My Mate’s Regret After Putting Our Child in Jail

My mate Ryan's first love Sarah Blackwood and I both had eight-year-old sons.

Sarah's boy killed an innocent wolf. Instead of facing pack law, my mate asked our child to take the blame for Sarah's son.

"Marcus will only serve five years in Silver Prison," Ryan growled at me. "Sarah and Jamie have no protection – exile will kill them both! Our son is strong enough to survive this!"

While he rushed them abroad for a vacation to escape justice, his parents' guards dragged our innocent pup to prison.

By the time Ryan returned, I disappeared.

1

My mate Ryan wanted our pup to take the blame for his first love's son and go to the Silver Prison for five years.

The Storm Shadow Pack's grand hall buzzed with excitement. Pack Elder Gregory stood on the stage, his silver fur gleaming under the chandeliers.

"Last week, a young wolf's life was saved by Beta Ryan's brave son," he announced proudly. "We're here to honor this heroic pup."

My heart swelled with pride. Marcus, my eight-year-old, squeezed my hand nervously.

"Would the young hero please come to the stage?"

I stood up with Marcus, but froze.

Ryan was already walking onto the stage – with Sarah Blackwood and her son Jamie.

My blood ran cold.

This wasn't right. Jamie wasn't the one who saved that pup. Marcus did.

"That's my achievement!" Marcus whispered, confused and hurt.

Ryan's eyes widened when he saw us. I wasn't supposed to be here – I should've been visiting the Northern Pack today. But I'd rushed back for my son's ceremony.

"This ceremony is over," Ryan announced abruptly, his Beta authority brooking no argument.

The crowd dispersed quickly, leaving only confusion and whispers in their wake.

Ryan rushed to my side, grabbing my hand. "Celeste, Jamie isn't my son. You have to believe me!"

My fingers trembled in his grip. "Then why are you claiming his achievement?"

Before he could answer, Sarah glided over, her face a mask of practiced vulnerability.

"Ryan," she said softly, "you promised to acknowledge Jamie as yours. You gave your word."

Ryan's grip on my hand tightened. "Celeste is my mate. She deserves the truth!"

Sarah's vulnerable mask cracked, revealing a cold smile.

"Then let's tell her everything, shall we?" Her voice dripped with satisfaction. "Tell her Marcus needs to take Jamie's place in Silver Prison for five years and Jamie will replace Marcus as the pack’s hero. "

Marcus looked up at me, fear clouding his young eyes. "Mom, what's she talking about?"

"What is she talking about?" I demanded, my voice shaking. "Why would Marcus need to go to prison?"

Ryan's shoulders slumped. His golden eyes dimmed with guilt.

"Jamie... he accidentally killed a five-month-old wolf pup last week," Ryan said quietly. "He didn't mean to, but pack law is clear. Sarah and Jamie would be exiled."

My blood ran cold. "And?"

"Sarah has no mate to protect them. They wouldn't survive as rogues." Ryan reached for my hand. I yanked it away. "Marcus is strong. He's already saved so many with his wolfsbane cure. The Alpha Council would only give him five years in Silver Prison."

Marcus started sobbing. "Dad, I didn't do anything wrong!"

Jamie sneered at Marcus, his young face twisted with cruel satisfaction. "You should be honored to take my punishment. After all, your father only ever loved my mother."

Ryan's face paled. He clapped his hand over Jamie's mouth, panic flashing in his eyes.

"No! Celeste, that's not true!" He grabbed my shoulders desperately. "You're my only mate. Once this mess with Jamie is settled, I'll hold our marking ceremony. When Marcus returns from prison, he'll inherit my Beta position. These five years... they'll just be training for him."

A bitter laugh escaped my throat.

Ten years.

Ten years since Ryan discovered I was his mate and supposedly ended things with Sarah.

Ten years together.

Our son was eight years old now.

Yet in all that time, Ryan had never held our marking ceremony. Never publicly declared me as his mate.

"Mom?" Marcus's voice quivered. "I don't want to go to prison."

