My Alpha Let My Mother Die for His Luna

The scent of blood hit me before I even entered our small cabin. Metallic and sharp, it cut through the usual scent of my mother's healing herbs and filled my nostrils with dread.

"Mama?" I called, rushing inside. "Mama!"

I found her collapsed on the floor beside her garden bed, her thin fingers still clutching a handful of chamomile. Blood soaked through her faded shirt where deep gashes marked her torso.

"Malia," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Rogues... came through... the eastern border."

My hands shook as I knelt beside her. Twenty years I'd protected others, taken blows meant for Averie. Now my mother—the only person who'd ever truly loved me—lay bleeding because the pack's defenses had failed.

"I'll get help," I promised, pressing my hands against her wounds to slow the bleeding. My wolf stirred anxiously within me, lending me strength.

I reached for the pack link, calling out to the one person who might help. *Dominic, please. My mother is hurt. Rogues attacked her.*

His response came almost immediately, his voice filling my mind with unexpected warmth. *Where are you?*

*Our cabin by the eastern woods,* I replied, relief washing through me. *She needs a healer. The wounds are deep.*

*I'm sending Dr. Sage,* he promised. *Hold on.*

Dr. Sage arrived within minutes, her medical bag clutched tightly in her hands. Her face paled as she examined my mother.

"The wounds are infected," she said grimly. "And there's something else... a poison of some kind. I've never seen anything like it."

"Can you heal her?" I asked, my voice breaking.

Sage's eyes filled with sorrow. "I can try, but she needs specialized treatment. There's a healer in the Lycan territory who specializes in Rogue poisons, but..."

"But what?" I pressed.

"Transporting her would be difficult, and the Alpha would need to approve the funds."

My heart sank. We were talking about Dominic again—the man who held my mother's life in his hands.

"I'll ask him," I said, squeezing my mother's hand. "Don't worry, Mama. I'll fix this."

I found Dominic in his office, Averie perched on the edge of his desk. They both looked up when I entered, their conversation halting abruptly.

"What is it?" Dominic asked, his tone cooling noticeably.

"My mother needs a healer from the Lycan territory," I said, keeping my eyes lowered as protocol demanded. "Dr. Sage says she has a poison in her system."

Dominic's expression softened slightly. "Elena is hurt?"

I nodded, surprised by the concern in his voice. "She saved you once," I reminded him quietly. "When you were a child."

Something flickered in his eyes—recognition, perhaps even guilt. "I remember."

"Please," I whispered. "She needs help."

He stood, moving toward me with that fluid grace that made my wolf whimper. "I'll authorize the transport and funds immediately. Take her to the pack hospital first—I'll make the arrangements from there."

Relief flooded through me. "Thank you."

His hand brushed mine briefly, sending electricity up my arm. "Anything for you, Malia."

---

Hours later, my mother's condition worsened. The pack hospital bed seemed to swallow her frail form as she thrashed in fever.

"The Alpha's authorization hasn't come through yet," Dr. Sage said, checking her watch nervously. "Without it, I can't request the Lycan healer."

I paced the small room, desperation clawing at my chest. "I'll try to reach him again."

I closed my eyes, focusing on the mate bond that still pulsed between us despite his denial. *Dominic, the authorization is still pending. My mother is getting worse.*

No response.

I tried again, pushing harder against the bond. *Dominic, please. She's dying.*

The silence in my mind was deafening.

"He's not answering," I told Sage, my voice hollow.

"Maybe he's in a meeting," she suggested, but doubt clouded her eyes.

I tried once more, pouring every ounce of desperation into the link. *Dominic, I'm begging you. Please help us.*

Nothing.

Outside the hospital window, I could see pack members gathering in the main courtyard. Music drifted through the air—a celebration of some kind.

"Isn't tonight the Pack Run?" Sage asked, following my gaze.

My heart sank. The annual Pack Run was a major event, with Alpha pairs leading the ceremonial hunt. Dominic would be there with Averie, showing off their strength and unity.

"He promised," I whispered, turning back to my mother's pale face. "He promised he would help."

Sage's hand touched my shoulder gently. "We'll keep trying," she said, but her voice lacked conviction.

As the sun set and the sounds of celebration grew louder, my mother's breathing became more labored. Each shallow inhale seemed to tear at my soul.

"Malia," she whispered, her eyes fluttering open. "Don't blame... yourself."

I clutched her hand tighter, tears streaming down my face. "Save your strength, Mama. Help is coming."

But even as I spoke the words, I knew they were lies. The mate bond remained silent, and somewhere in the distance, I could hear Dominic's laughter mingling with Averie's as they led the Pack Run beneath the full moon.

My mother's fingers went slack in mine, her final breath escaping in a soft sigh that broke what remained of my heart.