After My Alpha Commanded, I Escaped His Chains

I clutched Finnian's limp body to my chest as I sprinted through the corridors of the pack house, my feet barely touching the ground. The weight of my son felt impossibly light in my arms, his tiny frame convulsing against me as the toxic wolf medicine ravaged his system.

"Hang on, baby," I whispered against his burning forehead. "Please hang on."

Healer Maeve was already waiting when I burst through the medical wing doors, her eyes widening at Finnian's condition.

"Put him here," she commanded, gesturing to the examination table. "What happened?"

"Marcus," I choked out, carefully laying Finnian down. "He forced adult wolf medicine down his throat. The amber one—from the northern territories."

Maeve's face paled. "The concentrated blend? That's meant for fully shifted adult wolves with severe injuries."

"I told him," I sobbed, watching as she quickly gathered supplies. "I begged him not to."

Finnian's convulsions were weakening now, his small body growing still in terrifying intervals before another seizure would take hold. Maeve worked frantically, her hands moving with practiced precision as she administered counteractive herbs and healing salves.

"Stay with us, little one," she murmured, placing her palms on his chest, channeling her healer's energy into his failing system.

I paced the length of the room, my mind reaching desperately through our weakening mate bond for any sign of Marcus's concern or remorse. Instead, I felt nothing but cold emptiness where his emotions should be.

Then, like a cruel slap, Marcus's voice echoed through the pack's mind-link network: *Congratulations to Victoria Kane on her wolf's successful mating with the Silver Creek Alpha's son. This union strengthens our pack's position and bloodlines. Celebrations will commence tomorrow evening.*

I froze mid-step, disbelief washing over me. While our son fought for his life, Marcus was broadcasting congratulations to Victoria? The casual cruelty of it staggered me.

"Sarah," Maeve's voice pulled me back. I turned to find her standing beside Finnian, her hands trembling, eyes glistening with tears.

"No," I whispered, already knowing what she would say. "No, please."

"I'm so sorry," she said, her voice breaking. "The toxicity was too severe. His human form couldn't process it. He's gone."

The world collapsed around me. I stumbled to the table, gathering Finnian's still-warm body into my arms. His face looked peaceful now, the pain finally gone. I pressed my face against his chest, searching for a heartbeat I knew I wouldn't find.

"My baby," I keened, rocking him gently. "My sweet, innocent baby."

Inside me, my wolf—the presence I'd never been able to fully manifest—howled in anguish, retreating deep within my consciousness as if unable to bear the pain. The withdrawal was physical, a tearing sensation that left me feeling even more hollow.

I don't know how long I sat there, cradling my son's body, before the medical wing doors swung open. Marcus stood in the doorway, his Alpha aura filling the room with suffocating pressure. Behind him, Victoria lingered, her expression a poor imitation of sympathy.

"It's done then," Marcus said flatly, not a question but a statement.

I looked up at him through tear-blurred vision. "He was your son."

"He was weak," Marcus replied, his voice devoid of emotion. "The medicine should have strengthened him."

"It was poison to him!" I cried. "You killed him!"

Marcus's jaw tightened. "Arrange for cremation immediately," he instructed Maeve, ignoring my accusation.

"Please," I begged, clutching Finnian closer. "The traditional three-day mourning period. Let me say goodbye properly."

"There's no time for that," Marcus dismissed. "The pack needs to move forward. Victoria's celebration is tomorrow."

The casual cruelty of his words struck me like physical blows. Victoria stepped forward, placing a possessive hand on Marcus's arm.

"It's for the best, Sarah," she said, her voice dripping with false compassion. "A quick transition will be easier for everyone."

I stared at them both, these monsters who had orchestrated my child's death, who now stood before me planning celebrations while his body was still warm in my arms.

"You did this," I whispered, my gaze fixed on Victoria. "You wanted him gone."

Something flashed in her eyes—satisfaction, quickly masked by offense. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing? I'm only trying to help the pack heal."

Marcus's Alpha command slammed into me before I could respond. "You will surrender the body for immediate cremation. That is an order, Luna."

As the command forced my arms to loosen their hold on my precious boy, I made a silent vow through my tears. This would not stand. They would pay for what they had done to my son. Even if it cost me everything, I would make them pay.