Chapter 2
I love Noelle with all my heart. She’s my child, a part of my soul that I poured six months of my life’s energy into bringing into this world. For five years, I’ve given her every ounce of patience and love I possess. Yet, Dominic, her father and the Alpha of the Silverfang Pack, seems to leave her care mostly to June, our Omega nanny. And despite that, Noelle adores him—something I still can’t wrap my head around.
Noelle’s sharp, sharper than most kids her age. When she was three, she looked at me one day and said, “Mom, you’re pretty useless. The Alpha doesn’t even want to come home often.” I brushed it off back then, but it stung. Then, when she was four, after meeting Dominic’s Beta, Melina, she came home and told me, “Mom, no wonder the Alpha likes Beta Melina. I like her too.”
She added, “Beta Melina’s way better than you. She’s gentle, smart, and beautiful.”
One time, when I refused to let her have fast food, she threw a fit and yelled that she wanted Beta Melina to be her mom instead. My heart ached, but I swallowed it, pulling her into my arms and soothing her, “Noelle, I made you a new sandwich. It tastes just like the ones from outside, and it’s much cleaner.”
But she slapped the sandwich out of my hand and shouted, “I don’t want your stupid sandwich! I want the one Beta Melina gets from the food truck. Even if it gives me a stomachache, I still want it. I don’t want you as my mom either—you’re useless!”
I stared at her, stunned. The child I’d fought so hard to bring into this world, ready to trade me for a sandwich. This wasn’t the first time. Everything Beta Melina gave her was gold, while everything I offered was trash.
I brought it up with Dominic. At first, he told me not to argue with a child. But over time, he grew irritated and snapped, “Think about why our daughter doesn’t appreciate what you give her.”
Even on Noelle’s fifth birthday, her wish was to have Beta Melina as her mom. When I couldn’t connect with my own daughter, what was the point?
The next morning, Dominic and I stood in the grand hall of the Silverfang Pack, the air thick with tension. He raised his head, his Alpha presence commanding the room, and spoke the words that would sever our bond forever.
“I, Dominic, Alpha of the Silverfang Pack, reject you, Romina, as my mate.”
His voice was ice-cold, detached, and the room fell silent, as if the Moon Goddess herself had stopped breathing. My wolf whimpered in the back of my mind, but I stood tall, refusing to let the pack see me break.
After the ceremony, he dropped me off at the entrance to my new den and went straight to his duties. When I returned to pack my things, I realized I didn’t have much—almost everything could fit into a single suitcase. Over the years, most of what I’d bought was for Dominic and Noelle.
As I rolled my suitcase out the door, Noelle was sitting on the couch, glued to her tablet while munching on a sandwich. I didn’t bother telling her not to eat it; instead, I simply said, “Noelle, I’m leaving.”
Only then did she look up and ask, “Where are you going?”
“You don’t need to worry about where I’m going. I won’t be picking you up from the youngling training grounds anymore, so remember not to go with strangers.”
She gave me a dismissive look, so much like her father’s. “Mom, you’re lying. The Alpha says no one likes you, and you’re just clingy with him. Romina, stop being so childish, okay? You’re too old for tantrums or threatening the Alpha by running away. Beta Melina wouldn’t do anything so immature. If you want to leave, just go. I won’t miss you.”
Then she went back to her tablet. In the past, I would’ve gently taken it away and played with blocks, gone swimming, or walked in the forest with her. I would’ve spent hours making sure she felt safe and loved. But now, I don’t care anymore. Whoever wants to take care of her can do it.
“Noelle, just remember what you said.”
With that, I turned and walked away, not sparing a backward glance at the child I’d once cradled day and night, tending to her every need and soothing her to sleep when she was sick. My wolf growled softly in my mind, a mix of pain and defiance, but I silenced her. This was my path now, and I would walk it alone.