Chapter 2

The weight of my mother's frail body pressed against my shoulder as we stumbled through the forest toward Silver Moon Pack territory. Each labored breath she took sent panic through my chest, her skin burning with fever despite the cool night air. The rejection pain still clawed at my insides, but I pushed it down—I had to focus on keeping her alive.

"Just a little further, Mom," I whispered, adjusting my grip around her waist. "Alpha Thompson will help us. He has to."

The Silver Moon packhouse loomed ahead, its windows glowing warmly in the darkness. I'd met Alpha Thompson at several alliance meetings, had always found him reasonable, fair. Surely he would show mercy to a dying woman and her desperate daughter.

The guards at the gate recognized me immediately, their expressions shifting from alertness to uncomfortable pity. One of them—Marcus, I remembered—actually took a step back as if my misfortune might be contagious.

"I need to see Alpha Thompson," I said, my voice hoarse from crying. "Please, it's urgent."

Marcus exchanged glances with his partner before nodding reluctantly. "Wait here."

My mother sagged against me, her breathing shallow and rattling. "Lily," she wheezed, "maybe we should just—"

"No." I tightened my hold on her. "We're not giving up."

Minutes stretched like hours before Alpha Thompson emerged from the packhouse, his usually kind face set in hard lines. Behind him trailed two of his senior wolves, their expressions carefully neutral. My heart sank at the formal distance he maintained.

"Lily Foster," he said, his tone clipped and official. "I'm sorry, but I cannot offer you sanctuary."

The words hit me like a physical blow. "Alpha Thompson, please. My mother is dying. She just needs medical care until—"

"I received a mind-link from Alpha Sullivan," he interrupted, his eyes not quite meeting mine. "This is an internal pack discipline matter. I cannot interfere with another Alpha's rightful authority over his former pack members."

Former pack members. The phrase twisted in my stomach like a knife.

"She's innocent in this," I pleaded, gesturing to my mother's pale, sweating face. "Whatever you think I've done—"

"You brought shame upon yourself, Lily." His voice carried a note of disapproval that made my cheeks burn. "Working in human establishments, acting outside proper pack protocols. Alpha Sullivan was within his rights to discipline such behavior."

The injustice of it stole my breath. Three years of sacrifice, of working myself to exhaustion for Derek's pack, twisted into evidence of my unworthiness. "Those jobs helped fund pack development. Derek knew—"

"Alpha Sullivan," Thompson corrected sharply. "And I suggest you learn some respect before approaching other pack leaders."

My mother's weight grew heavier against my side, her breathing more labored. Desperation clawed at my throat. "Please, just let her rest here tonight. I'll work, I'll do anything—"

"The decision is final." Alpha Thompson stepped back, his wolves flanking him in clear dismissal. "I suggest you seek help elsewhere. Quickly."

The packhouse door closed with a finality that echoed through my bones. My mother's legs gave out completely, forcing me to lower her to the ground near the gate. Her lips had taken on a blue tinge that terrified me.

"It's okay," I whispered, more to myself than to her. "We'll find another way."

I helped her shift into a more comfortable position against a tree, then stepped away and let my wolf surface. The transformation came easier than usual, pain and desperation stripping away my human restraints. My smaller wolf form emerged, gray fur bristling with anguish.

I threw back my head and howled—the ancient distress call that should have summoned help from any werewolf within miles. The sound carried my desperation across the territorial boundaries, a plea that transcended pack politics.

For a moment, hope flickered in my chest as answering calls echoed back. But instead of offers of aid, threatening growls rumbled from the darkness. Shapes moved between the trees—Derek's allied pack warriors, their eyes glowing with menace.

"Enough!" The lead wolf shifted back to human form, revealing Beta Marcus from the neighboring Crescent Pack. "You're disturbing pack peace with your howling. Alpha Sullivan has made his position clear."

Other wolves emerged from the shadows, forming a loose circle around my mother and me. Their message was unmistakable—I was alone, unwelcome, and any further attempts to seek help would be met with force.

I shifted back to human form, my hands shaking with exhaustion and defeat. "She's dying," I said quietly.

Beta Marcus's expression didn't soften. "Then you should have thought of that before crossing your Alpha."

As the warriors melted back into the forest, I sank down beside my mother, pulling her fevered body close. The mate bond's absence left a hollow ache in my chest, but it was nothing compared to the crushing weight of helplessness.

My fingers found my father's Medal of Honor through my torn dress, the metal cold against my palm. Somewhere in the distance, a bank would open in a few hours. Maybe, just maybe, I could access the money Derek claimed was his. It was my last hope.