Sarah's smile grew wider. "Better get used to it, pup. Silver Prison isn't known for its comfort."

"Shut up, Sarah!" Ryan growled, but his voice lacked real authority.

Elder William's footsteps echoed through the hall. "What's going on here?"

"Nothing, Elder," Ryan said smoothly. "Just a family misunderstanding. I'll handle it."

He gripped my arm, steering me and Marcus toward the pack garage. Sarah and Jamie followed.

The moment I slid into the back seat, I noticed the packages of wolfberry snacks scattered across the dashboard. Marcus hated wolfberries – they made his tongue itch.

"Ryan always keeps Jamie's favorite snacks in the car," Sarah said sweetly. "For our family drives together."

"Sarah, enough!" Ryan growled, but there was no real anger in his voice.

"Don't yell!" Sarah whimpered. "You'll frighten Jamie!"

On cue, Jamie started crying. Ryan immediately reached back to pat his head.

The car filled with tense silence as we drove. Marcus pressed against me, trembling.

"Celeste, try to understand," Ryan finally said. "Sarah's an Omega. Without pack protection, she and Jamie wouldn't survive exile. The rogues would tear them apart."

"Then let them die," I said coldly. "My son won't rot in prison for their crimes."

Jamie's wails grew louder. Sarah burst into tears.

"How dare you!" Ryan snapped, his eyes flashing in the rearview mirror. "Show some compassion!"

I laughed bitterly. "Compassion? "

"You are really unreasonable! I gave up Sarah for you ten years ago!" he snarled. "I let her mated to that drunk Richard who beat her for years! I owe her this much!"

2

Unreasonable? I didn't expect Ryan to see me like this.

"Then break our mate bond," I said quietly in the car. "Let me and Marcus go."

"Never." Ryan's eyes flashed dangerously in the mirror. "You're my only mate. Marcus will be my heir after his... training."

The next morning, guards surrounded our house.

Ryan forced a silver-laced water down my throat. Wolfsbane. My wolf howled in agony before falling silent.

He made Marcus drink sleeping grass tea. My son's eyes grew heavy, his small body collapsing into unconsciousness.

"It's for his own good," Ryan said, locking us in. "Until the trial."

A dozen guards took position outside our door.

The next day, voices drifted up from downstairs. Sarah and Katherine – Ryan's mother.

Katherine's hand cracked across my face the moment she saw me.

"We treated Marcus like our own grandson for eight years," she spat. "And you repay us by letting your bastard kill an innocent pup?"

She turned to Sarah, stroking her arm. "You poor dear, suffering in silence all these years, raising Ryan's true son alone."

Sarah dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. "It wasn't hard. Now that Ryan finally acknowledges Jamie, everything was worth it."

Katherine hugged Jamie close. "What would you like, sweetheart? Shall we tour your new home?"

My wolf stirred weakly against the wolfsbane as I watched them parade through my house – my territory.

After they left, Sarah lingered.

"Enjoy these last moments with your son," she smirked. "Silver Prison's calling. Though I doubt he'll survive five years there."

Despite the wolfsbane burning through my veins, my wolf surged forward.

My claws caught her cheek, drawing blood.

Sarah stumbled back, her fake tears forgotten.

"You feral bitch!" she snarled. "RYAN!"

His thundering footsteps approached.

"What did you do?" he roared, rushing to Sarah's side.

My mate. Defending her. Again.

"She attacked me," Sarah whimpered. "After everything we're doing to help Marcus..."

I laughed bitterly. The wolfsbane might weaken my body, but it couldn't touch my rage.

"Help?" I spat. "You're sending an innocent child to prison for your murderous pup."

"Enough!" Katherine burst through the door, her eyes fixing on Sarah's bloodied face. Her wolf exploded forth – massive and silver-streaked with age.

"You dare attack my grandson's mother!" she snarled, fangs bared as she lunged for my throat.

The wolfsbane in my system left me defenseless, but a black blur intercepted – Ryan's wolf, larger than his mother's, planted himself between us.

