The Alpha’s Mate Tried to Kill Our Heir

The days following Kai's arrival blurred together in a haze of cleaning supplies and stolen glances. Each morning, I watched from the shadows as Caleb dropped him off, my heart tearing anew at the sight of my son's hesitant wave toward his father's retreating form.

By Thursday, I couldn't stand it anymore.

"Where's your lunch, little one?" I asked, noticing Kai's empty hands as the other pups filed into the cafeteria with their colorful lunch boxes.

He looked up at me with those eyes—*my* eyes—and shrugged. "Luna Monica says I have to eat last because I'm the future Alpha."

The words hit me like a physical blow. Five years old and already learning to wait while others ate. I glanced around the emptying classroom. Elena had taken the younger pups for a bathroom break, leaving us momentarily alone.

"Come with me," I whispered, holding out my hand.

Kai's face lit up with hope before fear took over. "But Father said—"

"Your father said I could help you settle in," I reminded him gently. "And right now, you need lunch."

The cafeteria buzzed with activity when we slipped in. I kept my head down, guiding Kai to a corner table where the staff usually sat. My hands trembled as I spread a paper napkin across his lap.

"I'll get your food," I murmured, moving quickly toward the serving line.

When I returned with a tray loaded with chicken nuggets, apple slices, and milk, Kai was sitting ramrod straight, his eyes darting nervously around the room.

"You're too thin," I observed softly, setting the tray before him. "Are you not eating enough at home?"

He picked up a nugget with careful precision. "Luna Monica says I need to watch my weight so I don't get fat like—" He stopped abruptly, his eyes filling with tears.

"Like who?" I pressed gently.

"Like you used to be," he whispered.

My blood ran cold. Even now, Monica was poisoning him against me with lies about my past.

"Kai," I said carefully, "I was never fat. I was pregnant with you."

He nodded slowly, then took a tentative bite of his food. The way he devoured it told me everything I needed to know about his meals at home.

"Mother," he whispered between bites, "you smell like safety."

The simple words broke something inside me. I reached out, brushing a curl from his forehead with trembling fingers.

"What do you mean?" I asked, though I feared the answer.

"When Luna Monica gets angry, she hits," he whispered, then quickly looked around to see if anyone heard. "But when I smell you, I don't feel afraid anymore."

Before I could respond, a sharp intake of breath made me freeze. I turned slowly to find Elena standing by the kitchen entrance, her eyes wide with alarm.

"Alpha," she gasped.

I didn't need to turn around to know who stood behind me. The air grew heavy with his presence, charged with power that made my knees weak.

Caleb.

"How long have you been there?" I asked without looking at him.

"Long enough," he replied, his voice strangely subdued.

I expected anger, expected the Alpha command that would force me away from our son. Instead, there was only silence.

"He's malnourished," Caleb finally said, his voice tight. "And he flinches at sudden movements."

I turned then, meeting his gaze across the cafeteria. Something flickered in those amber eyes—recognition? Regret?

"I know," I whispered.

Kai looked between us, confusion and hope warring on his small face.

"Father, can Mother have lunch with me tomorrow too?"

The question hung in the air between us. I waited for Caleb's rejection, braced for the crushing weight of his Alpha command.

But it never came.

"We'll see," Caleb said instead, his eyes never leaving mine.

For a moment—just a moment—I saw the man I'd once loved, the mate who'd held me through countless nights. Then his expression hardened, and he turned away.

The reprieve was short-lived.

The next day, I was wiping down tables when the cafeteria doors burst open with such force that the hinges screamed in protest.

"Where is she?" Monica's voice cut through the chaos like a blade.

Ryan Mitchell, Monica's loyal Delta spy, pointed directly at me. "There, Luna. That's the Omega who's been contaminating the heir."

Monica stormed toward me, her Luna aura flaring with such intensity that several nearby pups began to whimper. Her perfectly manicured hand cracked across my cheek before I could even raise my arms to defend myself.

"How dare you," she hissed, her voice low enough that only I could hear. "How dare you think you can worm your way back into his life through our son?"

"I'm not—" I began, but she cut me off with a cruel laugh.

"Our son?" she mocked. "You lost the right to call him that when Caleb rejected you."

Behind her, Ryan and two other Delta warriors formed a semicircle, effectively cutting me off from the rest of the staff.

"You're nothing but a wolfless Omega," Monica continued, her voice rising so everyone could hear. "A Rogue sympathizer trying to poison the heir against his Luna."

The cafeteria fell silent as every eye turned toward us.

"No," I whispered, even as my heart raced with fear. "I would never—"

"Take her to the holding cells," Monica ordered her guards. "We'll deal with this contamination properly."

As the guards moved toward me, I caught sight of Caleb standing in the doorway, his face unreadable as he watched his mate destroy the woman who'd once been his everything.