He Had Me Whipped, I Married the Alpha

I was known as the most even-tempered she-wolf the Moonhowl Pack had ever produced. The moment my sister Samantha lost her mate, my parents couldn't wait to usher her and her son, Jeffry, into my home. Standing at my bedroom door, Samantha clutched Jeffry's hand, her voice thick with a practiced sob. "Ever since I lost him, I haven't slept a wink... Emmaline, your bed looks so incredibly comfortable." I cut her off. "It's yours. Phillip and I can move into the guest room." At the pup school's craft fair, my mate Rodger stood on the podium to accept a trophy, flanked by Samantha and Jeffry. My son Phillip's classmates whispered among themselves, naturally assuming the three of them were a family. Because Rodger would be our next Alpha, the crowd showered Jeffry with envious glances. When they stepped off the stage, Samantha's eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "Jeffry just lost his father and started at a new school. He's just terrified of being bullied and wanted to be accepted... he didn't mean to steal Phil's project to enter the contest." Before I could even open my mouth, Phillip spoke up. "It's okay. Jeffry can have the trophy. He can have my dad, too." Rodger's brow furrowed as he turned to me. "Did you ask him to say that? Samantha and I grew up together; she's grieving, and I just wanted her and Jeffry to have a moment of happiness. Don't make this into something it's not." I offered a thin smile. "The boy is just speaking his mind. Don't let it bother you—I'm not misunderstanding anything, and I haven't taught him a word." Phillip and I had lived through this once before. Now that we had been given a second chance, we simply didn't care anymore. In my previous life, Phillip had been rightfully furious, shouting that Jeffry had stolen his work and his father. I had demanded to know why Rodger never considered our feelings. But under the onslaught of Samantha's tears, Rodger didn't just refuse to clarify the truth—he publicly shamed us for our "lack of compassion." Because of that, the other pups thought Phillip was a liar and started bullying him after that. My son, brave as he was, kept it from me until the day he collapsed in front of me. That day, I found his small body covered in bruises. I checked Phillip into the hospital, but Rodger insisted on bringing us home for Christmas Day. Once back, Phillip's condition, which had been improving, took a sudden, sharp turn for the worse. Then I received a call from the hospital. "The latest check show Phillip has Wolf Spirit Atrophy Syndrome. You must return him to the clinic immediately." I moved to scoop Phillip up, but Samantha blocked my path with a platter of roasted chicken. "Get out of my way!" I snapped. "Phillip has been diagnosed with Wolf Spirit Atrophy Syndrome. I'm taking him to the hospital!" My voice was merely firm, yet tears immediately flooded Samantha's eyes. "If you hate us that much, just kick us out. Why would you teach a pup to fake a terminal illness just to spite me?" I shoved past her in a panic, and she went down like a porcelain doll. My father rushed over and delivered a stinging slap across my face. "It's Christmas!" my mother screamed. "Samantha burned her hands cooking to welcome you home, and you use this sick drama to force her out!" Rodger just shook his head in disappointment. They ignored all my explanation. Rodger locked Phillip in the cold attic to make him "stop acting like a little lair," while Rodger's men pinned me down in the snow to "reflect" on my behavior. The rest of the family left to enjoy their Christmas feast. Through the attic window, I saw Phillip's tiny, weak hand tapping against the glass. “Don't be scared, Mommy. I'm okay!” But by the time I finally broke down the door, covered in my own blood, he had stopped breathing. In my utter despair, I carried his cold, lifeless body into the depths of Moon Lake. In this life, we wouldn't make the same mistakes. Once Phillip was treated, we were leaving. Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a text. A: The Mark-Severance Agreement from City Hall has been delivered to your home. It becomes effective immediately upon signature. A smile tugged at the corners of my lips. "Who's the text from?" Rodger asked, his eyes narrowing. "Didn't you ask me to book a restaurant? It's just the confirmation." A flicker of surprise crossed his handsome face. He seemed taken aback that I could say such a thing with a smile. "Hurry up! Daddy's taking us to dinner!" Jeffry shouted, punctuating his excitement by kicking my shoe. Samantha quickly pulled him back, her face a mask of grievance. "Jeffry is just starving... maybe we should just go by ourselves. I suppose I have to get used to how hard it is being a single mother..." I turned to Rodger and urged him on. "Go ahead. It's not easy for Samantha to raise a pup alone." "Emmaline, what about you...?" Rodger hesitated, but only for a few seconds. "Maybe you should take Phillip home first." As I watched them drive away, Phillip shrugged. "Mom, Dad forgot it was my birthday again." My heart ached. Deep down, he still craved a father's love. I leaned down and pulled him into a tight hug. "I remembered. Let's go get your favorite fried chicken!" We spent a beautiful, happy birthday together—one without Rodger. "Jeffry is back!" When we returned, my parents, Whitney and Hayden, were all smiles as they opened the door. Then, their smiles froze the moment they realized it was us. Phillip's eyes drifted to the limited-edition model car in Hayden's hand. Whitney shot him a warning look, and he immediately hid the car behind his back, pulling out a chipped, miniature toy instead. "Phillip, here's your birthday present." Before Phillip could even reach for it, Jeffry lunged from behind and snatched both toys away. Hayden gave Phillip an awkward, forced smile. "Just let Jeff borrow yours for a while." Rodger entered then, his arm around Samantha's waist. My parents immediately swarmed them, drawing them into a warm circle of conversation that left Phillip and me in the cold. Just like the last life, Samantha was the golden daughter who grew up by their side; I was merely the stranger who returned from an orphanage at sixteen. They ignored my son just as they ignored me. Seeing my expressionless face, Phillip whispered, "It's okay, Mommy. I don't care. The ones you bought me are way prettier." He was learning to be strong, even trying to comfort me. My chest tightened. I didn't want him to endure their coldness a second longer, so I sent him to his room. "You're just getting back? Where's Phillip? I almost forgot it was his birthday—I brought a cake to make it up to him!" Rodger had finally remembered. In this life, it seemed my compliance had sparked a flicker of guilt, and he even brought a cake for my son. But when I took the box, I saw the frosting was smeared, and the message was a blurred mess. It was clearly that this "compensation" was nothing more than an afterthought. I set the cake aside, not wanting Phillip to see it. Rodger's expression stiffened. "Are you upset? I only took them out for a meal." "Not at all. Thank you for looking after Samantha for me." I pulled Phillip's diagnosis and the Mark-Severance Agreement from my bag. "Do you have five minutes?" I asked Rodger. "We need to talk. Privately."