"Move, son!" Katherine shifted back, trembling with rage. "Eight years! Eight years we've pampered her bastard, treating him like pack royalty!"

She jabbed a manicured finger at me. "And now we find out she not only cheated on you but let her murderous whelp kill an innocent pup!"

"Guards!" Her voice cracked like a whip. "Remove this filth from my house!"

Sarah and Jamie rushed to Ryan, clinging to him the moment he shifted human.

But he pushed them both away.

"Celeste is my mate," he growled. "The only one. If you want, take Jamie and raise him yourself."

Jamie started crying. Ryan didn't even look at him.

Katherine recoiled as if struck. Her face twisted with fury.

"Keep your precious mate then," she spat. "But I won't let her bastard pup steal what rightfully belongs to Jamie."

She snapped her fingers at the guards. "Take the boy to the basement. Jamie will have his room, his training, everything that should have been his by right."

The wolfsbane turned my muscles to water as the guards grabbed Marcus. I couldn't even shift to defend him.

"Mom!" Marcus's cry tore at my heart. His small hands reached for me as they dragged him away. "Please don't let them take me!"

"This is just temporary," Ryan whispered, not meeting my eyes. "I'll make the basement comfortable – carpet, proper bed, everything. And Silver Prison isn't so bad. He'll have tutors, combat training, the best education money can buy."

Sarah's smile gleamed in the shadows. Jamie stopped crying instantly, smirking at Marcus as the guards carried him past.

I said nothing. In fact, I didn’t care about the recommendation and the training courses anymore.

I just wanted to escape. I already had a plan.

Every day, Ryan came home and dined with Sarah and Jamie. He personally coached Jamie in combat training, teaching him the secret fighting techniques passed down through pack leadership.

Meanwhile, Marcus and I rotted in the basement – a space worse than what they gave to common Omegas.

The basement overflowed with Sarah and Jamie's excess – designer clothes, imported toys, training equipment. Things they had too many of to store upstairs.

Our living space had shrunk to a single narrow bed where Marcus and I slept.

At first, Ryan tried to spend nights with us. But Marcus – my brave, betrayed boy – fought him every time.

"I hate you!" Marcus would snarl, tiny fangs bared, kicking and biting. "You're not my father anymore!"

Gradually, Ryan stopped coming.

Instead, he spent his nights upstairs with Sarah and Jamie, playing the perfect family while we languished below.

One night, he crept down while Marcus slept.

"Why do you ignore me?" he whispered, reaching for my hand in the darkness. "I love you. I've never betrayed you. You're my only mate – your wolf knows I've never touched Sarah."

He was right about one thing. My wolf could sense his physical faithfulness.

But what he'd done – sacrificing our son, choosing Sarah's happiness over our family – that betrayal cut deeper than any physical infidelity ever could.

I swallowed my rage and softened my voice.

"Yes, I know you love me," I lied smoothly. "I understand now. And I realized that without you, Marcus and I wouldn't be better off."

" I'll let Marcus go to Silver Prison. But," I continued, "if I'm going to lose my son for five years, I need something in return. Let Marcus resume his training before prison. Stop giving me wolfsbane. Return my phone – I need to talk to my sister."

"Of course!" Ryan pulled me close, relief evident in his voice. "Anything you want, my love."

3

I grew up an orphan. My parents died when I was too young to remember their faces.

All I had was my sister Emma, both of us raised in the pack's orphanage. She presented as an Omega, making our lives even harder.

When Ryan discovered I was his mate, his parents – the pack's former Beta pair – were horrified.

"An orphan?" Katherine had sneered. "With no bloodline? No status? With an Omega sister?"

But Ryan had stood firm then. "I only have one mate in this life," he'd declared. "And it's Celeste."

Now, a decade later, he spent the night holding Marcus and me in the basement, as if it could erase his betrayal.

Morning came too soon. Marcus woke and immediately lunged at Ryan, tiny fists flying.

"Marcus, stop," I caught him mid-attack. "Don't treat your father like this."

Ryan's face lit up. He gathered us both in his arms.

