Chapter 2

The first rays of dawn filtered through the windows as I finally managed to get Emma settled at home. The herbal mixture from Healer Jensen had worked its magic, bringing her fever down to a manageable level. She slept peacefully now, her small chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm that eased my frayed nerves.

I hadn't slept at all. How could I? Between watching over Emma and the gnawing awareness of Michael's absence, rest was impossible. I kept replaying the image of him laughing with Sarah while our daughter suffered. The crack in my heart had widened into a chasm.

"You should try to sleep, Victoria," my mother said, appearing in the doorway with a steaming mug of tea. "I'll watch over Emma."

"I can't," I admitted, accepting the tea gratefully. My fingers automatically tapped a nervous rhythm against the ceramic—an old habit from my musician days. "Every time I close my eyes, I see..."

"I know," she said simply, her eyes filled with an understanding that needed no words.

The pack mind-link suddenly flared to life, urgent and panicked. *Help! Elder Hayes has collapsed on the training field!*

The mug slipped from my fingers, shattering on the floor as terror gripped me. "Dad," I whispered, already running for the door.

The training field was only a short distance from our house. I sprinted across the dewy grass, my heart hammering against my ribs. A small crowd had gathered, and they parted silently as I approached.

My father lay motionless on the ground, his face ashen. David Chen, our loyal Gamma, knelt beside him, his fingers pressed to my father's neck.

"He was demonstrating a defensive stance to the younger warriors when he just... fell," David explained, his voice tight with concern. "His pulse is weak, Luna."

I dropped to my knees, taking my father's limp hand in mine. "Dad? Can you hear me?" His fingers remained unresponsive, but I could feel the faint flutter of his pulse. "We need to get him to Jensen. Now."

As David and another warrior carefully lifted my father, I felt a powerful presence approach. Michael. His scent reached me before he did—pine and earth, mingled with a trace of vanilla that wasn't his.

"What happened?" he demanded, his Alpha authority evident in his tone.

"Stroke, I think," David replied. "We're taking him to the healer."

Michael nodded, his expression appropriately grave. "I'll come with you."

Hope flickered briefly in my chest as we hurried to the healer's den. Was this the moment? Would crisis finally bring out the mate I needed?

At the healer's, Jensen worked quickly, confirming our fears. "It's a stroke," he said grimly. "A severe one. The next few hours will be critical."

Michael stood beside me as I held my father's hand, his own hand resting supportively on my shoulder. For a precious few minutes, I felt the comfort of my mate's presence, the strength of our bond helping me bear the weight of fear.

"He's strong," Michael murmured. "A warrior to the core. He'll fight this."

I leaned slightly into his touch, desperate for the connection. "Thank you for being here."

But the moment was fleeting. Barely fifteen minutes had passed when Michael's phone buzzed. He glanced at it, and I felt his energy shift immediately.

"I have to go," he said, already moving toward the door. "Pack business."

"What business could possibly—" I began, but he was already retreating.

"Sarah needs help arranging her den. Those Siberian rugs are too heavy for her to move alone, and she's still fragile after losing her mate. I won't be long."

The door closed behind him, leaving nothing but the beeping of monitors and the hollow echo of broken promises.

My wolf, usually so quiet and withdrawn these days, howled with betrayal. *He leaves us again. He always leaves.*

I sat with my father for hours, watching his chest rise and fall, praying to the Moon Goddess for his recovery. Through the window, I caught glimpses of Michael carrying ornate rugs and furniture into Sarah's den, his laughter occasionally drifting across the grounds.

By dawn the next day, my father's condition had stabilized, but he remained unconscious. I hadn't slept, hadn't eaten. Rage and grief warred within me, building to a pressure that demanded release.

I found Michael in his office, arranging the traditional mourning icons on the wall—silver wolves howling at the moon, symbols of respect for an elder's passing. The sight of him performing this ritual while my father still fought for life ignited something primal within me.

"You need to be at his bedside," I said, my voice eerily calm despite the storm inside me. "Not just as his Alpha. As my mate. As the father of his granddaughter."

Michael barely glanced up. "I've paid my respects, Victoria. The pack needs me functioning, not sitting uselessly by a sickbed."

"Functioning?" I echoed incredulously. "Is that what you call helping Sarah arrange rugs while my father lies dying?"

His eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't question how I allocate my time, Luna. Sarah needs—"

"I need you!" The words burst from me, raw and desperate. "Emma needs you! My father needs the respect of his Alpha!"

Michael's face hardened. "Enough!" he commanded, his Alpha tone vibrating through the room. "You will not dictate my priorities. Return to your duties and leave pack matters to me."

The force of his command sent me staggering back, the air heavy with his dominance. From the doorway came a small whimper. Emma stood there, eyes wide with fear, before darting behind my mother who had appeared behind her.

"Come, Victoria," my mother said, her voice tight with barely controlled fury. "Your father is asking for you."

As I turned to leave, the realization crystallized with perfect clarity: the mate bond that had once been my greatest blessing had become my heaviest chain. And for the first time, I began to contemplate what had once been unthinkable—breaking free.