his Luna. Now he stood beside Brooke, closing the same clasp around her wrist.

Two messages followed the clip.

[The photographer for the charity gala said it looks perfect on me.]

[With this on, will anyone really need to ask who the Luna is tomorrow?]

Once, I'd have called Ethan on the spot and demanded an explanation. I'd have spent the night trying to make him understand what he'd done while Brooke sat back and watched.

This time, I saved the video and left her on read.

Owen was tucking his half-finished comic book into his backpack. “Does Aunt Nora have a big desk? I want to finish this.”

“A big desk and a window where you can see the ocean.”

He considered that, then packed his markers, too. I went back to checking our flights.

Ethan came home that evening and stopped in front of the open suitcase without even taking his shoes off. “Where are you taking Owen?”

“Out of town.”

“Because I stayed at the hospital with Mason?” His keys hit the entryway table. “He needed a doctor, Claire. You're seriously going to pack up and leave over that?”

Owen came to stand beside me, hugging his backpack. I eased him behind me before I answered. “We're taking a trip. Unless you're saying I need your permission to take my son on vacation?”

“That's not what I meant.”

“Then lower your voice.”

Ethan looked past me at Owen. Whatever he'd been about to say died in his throat. When he spoke again, he sounded quieter. “It's just a vacation?”

Owen twisted a backpack strap between his fingers. “Mom said we're going on a plane. To do fun stuff.”

He wasn't lying. There would be beaches and ice cream and places we could go without waiting for Ethan to show up.

Ethan's shoulders loosened. He crouched and rested a hand on Owen's shoulder.

“I'm sorry I snapped, buddy. I shouldn't have done that.” He glanced up at me, then back at our son. “Could I come, too? You can pick what we do. We could go to the mountains and see those grizzlies you've been talking about.”

Owen looked at me before he answered. The hope in his face stopped the refusal on my tongue.

“Do you actually have time?”

Ethan pulled out his phone and switched off his work reminders. “Tomorrow's yours. The whole day.”

Owen tugged gently at my shirt. I smoothed his hair and nodded. “All right. I'll look at flights.”

He ran upstairs to find his binoculars.

I opened the booking page, and Ethan caught my wrist. His fingers were gentle now, as if he was afraid I'd pull away. “Why did Owen call me Alpha today?”

“Why do you think?”

He stood quietly for a moment before tightening his hold. “I know I've let you both down. I'll find someone else to help Brooke. Once we get back, I'll sort it all out. Things can't keep going like this.”

I'd heard him make a promise like that twice before.

At our mating ceremony, he'd been so happy he'd forgotten everyone watching and spun me around in his arms. He'd told me I was the only woman he'd ever love.

The second time, I'd just told him I was pregnant. He'd pressed his cheek against my stomach, barely breathing, and sworn he'd never let anyone hurt our baby.

Now he leaned down to kiss my forehead. “I'll make it up to you, Claire. You and Owen are my family.”

My fingers shifted in his. For a second, I could almost remember what it had felt like to trust him with everything.

Owen was upstairs looking for binoculars, sure his father would finally come.

I knew how much the truth would hurt Ethan. I even knew he'd want to stop me. My mouth opened before I'd decided whether to tell him. “Ethan, there's something I need to—”

His phone chimed. He read the message, then let my hand go.

“Where's Owen's smartwatch? In the drawer? Mason has tests tomorrow. Brooke thinks cartoons might keep him from getting scared.”

The watch was Owen's reward for the school play. He'd refused to open the box because he wanted his father to put it on him. It had been sitting there, still sealed, waiting for Ethan to remember.

“You can buy another one.”

“The stores are closed. He'll borrow it for a couple of days. I'll get Owen a better one.” Ethan opened the drawer, took the box, and went to find his keys.

I stayed where I was. “Nine thirty tomorrow. At the airport. The flight leaves at eleven.”

“Got it. I'll come straight from the hospital.”

The door closed behind him. Owen stood on the stairs with his binoculars. He looked at the empty drawer for a few seconds, then walked over and pushed it shut. “Can I have the window seat, Mom?”

“Of course.”

That night, I kept our two West Coast tickets and booked a separate trip to a mountain town for three.

If Ethan showed up, Owen could have one last vacation with his father.

If he didn't, my son and I would still be going somewhere. We weren't canceling our lives for him again.

Chapter 3

Ethan texted the next morning while I was making breakfast.