"I love only you two," he whispered. "Forever. I'll make everything right, I promise. Marcus will be my only heir."

He took Marcus to the garden for training, personally demonstrating combat stances and wolf forms.

While they trained, Ryan called me over, holding out my phone.

"Call your sister," he said kindly. "I know you miss her."

Poor, foolish Ryan. He thought my Omega sister posed no threat to his plans.

He didn't know Emma had found her mate six months ago – Alpha Alexander Stone of the Blood Moon Pack.

My fingers trembled as I dialed her number.

Soon, very soon, my son and I would be free.

Over the next few days, I forced myself to watch Jamie's torment of Marcus in silence. Each moment carved another scar on my heart.

"Kneel, bastard," Jamie would sneer in the garden, pointing to his muddy boots. "Put my shoes on properly. Both of them."

Marcus caught my eye, his small face brave despite his trembling hands.

"Faster!" Jamie kicked Marcus in the ribs. "This is how they'll treat you in Silver Prison anyway."

My claws dug deeper into my palms. Blood dripped onto the basement floor, but I didn't dare move. Not yet.

Sarah watched from her perch on the garden bench, smirking as her son tormented mine.

That night, my brave, gentle Marcus snuck downstairs with stolen medical supplies.

"I'm okay, Mom," he whispered, carefully cleaning the crescents my claws had carved into my palms. "See? I'm getting good at this."

I traced the purple bruises on his arms where Sarah had pinched him. Each mark felt like a dagger in my heart. Some were turning yellow, others were fresh and dark.

"Does it hurt badly?" I asked, my voice breaking.

Marcus shook his head. "Not anymore. I'm strong, like you."

Ten endless days passed. The Pack Council meeting loomed closer.

Even with Marcus taking the blame, Sarah's anxiety infected the house like a disease. She paced the halls at night, jumping at shadows, muttering about DNA tests and truth spells.

Finally, Ryan announced his solution over dinner: a vacation abroad with Sarah and Jamie until things "settled down."

While Ryan packed upstairs, I held Marcus in our basement refuge, treating his newest bruises with trembling fingers.

"Is Father leaving forever?" Marcus asked, his young face confused by the commotion above.

"Yes, baby."

A smile lit his face – the first real one I'd seen in days. "Good. I don't like him anymore. He only hurts you, Mom." He puffed out his chest. "When he's gone, I'll protect you instead."

I hugged him tight, breathing in his scent, memorizing every detail. "And Mom will always protect you. No matter what."

Ryan came down before leaving, his face twisted with reluctance. We sat on our narrow bed, neither looking at him.

"I'll be back before..." he hesitated, "before Marcus's sentence starts. I'll arrange everything – private tutors, comfortable quarters, the best education Silver Prison offers."

I nodded meekly, eyes downcast. "Whatever you think is best, mate."

Surprise flickered across his face at my easy acceptance. After weeks of fighting, my submission seemed to both please and unsettle him.

Ryan lingered in the basement, holding Marcus and me as if memorizing our scent.

"Hurry up!" Katherine's voice cracked down the stairs. "You'll miss the flight!"

Ryan pulled us closer. "I'll bring you both gifts. When I return, we'll have our marking ceremony, and I'll announce Marcus as my heir. I promise."

"Daddy..." Marcus's voice cracked.

My heart shattered. Despite everything, my son still loved his father. These past weeks had only taught him to hide it.

I quickly pulled Marcus into my arms, muffling his words against my shoulder.

"Go," I said softly. "Enjoy your trip with Sarah and Jamie. Make sure our sacrifice means something."

Guilt darkened Ryan's eyes. "I'm leaving Gregory here – my strongest guard. Call me anytime, for anything."

As they loaded the car, Gregory approached hesitantly.

"Beta Ryan, should Marcus continue his training with Jamie's combat instructor while you're gone?"

Sarah's head snapped up. "No. The instructor comes with us. Jamie needs consistent training, even on vacation."

I felt Marcus stiffen in my arms.

But my brave boy forced a smile. "It's okay. I can practice alone."

