Leaving the Alpha Who Broke Me

“Luna, I’m deeply sorry for your loss. Iona’s passing is truly heartbreaking. I can’t imagine how it must feel to lose such a little angel,” the healer said as he approached me, fresh from the examination room. The moment those words left his mouth, my legs gave way, and I sank to the floor. I couldn’t believe it—the very first thing he told me was such devastating news. It felt like my entire world crumbled in an instant. Iona was only four years old, and her fifth birthday was just weeks away. The attack that happened in the early hours of this morning turned everything upside down, shattering everything I’d worked so hard to protect for so long. It was chaos, pure and utter chaos, and now the cost was far greater than I could have ever imagined. The most painful part of all this suffering was when Nathaniel ignored me as I lay helpless on the ground with Iona, both of us barely clinging to life while trying to escape. He was too preoccupied helping Yoan and her son, Dane. Yoan and Nathaniel had been childhood friends, their bond running deep long before Nathaniel even met me. When he found me gravely injured and Iona unconscious, trapped beneath the rubble of the packhouse, he chose to turn away. He merely called for members of the Pack Medical Centre before focusing his attention elsewhere. “She’s only fainted and in shock, Yoan. Let’s check on your son first—he’s in worse condition,” he had said at the time. Nathaniel’s words still ring in my ears, their indifference cutting deeper than the wounds on my body. To him, Iona was simply unconscious, nothing to worry about. But now, as she lies lifeless before me, I can’t understand how he could've dismissed her so easily. I sat sobbing in the corner of the room, my body trembling, utterly drained of strength. It felt as though every ounce of energy I once had had vanished, leaving me as nothing more than an empty shell. Iona’s small body lay motionless on the bed, her once-cheerful face now eerily serene, as though she were merely sleeping. But I knew the truth—and it shattered me in ways I could never have imagined. Both my hands gripped the edge of the table beside me, desperate for something to steady myself, to pull me back to my feet. But there was nothing strong enough to hold against the relentless waves of pain crashing over me. Tears streamed down my face in an endless flow, blurring my vision. “She’s only fainted, just in shock,” his voice echoed in my mind, cruel and dismissive, like a taunt that refused to fade. “I can’t… I can’t do this,” I whispered, my voice trembling, barely audible. My hand reached out towards Iona’s small, lifeless body, but I froze just before touching her. I couldn’t bring myself to face the truth—that her delicate form was now as cold as the dark of night. And then, the bitter realisation struck me, Nathaniel’s attention no longer belonged to his wife and child. It was now consumed by his Yoan and her son. At that moment, it became painfully clear that the marriage I had once been so proud of was nothing more than a cruel illusion, a lie I had foolishly clung to. Nathaniel’s loyalty has always been painfully biased, and I can’t endure it any longer. My foolishness has cost me Iona, and now she’s gone forever. Once the healer finished treating my injuries, they dressed Iona in a pristine white gown and gently placed her in a coffin. I followed as they prepared to take her to the morgue, my legs heavy with grief. Before the burial, I planned to tell Nathaniel everything. But first, I needed to make a call. The number I'd blocked for years, I unblocked. The monotone ring tone greeted me, once, twice, three times, then a deep voice answered. "Angelina?" "Hello, Alpha Malcolm... I... I've finally come to a decision about your offer." "You've agreed, Angie?" The happiness in his voice made it clear he was beaming on the other end of the line. Yes, I had decided to return to my pack and help them with their agricultural efforts, which had been lagging. I would be leaving Nathaniel as soon as possible.