[Everything's taken care of. Tell Owen his dad will be there this time. Promise.]

I read it, set my phone down, and warmed a mug of milk for Owen. At eight thirty, we arrived at the airport. He chose seats facing the main entrance and put his backpack on the chair beside him. “That's for Dad.”

At nine thirty, he jumped up whenever someone came through the doors.

By ten, he was asking whether there might be traffic near the hospital. I called Ethan, but he didn't pick up. Owen watched me end the call.

I could've tried again, but I didn't want him counting the times it rang or searching my face for an answer I didn't have. I put the phone in my bag and held out my hand.

We went through security and waited again at the gate.

At the first boarding announcement, Owen slipped the binocular strap around his neck so Ethan would see it when he came around the corner. “Five more minutes, Mom? Please?”

“Okay. Five more.”

When those minutes were up, Brooke sent a photo.

Mason lay in his hospital bed watching cartoons on Owen's new watch. Ethan's coat was draped over the foot of the bed.

[Stop calling him. Mason cries every time he lets go. He's not leaving.]

A second message appeared almost immediately.

[You two can still have fun without him. My son actually needs him here.]

Owen was watching the corner of the concourse, not my screen. I put the phone away and adjusted the strap behind his neck. He'd worn his favorite sweatshirt so Dad could find him in the crowd. I smoothed the hood where it had bunched beneath the binoculars.

At ten thirty-five, Ethan finally called. “Claire, I'm sorry. Mason needs another test, and Brooke can't handle this by herself.”

“Where are you now?”

“Still at the hospital. I booked a later flight. Go ahead and check in at the hotel. I'll catch up tonight.”

Owen tipped his face toward mine. “Is Dad here?”

Ethan heard him. The line went quiet for a moment before his voice softened. “Take lots of pictures for me, buddy. I'll come find you as soon as I'm done.”

Owen's fingers closed around the binoculars. He didn't answer.

“Claire?”

“Okay.” I watched the boarding light above the desk. “We'll go without you.”

Ethan let out a breath, sounding relieved. He reminded me about the hotel shuttle, told me to keep Owen's jacket handy, and hung up.

Owen took off his binoculars and carefully lowered them into his backpack. “Will Aunt Nora pick us up?”

“Yes.”

“Then let's go see her.”

I canceled the mountain trip and took him to the other terminal.

This time, he didn't look back at the entrance. He ate all his macaroni at lunch, then we sat in a café by the window and drew a seagull too fat to fly. When our boarding call came, he zipped his backpack without being asked.

At two fifty, Elder Graham called. “Claire, the withdrawal period ends at three. I need to ask one last time. Do you want to cancel the application?”

I looked past the glass at the baggage handlers loading our plane. “No.”

“The bond dissolution and Owen's release from the pack?”

“All of it. Please proceed as agreed.”

Graham paused, then said, “Have a safe flight.”

I switched off my phone and took Owen's hand as we stepped onto the jet bridge. Our boarding passes said West Coast. Ethan didn't know we were going there. He didn't know I'd never booked us a flight home.

Back at the hospital, Ethan checked the time for the third time and reached for his coat. “A nurse can stay with you through the tests. The driver and caregiver will be here in ten minutes. I have to go.”

Brooke caught his sleeve. “Mason can't cope without you today. Stay one more night. Claire won't really hold it against you.”

Ethan pulled his sleeve free. “She will. So will Owen.” Saying it made him realize how long he'd gone without taking that possibility seriously.

“I missed his play. I left them at the park yesterday. He spent all morning waiting for me.” He opened his phone to check the new boarding details. “Your husband saved my life, Brooke. I won't forget that. But I have a wife and a son.”

“If you leave now, Mason will think you don't want him—”

“I'll make sure he's taken care of. But I'm not his father.”

At exactly three, his phone vibrated. He opened the message immediately, expecting Claire's reply. It was an official notice from the elders.

[Your mate-bond dissolution agreement has taken effect. Claire Bennett and her son, Owen, have been granted release from Cedar Ridge.]

Ethan stared at the date, the color draining from his face. “What agreement?”

The last word had barely left his mouth when the mate mark on his neck burned.

Pain tore through his chest. He reached for Claire through the mindlink on instinct, calling her name, but there was nothing on the other end.

As he tried again, the bond between them snapped.

His phone struck the floor, and Ethan dropped to his knees.