When My Alpha Betrayed Us for His Secret Family

Morning light filtered through the hospital blinds, casting harsh stripes across Riley's pale face. I hadn't left her side all night, my body rigid from the uncomfortable chair. The steady beep of monitors had become the soundtrack to my vigil.

The door swung open, and Lucas strode in, his Alpha aura filling the small room. He carried a leather portfolio under his arm, his expression a perfect mask of concern that didn't reach his eyes.

"You should go rest," he said, not looking at me as he approached Riley's bed. "You're no use to her like this."

I straightened my spine, ignoring the protest of my stiff muscles. "I'm fine."

Lucas sighed, setting the portfolio on the bedside table with deliberate precision. "We need to discuss the future of the pack."

"The future?" I echoed, watching as he extracted several documents from the folder.

"The Cole Pack alliance is crucial," he said, his voice taking on that persuasive tone he used during pack meetings. "With Riley... as she is... they'll never accept her as Marcus's mate."

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to appear devastated rather than enraged. "What are you suggesting?"

Lucas unfolded the papers, revealing official-looking documents with the Silver Moon Pack seal. "I've found a solution. A distant relative of ours—Xyla. She's strong, her wolf is powerful. The Coles will accept her."

"Distant relative?" I repeated, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.

"From my mother's side," he lied smoothly. "I need you to sign these papers transferring Riley's rights as heir to Xyla."

The room seemed to tilt beneath me. So this was his plan—to strip my daughter of her birthright while she lay helpless.

"I... I can't," I whispered, pressing my hand to my forehead. "I'm too exhausted. This is all too much."

Lucas's jaw tightened, a flicker of irritation crossing his features. "Elena, be reasonable. This is for the good of the pack."

"For the good of your secret family, you mean," I thought bitterly, but kept my expression neutral.

"I need time," I said, letting my voice crack with emotion. "Riley just barely survived. How can you ask me to do this now?"

Lucas gathered the papers with a snap of impatience. "Fine. But I need those signed by tomorrow. The Cole Pack is expecting an answer."

He left without touching me—the first time in our eighteen years together.

---

An hour later, I slipped out of the hospital, needing fresh air and a moment alone. Riley's comfort blanket—saturated with her favorite lavender scent—might help her sleep better.

The walk home cleared my head, but as I passed the upscale shopping district near pack territory, a familiar laugh stopped me cold.

Through the window of "Moonlight Boutique," I saw them—Lucas with his arm around Jessie Meyer, her blonde hair gleaming under the store lights. Beside them stood a young woman I recognized from pack gatherings—Xyla, though I'd never known her relation to Lucas.

They were examining dresses, their heads bent close together. Xyla held up a pale blue gown—the exact shade I'd picked out for Riley's eighteenth birthday celebration.

Lucas's hand rested possessively on Jessie's waist as she leaned into him, her fingers tracing patterns on his chest. Xyla laughed at something he said, and he ruffled her hair affectionately.

The perfect family portrait.

I stepped closer to the window, my breath fogging the glass. Their scents mingled in the air—Lucas's pine and smoke, Jessie's cloying perfume, and Xyla's youthful energy. A family scent.

Something stirred within me then—a sensation I hadn't felt since before the surgery. My wolf, dormant for so long, stretched and snarled.

"Blood," she whispered in my mind. "Their blood."

---

I returned to the hospital in a daze, my wolf pacing restlessly beneath my skin. The corridor to Riley's room was eerily quiet as I approached.

"—pathetic excuse for an Alpha's daughter," a female voice sneered from inside. Jessie's voice.

I pushed the door open to find Jessie and Xyla standing over Riley's bed. My daughter's monitors were beeping frantically as she cowered against the pillows, her eyes wide with terror.

"Look at her," Xyla was saying, her voice pitched in an Alpha tone that made Riley flinch. "Can't even shift. What a waste of space."

"Stop it," I said, dropping the blanket and rushing forward.

Jessie turned, her smile venomous. "The weak Luna returns. How nice."

Before I could reach Riley, the door burst open again. Lucas stood there, his eyes narrowing at the scene.

"Perfect timing," Jessie purred. "Your mate was just interrupting our... education of Riley."

I expected Lucas to defend us—to show some remnant of the mate and father he was supposed to be.

Instead, he stepped forward and kicked me hard in the side where my surgery scar lay exposed. Pain exploded through my body as I doubled over.

"Mom!" Riley screamed as Lucas grabbed her by the throat and threw her against the wall.

"Listen carefully," he snarled, looming over us both. "Those papers will be signed by morning. Otherwise, you'll both be exiled as Rogues."

His eyes, once warm brown, now gleamed with cold hatred as he turned to leave.

"Oh, and Elena?" he added from the doorway. "Don't think about running to the Lycan King. No one would believe you over an Alpha."