Chapter 1
“Wish dad will come to celebrate with us, just like before.”
It was nothing but a simple wish of my son on his sixth, and last birhtday. It was heart wrenching when I remembered how my mate, and the most looked up alpha in Night Howl Pack, never even bothered to care for me nor his own son.
I had to get, all the way to some of his meeting schedule just to ask for him to come to Balto‘ s upcoming seventh birthday. No, it wasn‘ t asking, it was more of a begging. Only after that, Balthar reluctantly agreed to come.
Balthar, however, didn’t appear the night of Balto’s supposed to be merry seventh birthday. Worse, Balto had his last breath away in the same night his father abandoned him yet again.
As Balthar was out of reach for contacts, I managed all the funeral matters on my own. Every time cursing my failure to protect the one mattered the most in my life.
My mind burst into deep seething anger when I know that Balthar was out with Nayra to have some ancient glowing fruits wonders in a neighboring pack‘, s territory.
They were having the time of their lives while my son lost his life!
I immediately returned to the pack house. I’m leaving this madness, loveless, marriage I had with Balthar. To hell with mating bonds arranged by fates!
Ironically, Balthar begged for my forgiveness when it was way too late.
I scowled at him, “Forgive you? You‘ re treating this far too lightly.
***
Nayra.
She was my sister, the center of everyone’s attention, including my own mate Balthar.
From the very beginning of their meeting, Balthar had set his eyes on Nayra. So, by the time the three of us reached the age of mating, things went chaotic for us three, and our families of course. While fate had tied me to be Balthar’s mate, he refused to acknowledge the bond and continued placing his heart for Nayra.
The pack said that the strongest bond after the pack was the bond of mates.
The way I see it, though, the emotional ties of first love was far stronger over mate bond. Just like how Balthar was so devoted to Nayra.
And that was so true with his absence around us. Even today, on the day I finally burried Balto, Balthar was nowhere to be found–Not at the funeral that I had to arrange solo, not at the pack house, not anywhere near–nada.
I secretly thanked the Moon Goddess for Night Howl Pack had their own policy about the living arrangement in the pack house. Instead of the usual communal living where the pack alpha‘ s closests confidant would live together with his family, we lived pretty much on our own.
If that wasn’t the case, I bet our family would already be the talk of the pack for the Alpha was seldom presence at his own home. Only Balto and I would be in the pack house on his behalf.
I returned to this place with one thing in mind: to pack out, as fast as I could then leave. How wrong I was to assume I could just do that.
The moment I opened the door to our living area, the memory of Balto’s excitement when he eagerly gave his mini presentation on dinosaur footprints, with that sketchbook of his caused me to falter. Tears brimming in my eyes. My heart faltered but I remembered I had to press on because as much as this place held my sweetest memory with my son, this place was also the source of my pain.
A reminder of Balthar‘ s neglect, and his blatant affair with Nayra.
I collected each one of Balto s portrait, wiping the tears that fell on my cheeks every now and then. I found myself slightly stopping when I had to collect his scetch books.
I know moving with more luggage also entailed more expenses that I had to paid. But these sketchbook… they worth millions since I could not find something as valuable as this anywhere else. Every reminder of my son were either packed up and some of it I needed to let go. I chocked up another sobs as I was reminded that the current absence of my son was permanent. He went to a better place, in the celestial meadow of the Moon Goddess. A place I couldn’t reach.
I went downstairs with my second suitcase and was soon greeted by the two people I didn’t want to see the most.
“You‘ re going somewhere, El?”
My glance snapped at the guest hall’s entrance arc. There, Nayra was looking at me with that sad look which I could only believe was nothing but pretense. Beside her, Balthar stood tall, guiding her in in his arms. Compared to Nayra, he didn’t even seem to care with my presence.
Just like usual.
I had grown accustomed to this.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
Even before our marriage, Balthar would‘ ve ignored me whenever Nayra was around. It had happened since the younger days of our lives, during the alliance meeting between Night Howl, Balthar‘ s current pack and Galeclouds, Nayra’s and my birth pack. So, when the time comes
I tightened the grip on my suitcase. With the first suitcase was already by the entrance arc, I proceed to walk myself out of this place.
“Elmyra, when are you going to stop acting like this again?”
My steps went on an abrupt stop. I turned, I wish my look alone could cause him to bleed when I shot a glare at him.
Balthar looked at the suitcase in my possession, before shaking his head like he was the most disappointed person in the world then looked back into my eyes.
He was the one absent from my life, from Balto’s life. How dare he threw me that acusing look? Nayra, while already leaning onto Balthar‘ s broad shoulder, was pulling his arm to get imposibly closer. “Elmyra, I was feeling dizzy moments ago. Alpha Balthar simply took me to the pack house so that I could rest. Please, don t misunderstand.”
Misunderstand? Yeah. It wouldn’t be a misunderstanding when it was clear that the two of you had smashed into one another and were practically glued together.
Bitterness jumped up to my tongue. They disgusted me and I wanted to call out names at the two of them.
Memories of my mating night with Balthar was a rough one. Thinking that it was just how werewolves had to consumate their mating process, I still went out my way to work the day after.
A rouge was robbing me on my way home from office. With the weakened state that I had, I was injured in the process. I was lucky few witness were there and they eventually called the ambulance for me.
Balthar never cared. Instead, he replied with coldness that broke my heart over our mind link back then, “You‘ re still alive, right? Injuries can heal. Don’t bother me with simple things like this.” He closed off the mindlink, just like that.
That day, I was wrecking my brains out. I was his fated mate, his Luna. Why did he treat me that way?