Ryan's face twisted with fresh guilt. "I'll find you an even better teacher when I return, Marcus. I promise."

Empty words. Empty promises.

I watched the car disappear, taking Sarah, Jamie, and my mate away.

4

After Ryan left, I quickly packed our essentials. My hands shook but I forced them steady.

"Get your favorite books, Marcus," I whispered, shoving clothes into a bag. "We're leaving soon."

Five hours until Emma and Alexander would come. I watched Gregory, Ryan's "strongest guard," stationed at our door.

I called Emma, pressing close to the damp basement wall. "The security's tight. "

"Don't worry, sister," Emma's voice held a predator's confidence. "Alexander has a plan. The Blood Moon Pack is ready."

Marcus snatched the phone, his small face lighting up. "Aunt Emma! I miss you!"

Emma's laugh warmed my heart. "Miss you too, pup. Soon no one will ever hurt you or your mom again. We have a room ready for you both."

The basement door exploded inward before I could respond.

Katherine flew down the stairs, her shift so fast it blurred. Her massive silver wolf – still powerful despite her age – slammed me against the wall.

Bones cracked. Blood filled my mouth.

"You witch!" she snarled, shifting back to human form. "Making my son raise a bastard for eight years! My precious Jamie living in exile because of your murderous whelp!"

She lunged again, claws extended. "What dark magic did you use on my son? What spell trapped him with gutter trash like you?"

Gregory stepped between us, his massive frame blocking her attack. "Beta Ryan ordered me to protect them, Ma'am. Step back."

"Protect them?" she spat, silver hair wild around her face. "My foolish, soft-hearted son! Still trying to save his whore and her killer pup!"

Heavy footsteps descended the stairs. The former Beta William, Ryan's father, moved with the deadly grace.

Ten warriors followed him, their faces cold.

"Our bloodline will not be tainted by a promiscuous Omega and her killer pup." The former Beta's eyes fixed on Marcus. "Take the boy to the silver pit. Now."

My blood froze. The silver pit – where they tortured rogues to death. Where wolves went in but never came out.

"Mom!" Marcus's terrified cry shattered something inside me.

Four hours until Emma would come.

We didn't have four hours anymore.

The warriors grabbed my arms, their claws digging into my flesh. I thrashed against their iron grip, my wolf's fury giving me strength despite the wolfsbane. "Don't touch my son!"

Gregory lunged forward, his loyalty to Ryan warring with his conscience. "Please, Former Beta William. Marcus is just a child. He's innocent-"

"Silence!" Katherine's command cracked like a whip through the basement. Her silver hair writhed like snakes around her face. "Take them both! The boy to the silver pit, the mother to the dungeon!"

Marcus fought like a wild thing as three warriors dragged him toward the stairs. His small fangs drew blood, his claws leaving deep gouges in their arms.

"The wolfsbane will kill her if you lock her up!" Gregory's voice cracked with desperation. "Look at her – she's too weak to survive the dungeon!"

William's cold laugh echoed off the stone walls. "Then she'll die as she deserves." His ice-blue eyes held no mercy. "Like the guttersnipe she is."

"My son will hear about this!" Katherine's sneer twisted her elegant features. "How his precious mate tried to escape with her murderer pup the moment he left! Perhaps he'll finally see what trash he mated with."

My wolf howled inside me, throwing herself against the poison in our veins. The wolfsbane was weakening – too slowly, too late.

"Marcus is Ryan's son!" The truth tore from my throat. "Jamie is the one who killed that innocent pup! Your precious grandson is the murderer!"

Katherine's claws raked across my face, drawing blood. "Lying witch! My grandson would never-"

A roar shook the basement walls, sending dust cascading from the ceiling.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY SISTER!"

Emma stood in the doorway, her small Omega frame vibrating with rage. Her usual gentle demeanor had vanished, replaced by something ancient and deadly.

Behind her, a massive black wolf with blood-red eyes filled the stairwell. His power rolled through the basement like a physical force, making even William step back.

Alexander. Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack.