The doctor’s office was too bright, too sterile. Elsa sat perfectly still, hands folded in her lap to hide their trembling. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Richards.
The test results are conclusive. You won’t be able to conceive. ”
Elsa stared at the framed diplomas on the wall, focusing on the embossed lettering to keep tears at bay. “Are you certain there’s nothing that can be done?
”
The doctor hesitated. “I’m afraid the chances are virtually non-existent. ”
Elsa thought of the nursery at home, painted sunshine yellow, the crib Hector had assembled with reluctant hands. No child would ever call her mother.
No small hand would reach for hers. No bedtime stories or first steps or finger-painted masterpieces for the refrigerator. She was already wolfless—a shifter who couldn’t shift, the greatest disgrace among her kind. Now she was childless, too.
Her husband, Hector, a beta wolf from a respected bloodline, had said all the right things. “We’ll be okay, baby. It’s not the end of the world. ” But his eyes had shuddered—cold, unreadable.
He’d married her despite her wolfless status, and he never let her forget it. The telephone’s shrill ring cut through her thoughts. She answered. “Elsa Richards.
”
The voice on the other end was strained, urgent. “Lola Caldwell is asking for you. She’s in critical condition. Rogue wolves attacked her patrol at the territory border.
She’s asking for you. Only you. ”
Elsa’s hand tightened around the phone. Lola, her childhood friend.
They hadn’t spoken in nearly a decade. “Is she—” Elsa began. “The pack healer has done their best, but you need to come to the Ironwood estate. She won’t last long.
”
At the massive stone and timber mansion, two guards flanked the entrance, their eyes glowing amber in the fading light. “State your business, outsider. ”
“Elsa Richards. Your Luna is asking for me.
”
Inside, the house was eerily quiet. Pack members lined the corridors, heads bowed. The guard led her up a sweeping staircase and down a long hallway to a set of double doors. The master bedroom was dim, heavy with the scent of herbs and the sharp tang of blood.
Lola lay pale and bandaged in a vast four-poster bed, her golden skin turned ashen. But it was the cradle beside the bed that caught Elsa’s attention. She had no idea Lola had a baby. “Elsa.
” Lola’s voice was barely audible as she turned her head. “You came? ”
“Of course I came. ” Elsa moved to her bedside, taking her hand.
“What happened? ”
“Rogues testing our borders for weeks. Led the patrol myself. Should have waited for backup.
”
From the cradle came a small whimper, then a full-throated cry. Elsa glanced over, seeing a tiny bundle wrapped in a pink blanket. “That’s Paige,” Lola whispered. “My daughter.
”
The baby couldn’t be more than four months old. She looked up at Elsa with wide, familiar eyes—Lola’s eyes. Something in Elsa cracked open. She reached out, murmuring, shushing, rocking gently.
Paige quieted almost instantly, her tiny hand curling around Elsa’s finger. “She knows,” Lola said, a tear sliding down her temple. “She senses your family. ”
“Where’s her father?
Your mate? ”
Lola’s face contorted with pain. “Keith is across the border negotiating with the Eastern Coalition. They can’t reach him in time.
” She drew a shaky breath. “Listen to me, Elsa. I need you to promise me something. ”
“Anything,” Elsa said automatically, still rocking Paige.
“Take her. Raise her as your own. ”
Elsa’s head snapped up. “What?
Lola, I don’t know if I can. ”
“You’re the only one I trust. ” Lola’s fingers tightened around Elsa’s wrist. “Keith, he won’t want her.
”
“That’s impossible. What father wouldn’t want his own child? ”
“She’s like you, Elsa. I have sensed it since she was born.
She’s wolfless. ”
The word landed like a stone in still water. Elsa looked down at the peaceful baby in her arms. “How can you be sure?
She’s just a baby. ”
“A mother knows. ” Lola’s breathing became more labored. “Keith’s bloodline goes back to the first pack.
His legacy depends on strong wolves. When he finds out—” Her eyes filled with tears. “But you. You’ll understand her.
Protect her. Love her despite it. ”
Hector’s words from their last fight echoed in Elsa’s head: *I married you despite your condition, but I draw the line at raising someone else’s throwaway child. *
“Lola, I don’t think my husband will—”
“Please.
” Blood appeared at the corner of Lola’s mouth. “My wounds aren’t healing. Don’t let my baby grow up unloved, or as some pack’s shameful secret. ”
Paige cooed softly, blissfully unaware.
Something fierce bloomed in Elsa’s chest—a feeling she’d always imagined but never experienced. Maternal. Protective. “Hector will just have to understand,” she whispered, surprising herself with her own resolve.
Relief washed over Lola’s face. “Thank you. Promise me you’ll love her like your own. ”
“I promise,” Elsa said, her voice breaking.
“I promise, Lola. ”
The pack healer moved swiftly to Lola’s side as her breathing became erratic. Outside, someone howled, a mournful sound that raised the hair on Elsa’s arms. Lola’s eyes held hers for one final moment—gratitude and grief and something else Elsa couldn’t identify—before they fluttered closed.
A soft exhale, and then stillness. Hours later, Elsa rocked gently in the yellow nursery, Paige tucked against her chest, suckling from a bottle. “That’s it, sweet girl,” Elsa whispered, brushing Paige’s cheek. “You’re doing so well.
”
Grief and joy tangled together in Elsa’s chest, impossible to separate. Paige’s eyes—Lola’s eyes—gazed up at her with unfocused trust. No sign of a wolf spirit yet, but Elsa didn’t care. “It doesn’t matter what you are,” Elsa murmured.
“You’re perfect. ”
Tires crunched on gravel. A car door slammed. Footsteps on the porch.
Hector was home, right on schedule, unaware that everything had changed. Elsa placed Paige gently in the crib and moved to the hallway. “Elsa,” he called. “What’s that scent?
Up here? ”
She answered, her voice steadier than she felt. He climbed the stairs two at a time. “There’s a car seat downstairs and baby things.
”
He stopped as a soft cry sounded from the nursery. Confusion darkened his face. “Hector, I can explain. ”
He brushed past her.
In the nursery, he stared at Paige, blinking up at him, fists waving. “What is this? ” he whispered. Elsa folded her hands in her lap nervously.
“Her name is Paige. She’s four months old. ” She stepped between him and the crib. “She’s my friend Lola’s baby.
She was attacked this morning. ”
“I don’t understand. What does that have to do with all this? ”
“Lola gave her to me, Hector.
To us,” she added hurriedly. He paused, looked at the baby, looked at Elsa. “What? ”
“Paige doesn’t have a wolf,” Elsa explained.
Hector’s face darkened. “So, not only someone else’s baby, but wolfless. ”
“Lola was worried. She believed her husband would not want her.
She didn’t want Paige to grow up unloved. ”
“You can’t be serious, Elsa. Tell me you didn’t just bring home a baby without even calling me. ”
“There was no time.
Lola was dying, Hector. My taking Paige was her dying wish. ”
“So you made a decision for both of us. ” His voice rose, making Paige stir.
“This isn’t a stray cat, Elsa. It’s a child. ”
“I know exactly what it is,” Elsa replied calmly, lifting Paige. “She needs someone to love her.
”
“And you think that someone is us? After I told you I never wanted to raise another man’s child? ” He paced. “This is about your diagnosis, isn’t it?
You’re so desperate you’ll take anyone’s castoff. ”
“Don’t you dare call her that. She’s a gift. ”
“She’s defective.
Elsa, do you know what this does to my standing in the pack? They already whisper about my wolfless wife. ”
“I see. So that’s what this comes down to.
Your reputation. ”
“Our standing, Elsa. Our life together. ” His tone softened, became cajoling.
“Be reasonable. We can find another home for her. A human family, perhaps. Somewhere she’ll fit in.
”
“Is that what you wish had happened to me? That I’d been given away to humans? ”
Hector had the grace to look uncomfortable. “That’s not what I meant.
”
“It’s exactly what you meant. ” Clarity washed over her, cold and bracing. “You’ve never seen me as your equal, have you? You married me, but you never claimed me as your mate.
”
“We agreed to wait until—”
“We didn’t agree to anything. You decided, and I accepted it like I’ve accepted everything else. ” She looked around the nursery at the crib she’d carefully preserved all these years. “But I won’t accept this.
I won’t send Paige away. ”
Hector adjusted his tie, eyes cold. “And I won’t raise another man’s wolfless child, Elsa. Not even for you.
”
Elsa exhaled, a strange calm settling over her. “Well, I can’t break my promise to Lola. ”
“You’d throw away our marriage for this? I need you to make a choice right now, Elsa.
It’s either me or that child. ”
Elsa’s head snapped up in shock. “You’re asking me to choose? ”
“And what if I am?
” He crossed his arms. “If you truly want to save our marriage, you’ll call this child’s father and tell him to come get his daughter tonight. And if you don’t, then pack your things and leave. I won’t be the beta who not only couldn’t give his wolfless wife a child, but then raised another alpha’s reject.
”
Paige squirmed in Elsa’s arms, her tiny hand curling around Elsa’s finger. The gesture, so small and trusting, brought unexpected clarity. “I choose her,” Elsa said quietly. Hector blinked.
“What? ”
“You heard me. I won’t abandon this baby. Not for you.
Not for anyone. ”
“You can’t be serious. You’d throw away our marriage for a child you’ve known for a few hours? ”
“She is mine now.
And yes, I would. Because a man who would ask me to make this choice isn’t a man worth choosing. ”
She walked past him to their bedroom, Paige still cradled against her. With one hand, she pulled her suitcase from the closet and laid it open on the bed.
“I’ll be out within the hour,” she said, her voice surprisingly steady. Hector followed her. “You’re making a mistake. ”
“You never loved me enough to claim me as your mate.
And now you’re asking me to abandon a child in need, to break my promise to her mother, all to protect your pride. No, Hector. The only mistake I made was not leaving you sooner. ”
Twenty minutes later, Elsa stood on the porch, Paige secured in her car seat, two hastily packed bags at her feet.
She walked to her car without looking back. “Just you and me now, little one,” she whispered to Paige. —
For the past week, they’d made the tiny apartment bathroom work. Paige kicked her legs in excitement as Elsa lowered her into the water.
The phone rang three times yesterday. Hector alternating between demanding she come home and coldly informing her he was proceeding with the divorce. During their last conversation, he’d finally revealed what she’d long suspected. “I need a real mate,” he’d said, his voice hard through the receiver.
“Someone who can give me children of my own. My bloodline doesn’t deserve to end because you’re defective. ”
The word stung, even though she’d heard it whispered behind her back throughout their marriage. Hearing him say it outright ripped away any remaining illusions.
“Just you and me against the world, little one,” she murmured. “We’ll be okay. ”
The doorbell rang. Three short, impatient bursts.
That’ll be Hector. Then again, longer, more insistent. Paige’s face crumpled at the jarring sound, and she began to wail. Elsa soothed her, set her down in her crib, and hurried to the door.
“Coming, Hector, calm down. ”
She pulled the door open and froze. The man standing in her doorway wasn’t Hector. He towered over her with broad shoulders stretching the fabric of his expensive dress shirt, dark hair cut short and precise, strong jaw currently clenched tight, and eyes narrowed with barely contained fury.
His scent flooded her senses. Even with her dulled, wolfless abilities, she could detect the powerful alpha pheromones rolling off him in waves. “Where is she? ” he demanded, looking past Elsa into the apartment.
“Where’s my daughter? ”
Elsa’s heart stuttered. His daughter. The scent.
Now she recognized it—the undertone present in Paige’s softer baby smell. This was Keith, Lola’s mate. “In her crib,” she responded automatically, stepping between him and the doorway. His eyes snapped to hers, surprise flickering across his features at her boldness.
Something strange passed between them—a pulling sensation in Elsa’s chest, like a hook behind her ribs. She attributed it to the intimidating presence of an alpha in her territory. “Bold of you to lecture after kidnapping my child,” Keith said, voice lowered but no less intense. “I didn’t kidnap her.
Her mother—”
“Her mother is dead. ” He cut her off, pain flashing across his face so quickly she almost missed it. Before she could react, he moved her aside with a firm but careful pressure on her shoulder. “I’m taking my daughter home.
”
Elsa followed him as he strode into the apartment, nostrils flaring as he tracked Paige’s scent to the bedroom. Confusion swirled in her mind. This wasn’t how Lola described him. He didn’t seem like a man who would reject his child for being wolfless.
He seemed desperate to find her. “Wait,” she said, hurrying after him. “You don’t understand. Lola wanted me to take care of Paige because—because what?
”
Keith turned sharply in the bedroom doorway. “Because she’s wolfless,” Elsa said quietly. “Like me. Lola said you wouldn’t want a child without a wolf.
That you needed an heir with a strong bloodline. ”
Keith stared at her, genuine shock replacing anger. “What? ”
Paige cried out again, and Keith turned toward the sound.
He approached the crib, his movements suddenly uncertain. He looked down at his daughter, and something in his expression broke open—grief, love, longing all mingled together. He reached down as if to pick her up, then hesitated, hands hovering awkwardly. “Let me,” Elsa said gently, placing a hand on his arm.
He tensed at the contact, but stepped back, allowing her to lift Paige. The cries softened to hiccuping whimpers, then quiet. Keith watched them, his expression unreadable before turning away as if the sight was painful. “Lola wanted me to have Paige for a reason,” Elsa said carefully.
“She made me promise to care for her. ”
Keith’s shoulders stiffened. “She had no right to make that decision without me. No right to give my daughter away.
I’m taking Paige back. ”
Elsa stroked Paige’s back. “Actually, according to pack law, she had every right. You were outside your territory, which makes the Luna the acting authority in your absence.
If she decided and signed papers for Paige to go to me, I have every legal right to keep her. ”
Keith turned slowly, surprise and something like reluctant admiration crossing his face. “I may not have a wolf, but I was raised in a pack,” Elsa shrugged. The alpha crossed his arms.
“Pack law might give you standing, but human law would consider this kidnapping. You really want to risk that? ”
“You’re an alpha and yet you’d call humans on me? ”
“Do you really doubt I would?
” His eyes locked with hers. “This is my child. ”
Paige is his child. And despite what Lola said, he clearly wants her.
Doubt crept in. Lola must have been wrong about him. But why would she lie? Why give her child away if not for a compelling reason?
“I promised Lola I would look after Paige,” she said softly. Keith watched them together, his expression softening almost imperceptibly as he observed how comfortable Paige was in Elsa’s arms. He exhaled heavily, seeming to come to some internal decision. “Then do,” he said, his tone resolute.
Elsa blinked. “What? ”
“Come home with us. Work for me as Paige’s nanny until we can come to a more permanent arrangement.
That way you keep your promise to Lola and I get my daughter back. ”
Elsa considered the offer. This would give her time to observe Keith with Paige, to see if he truly accepted her regardless of her wolfless status, to understand why Lola made such a drastic choice. “All right,” she agreed cautiously.
“For Paige’s sake. ” She shifted the baby to one arm and extended her hand. “I’m Elsa, by the way. Elsa Richards.
”
Something flickered in his eyes. “I know. ” He hesitated, then reached back. “Keith Caldwell.
”
The moment their skin touched, an electric current seemed to spark between them—a jolt that raced up Elsa’s arm and spread through her chest. Keith dropped her hand as if burned, stepping back abruptly. “We leave now,” he said curtly, turning away. “Pack what you need for yourself and the baby.
”
As he strode from the room, Elsa remained frozen, staring at her hand where warmth still lingered from his touch. —
Elsa gazed out the car window as it wound up the long driveway, pine trees standing on either side. Paige slept in her car seat, oblivious to the tension surrounding her. “The nanny quarters are in the east wing,” Keith said, breaking the hour-long silence between them, “close to the nursery.
”
The house staff awaited them at the entrance, a row of impeccably dressed shifters with carefully neutral expressions. Only their scents betrayed their curiosity about the wolfless woman carrying their alpha’s child up the grand staircase. “Martha will show you to your room,” Keith said stiffly. He hesitated, eyes lingering on Paige before looking away.
“I have pack business to attend to. ”
A plump, gray-haired woman stepped forward with a gentle smile. “This way, miss. ”
Elsa followed Martha down plush carpeted hallways adorned with paintings of forest landscapes and past alpha leaders.
Paige stirred against her shoulder, taking in the new surroundings with wide eyes. “Here’s the nursery,” Martha said, opening a door to reveal an extravagant room decorated in soft greens and golds. “Master Keith had it prepared years ago, though it’s never been used until now. ”
Years ago, before Paige was even born.
The revelation sat uncomfortably with Elsa. “And your quarters,” Martha continued, showing Elsa into a joining room, tastefully appointed with a full-sized bed, dresser, and sitting area. “You’ll have privacy, but be close enough to hear the little one. ”
Elsa set Paige down on the bed, surrounding her with pillows.
“Martha, I’d like to see Lola’s room. ”
Martha’s eyebrows rose slightly, but she nodded. “Of course. I thought you might want to gather some of her things.
Items with her scent for the baby. ”
“Exactly,” Elsa said, relieved at the woman’s understanding. Martha led her down another hallway to a set of double doors. “This was the Luna’s private suite.
”
The room was frozen in time—a book still open on the nightstand, perfume bottles arranged on the vanity, a silk robe draped over a chaise lounge. Lola’s scent lingered, fading but present. Jasmine and vanilla with an undertone of something wild. Elsa moved through the space quietly, as if afraid to disturb the memories.
“This wasn’t the master bedroom,” she observed, noting the absence of masculine touches. Martha busied herself opening a drawer, avoiding Elsa’s eyes. “No. The alpha suite is in the west wing.
”
“I see. ” Elsa picked up a cashmere throw from the foot of the bed, knowing Paige would find comfort in her mother’s scent. “They didn’t share a room. ”
Martha sighed, her professional reserve cracking slightly.
“Not for the past five years or so. It wasn’t always that way, but—” She shrugged. “Things changed. ”
“They were fighting?
”
“That’s the strange thing. ” Martha folded a silky scarf, adding it to the small pile of items for Paige. “They didn’t fight. They just drifted apart.
Became like strangers living under the same roof. Cold, distant. ”
Elsa frowned. “But they were mated.
The bond doesn’t allow for that kind of separation. ”
Martha nodded knowingly. “That’s what made it so hard on them both. Neither doing well with it, especially the Luna.
Looking like she was wasting away from inside. ” She lowered her voice. “Master Keith started taking more trips, staying away for weeks sometimes. And the Luna—she became reckless.
When those rogues were spotted on our borders, the security team advised waiting for reinforcements, but she insisted on leading the patrol herself. ” She shook her head sadly. “It wasn’t like her. Not until these last few years.
”
The sound of a throat clearing made them both jump. Keith stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable, but his scent sharp with displeasure. “Martha, I believe the kitchen needs your attention,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Of course, Alpha.
” Martha hurried past him with an apologetic glance at Elsa. Keith’s gaze swept over the room, pain flashing briefly across his features before his mask of indifference returned. “Find what you need? ”
“Yes.
For Paige. ”
He nodded once, then turned to leave. “Dinner is at seven. ”
Alone in Lola’s room, Elsa gathered the items for Paige and walked to the window, gazing out at the forest beyond.
Something wasn’t adding up. A mated pair growing cold and distant. Lola’s recklessness. Her desperate final wish to keep Paige away from Keith.
“What were you hiding, Lola? ” she whispered to the empty room. “What really happened between you two? ”
—
The grandfather clock in the hallway chimed three times.
Three in the morning, and Paige had been fussing since midnight. New place, new sounds, new smells. It was no wonder she was unsettled. Elsa paced the length of the nursery, bouncing Paige gently with each step.
“Shh, sweetheart. Everything’s okay. I’m right here. ”
Nothing seemed to work.
Not the rocking chair, not the soft lullabies, not the gentle back pats that usually soothed her. The move had disrupted everything familiar. A soft knock at the door made Elsa turn. Keith stood in the doorway, hair rumpled in the dim glow of the nightlight.
“I heard her crying. Is something wrong? ”
“Just having trouble settling. I’m sorry if we woke you.
”
Keith stepped into the room, concern evident on his usually stoic face. “You didn’t. I was listening. Has she been like this all night?
”
“About three hours now. I think it’s the new environment. Too many unfamiliar scents. ”
To her surprise, understanding flashed across Keith’s face.
“Pack cubs often have trouble sleeping in new places. Their senses are overwhelmed. ”
“Is there something that helps? ” Elsa asked, too exhausted to maintain her usual wariness around him.
Keith hesitated, then approached. “May I? ” He extended his arms. Elsa carefully transferred the fussing baby, watching as Keith awkwardly adjusted his hold.
His large hands nearly engulfed Paige’s tiny form, but he was gentler than Elsa expected. Without warning, he sat in the rocking chair and shifted Paige against his bare chest. The baby stilled almost immediately, her tiny hand splaying against his skin. “Skin contact,” Keith explained, noticing Elsa’s surprise.
“It helps them sense parental pheromones more directly. ”
Elsa sank onto the ottoman, relief and curiosity mingling as she watched Paige’s eyes grow heavy against her father’s chest. “I didn’t know that. ”
They sat in silence for several minutes, the only sound Paige’s gradually slowing breaths.
Keith rocked gently, his expression softening as he watched his daughter drift toward sleep. “I expected you to be angrier,” Elsa finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. “About Lola giving her to me. ”
Keith’s rocking slowed.
“I was. I am. ” His jaw tightened, but his hold on Paige remained gentle. “But anger won’t help her sleep.
”
“No, it won’t,” Elsa agreed, a tentative smile forming. For the first time, she saw beyond his alpha exterior to the father beneath—a man learning to put his child’s needs above his own feelings. “I never wanted to take her from you,” she added, needing him to understand. “I just wanted to honor my promise to Lola.
”
Keith met her eyes, his gaze lingering longer than necessary. “I don’t know why Lola did what she did,” he said, his voice dropping to a lower register that sent an unexpected shiver down Elsa’s spine. “But I’m grateful she chose you. ”
Something warm and unfamiliar unfurled in Elsa’s chest.
When their arms accidentally brushed, a jolt of electricity raced through her, so powerful she gasped softly. “What was that? ” she whispered, unable to stop herself. Keith inhaled sharply, his pupils dilating slightly as his gaze snapped to hers.
He took a deliberate step back. “It’s late. The move has been stressful for everyone. ”
For one breathless moment, he didn’t move away.
His free hand rose as if to touch her face, hovered in the space between them. “I can’t,” he whispered, so quietly she almost didn’t hear it. Before Elsa could ask what he meant, he pulled away, crossing to the door in three long strides. “Keith, wait.
”
He paused at the threshold, his back to her, shoulders rigid with tension. “This—whatever you’re feeling—it’s not what you think. It can’t happen. But if she wakes again, come get me.
You don’t have to handle this alone anymore. ”
With that, he was gone, leaving Elsa staring at the empty doorway, her hand still tingling from where it touched his skin. —
One month later, Elsa winced at the sound of Paige’s teething ring hitting the marble floor for the fifth time. The baby giggled, delighted with her new game of drop and watch.
“You’re developing quite the sense of humor,” Elsa said, retrieving the toy. From his position at the breakfast table, Keith glanced up from his newspaper, his eyes following Paige’s movements with quiet intensity. When their eyes met across the room, that now-familiar warmth spread through Elsa’s chest—a sensation that hadn’t diminished with time, but grown stronger. The house phone rang, and Martha appeared in the doorway.
“It’s for you, Miss Richards. Your husband. ”
“Ex-husband,” Elsa corrected gently, settling Paige into her high chair. “I’ll take it in the study.
”
In the privacy of the oak-paneled study, Elsa steeled herself. “Hector, what is it this time? ”
“You moved in with them? You’re working as a nanny for some alpha who actually wants his defective child.
Do you realize how this makes me look? ”
“The divorce papers have been filed. My choices are no longer your concern. ”
“They are when you’re still technically my wife.
The pack is talking, Elsa. They’re saying I wasn’t man enough to keep you. That you ran straight to a stronger wolf. ”
The familiar barb stung less than it used to.
“We’ll be divorced soon enough, Hector. Then you can tell whatever story makes you feel better. ”
She hung up, catching her reflection in the window glass. Something had changed in her face—a subtle glow to her skin, a brightness that made her pause.
Was it just her new confidence, or something more? A few weeks later, Elsa cheered as Paige pulled herself up on the coffee table, wobbling proudly on unsteady legs. “You’re going to be walking before we know it. ”
Keith entered silently, Elsa sensing his presence before she saw him.
“She’s advancing quickly. ”
“She is. ” Keith set a box on the table, careful to maintain distance between them. “These arrived from storage.
Lola’s photo albums. I thought for Paige when she’s older. ”
Elsa’s surprise must have shown on her face, because Keith added somewhat defensively, “She should know her mother. ”
Their hands touched briefly as she took the box, and for a moment neither moved.
Keith’s pupils dilated slightly before he stepped back, clearing his throat. “Thank you,” Elsa said softly. “It’s very thoughtful. ”
He nodded once, then left—his retreat becoming a familiar pattern.
Closeness followed by swift withdrawal, as if fighting some inner battle. Later, Elsa flipped through the albums. Photos of a younger Lola smiled up at her—class pictures, family gatherings, the Lola she knew. Confident, level-headed, practical.
She paused at a photo taken at Lola’s birthday party five years ago, the last time they’d seen each other before the day at the estate. Lola stood radiant in a silver dress, arm linked with Elsa’s, Hector scowling slightly in the background. “She was so happy then,” Elsa murmured to Paige. “Not at all someone who would throw herself recklessly into danger.
”
As she tucked the album away, the contradiction gnawed at her. The Lola she knew wouldn’t make irrational decisions, wouldn’t give away her child without an ironclad reason. But that reason couldn’t be what Lola claimed—Keith’s rejection of a wolfless child. He may be awkward with Paige, but his devotion was obvious in a hundred small ways.
And as for his attitude toward wolfless shifters—when the pack’s third had made a dismissive comment about Elsa’s “unfortunate condition” last week, Keith’s response had been immediate and cutting. “Ms. Richards has shown more loyalty and commitment to this pack’s future than you have, Collins. I suggest you remember that before opening your mouth again.
”
The memory of his defense warmed her still. No one had ever stood up for her like that. Not her parents, not Hector, no one. —
Three months later, Paige babbled, “Ma!
” reaching for Elsa as she stirred oatmeal at the kitchen counter. The spoon clattered against the bowl. Elsa froze, glancing toward Keith, who sat at the table reviewing territory reports. The air between them thickened with unspoken tension.
“That’s just babbling,” Elsa said quickly. “All babies make those sounds. ”
Keith set his pen down carefully. “But she’s reaching for you.
”
“I am the one who feeds her most often. It’s natural she associates me with—”
“With being her mother. ” Keith’s voice was quiet, but not angry as she’d expected. Instead, there was a strange resignation in his tone.
Elsa abandoned the oatmeal and knelt before Paige’s high chair. “Your mama was beautiful and brave. Her name was Lola, and she loved you very much. ”
When she rose, Keith was watching her with an intensity that stole her breath.
His focus had shifted from Paige to her, his gaze lingering on her face with unmistakable hunger. For one suspended moment, the kitchen seemed to shrink around them, the distance between their bodies charged with electricity. Then Paige squealed, breaking the spell. Keith stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor.
“I’ll be in my study,” he muttered, leaving the room with hurried steps. Later, after Paige had been put down for her nap, Elsa found herself drawn to Keith’s study as if pulled by an invisible thread. She hovered in the doorway, watching him stare out the window at the forest beyond. “I’m sorry about this morning.
I don’t want to confuse her about who her mother is. ”
Keith turned, his expression carefully controlled, though his scent betrayed a complex mix of emotions. “Do you have any idea—” He stopped. Elsa walked up to him.
“Keith, why do you think she might have wanted to give Paige to me? ”
The direct question caught Keith off guard. “No,” he said, looking away. But the tension in his shoulders told Elsa he wasn’t being completely honest.
“Keith, it doesn’t make sense. Lola wasn’t irrational. She wouldn’t have given Paige to me without a compelling reason. But everything she told me about you wanting a child with a wolf spirit—it clearly isn’t true.
”
“No, it isn’t. ”
“Then why? ”
“I don’t know. ” He cut her off, turning back to the window.
When Elsa moved to leave, his hand caught her wrist, the touch sending shockwaves up her arm. “Our bond was complicated toward the end. ”
They stood frozen, connected by his grip on her wrist, his thumb unconsciously stroking the pulse point there. Finally, Keith released her, stepping back as if burned.
“I will not speak of this again. ”
The dismissal was clear, but his eyes told a different story—one of conflict and restraint. Elsa couldn’t shake the feeling that Keith was withholding something crucial. Something that might explain Lola’s desperate final choice.
That night, as she rocked Paige to sleep, questions tumbled through Elsa’s mind. What could drive mated wolves apart against the powerful bond that should keep them connected? And most troublingly—if Lola lied about Keith’s rejection of a wolfless child, what was the real reason she wanted to keep Paige away from her father? —
The full moon cast long shadows across Elsa’s bedroom floor.
Sleep evaded her, as it had most nights since she moved into Keith’s home. She slipped from bed, wrapping a robe around her shoulders. She drifted to the nursery, checking on Paige out of habit, though the baby had slept through the night for weeks. On the dresser sat the photo album Keith gave her.
Elsa lifted it, but it shifted just slightly, its weight uneven. Curious, she lifted it fully and found a leather-bound journal tucked into a hollow behind the last page. Her pulse quickened. She recognized it—the same journal she’d glimpsed under Lola’s pillow months ago.
Elsa hesitated, then drew it out and settled on the window seat, bathed in moonlight. The first pages were routine pack territory notes, household details. But as she reached entries from five years ago, the tone changed. *May 12.
My birthday. Keith wasn’t even supposed to attend. But he surprised me, arriving just as the party reached its peak. Everything was perfect.
Then he froze. I’ve never seen anything like it. His entire body went rigid. His eyes locked on someone across the room.
Through our bond, I felt it—a violent seismic shift, as if the Earth had tilted on its axis. I knew instantly what was happening. Keith, with whom I share a bond of convenience, had just found his fated mate. He excused himself moments later, locked himself in the study for nearly an hour.
When he emerged, he was pale, shaking. He avoided her completely for the rest of the night. And she had no idea. Didn’t even notice him.
*
Fated mate. The term was almost mythical among wolves—a connection so rare and powerful it transcended ordinary bonds. Elsa could hardly imagine such torment. Turn the page, drawn deeper into the tragedy unfolding in the faded ink.
*May 13. When I confronted him this morning, he finally broke. “I can’t explain it,” he said. “I’ve never felt anything like it.
It was like being struck by lightning. ” I asked if he wanted to be released from our bond. He looked horrified at the suggestion. “Never.
What I felt was instinct, animal, nothing more. I made vows to you, Lola. I keep my vows. ” He begged me not to tell her.
Said he would master these feelings, bury them so deep they’d never surface again. But the truth sits between us now, like a third presence in our marriage. *
*August 30. It’s been three months and nothing has improved.
If anything, it’s worse. Keith tries, gods how he tries, but I can feel him pulling away. The worst moments are when her name comes up in conversation. He asks questions that seem casual, but I feel his desperation through our bond.
He’s never met her properly, never even spoken to her. Yet she occupies his thoughts more than the mate who shares his bed. *
A strange tightness formed in Elsa’s chest. The thought of Keith belonging to someone else, even by fate’s design, brought an unexpected pang.
Surely she had no claim on him. Yet the feeling persisted, sharp and insistent. *December 18. We’re sleeping in separate rooms now.
It’s better this way. I can’t bear to feel him dreaming of her, even unconsciously. She haunts us both now. The woman who holds my mate’s soul in her unwitting grasp.
*
Elsa sighed. What kind of woman could hold such power over an alpha? And where was she now? The entries continued, charting Lola’s spiral through grief, anger, and finally desperate hope.
*February 6. I’m pregnant. The healer confirmed it today. Keith’s face when I told him—I’ve never seen such raw hope.
Perhaps this is our salvation. A child to bind us, to remind us of what matters beyond primal pulls and mystical bonds. *
*December 10. Paige is three months old today.
Perfect in every way except the one that matters to our kind. I’ve known since she was born, though I’ve hidden it from Keith. She has no wolf spirit. I watch Keith with her, so gentle, so careful.
But the pack will care. They’ll whisper as they’ve done about others without wolves. Last night, I dreamed they were together—Keith, Paige, and her—a family. In my dream, they were happy.
Paige was laughing, reaching for them both. And the strangest thing happened. I felt peace. Real peace, for the first time in years.
*
The final entries grew increasingly erratic, desperate. Elsa’s breath caught as she turned to the final entry, dated just two days before Lola’s death. *March 4. I dreamed of them again last night.
The three of them together, a true family bonded by love and fate. In my dream, Paige called her mama. And it felt right. As if this was always how things were supposed to be.
It’s decided then. I’ve updated my will. If anything happens to me, Elsa gets temporary guardianship of Paige. I know Keith will fight it.
His pride, his duty to his bloodline. But Elsa is stronger than anyone knows. She’ll stand her ground. When Keith comes for Paige, he’ll have to face Elsa.
And maybe then, finally, she’ll feel the bond, too. Her wolfless nature may have dulled her senses at my birthday, but with time, with proximity, I believe she’ll feel it. The connection that has haunted my marriage for five years. And if I’m right, if they find each other, if they claim what fate intended all along, then Paige will have both her father and a mother who understands her perfectly.
Keith will have his fated mate, the one his soul has been crying out for. And Elsa, dear sweet Elsa, who settled for that pompous beta who treats her like a consolation prize—she’ll finally have the love and respect she deserves. *
The journal slipped from Elsa’s numb fingers, landing with a soft thud on the window seat. Her mind reeled, unable to process the revelation.
She was Keith’s fated mate. The woman whose very existence tore apart his marriage to Lola. The one whose unwitting presence caused such pain. Memories flooded back.
Lola’s birthday five years ago. She remembered arriving late, flustered after arguing with Hector about attending at all. She recalled Lola embracing her, whispering, “I’m so glad you came. ” But she had no memory of Keith.
But these past months in his home—the pull she’d felt toward him from the moment they met, the electric current that passed between them with every accidental touch, the dreams that left her breathless and aching. “Is this what a fated bond feels like? ” she whispered. “This certainty, this inevitability, this constant awareness?
”
And if she was Keith’s fated mate, then Keith had known since the moment he saw her standing in her apartment doorway. Just as he’d fought it with Lola. The sound of the door opening made her gasp. Her head snapped up to meet Keith’s gaze.
He stood frozen in the doorway. “It’s me,” Elsa said, barely above a whisper. “I’m your fated mate. ”
The words hung in the air—fragile, devastating.
Keith’s expression twisted—shock, longing, then grief. His jaw tightened as if holding himself together. “You were never supposed to know,” he murmured, voice rough. Elsa rose from the window seat, clutching Lola’s journal to her chest like a shield.
“You knew from the moment you saw me at Lola’s birthday. Five years ago. And you never told me. Never came looking.
”
The hurt in her voice surprised her. Keith’s hands clenched. “I was mated to Lola. I made vows.
”
“And you kept them,” she said gently. “Even when it tore you apart. ”
Something flickered in his eyes—raw hunger restrained for a heartbeat. Elsa thought he’d cross the room.
Instead, he stepped back. “It doesn’t matter now. What’s done is done. ”
“Doesn’t matter?
Keith, this explains everything. The pull between us. How Paige lights up around both of us. Even why Lola—”
His voice cut sharp.
“Don’t use her name to justify this. ”
“I wasn’t. ”
“You think this is some beautiful fate that Lola died so we could be together? She’s dead, Elsa.
Because of me. Because of this curse. ”
“That’s not what her journal says. She wanted—”
“I know what she wanted.
” Keith roared, alpha power crackling in the air. Paige stirred in her crib with a soft whimper. Elsa rushed to her, soothing her gently. When she looked up, Keith’s rage had faded to something worse—resignation.
“You and Paige should leave in the morning,” he said flatly. “Go back to your apartment. ”
“You’re sending us away because I’m your mate? ”
“It’s better this way for everyone.
”
“How? ” Elsa snapped. “How is tearing Paige from her father better? Denying what we are?
”
“Because I destroy everything I touch,” he exploded. “I failed Lola. I can’t do this again. I won’t fail you or her.
”
“You won’t,” Elsa said, tears streaming. “Paige needs you. And I—I love you. Before I knew.
Before I understood why being near you felt like home. ”
Keith closed his eyes, pain written across his face. “I won’t let you push us away because you’re afraid,” Elsa said. Keith shook his head.
“This isn’t fear. ”
Paige’s sudden cry sliced through the tension. Elsa moved, but Keith was faster, scooping the baby into his arms with effortless tenderness. “Da,” Paige said, patting his cheek.
Keith flinched like he’d been struck. “Do you think she’d miss me? If I were to give her up? Give you?
”
“Of course she’d miss you,” Elsa snapped. “What are you talking about, Keith? You’re her father. ”
Keith retreated.
“Elsa, don’t. ”
“I’ve read Lola’s journal. I know how you tried to honor your vows to her despite the fated bond pulling you toward me. ”
“Then you know why this can’t happen,” Keith said, gesturing between them.
“Why I don’t deserve—”
“It’s not about what you deserve,” Elsa cut in. “It’s about what your daughter needs. And she needs her father. And a mother—the one Lola chose for her.
”
“She was dying. Not thinking clearly. ”
“She was thinking of Paige. Not bonds, not herself—her daughter.
”
“I failed Lola. I’ll fail you, too. ”
“You didn’t fail her,” Elsa said. “You loved her the best you could with a heart that was never fully yours to give.
”
Keith pulled Paige closer. “I made her feel less than she was. Like she couldn’t measure up. ”
“But not by choice.
No one’s to blame. Did you read her final entries? She gave her daughter to me because she trusted I’d love her like my own. Because she believed we’d find each other.
All three of us. ”
“I want to believe that,” Keith whispered. “But how could seeing me with someone else bring her peace? ”
“Because she loved you,” Elsa said, placing her hand on his arm.
Paige reached toward Elsa, then toward both of them. “Mama,” Paige said clearly. Tears sprang to Elsa’s eyes. She met Keith’s gaze.
His expression softened—something protective, fierce, and full of awe sparking in his eyes. “If we do this, there’s no going back,” he murmured. “The bond—it’ll be permanent. ”
Keith lifted a hand to Elsa’s cheek, trailing gently to the nape of her neck.
“Good,” Elsa said, “because I’m not leaving. Not again. ”
He leaned in, pressing his forehead to hers. “I fought this for five years.
”
“You don’t have to fight anymore,” she whispered, cupping his jaw. When their lips met, it felt like something finally falling into place. The kiss deepened—tender at first, then urgent—the bond flaring between them like fire. When they pulled apart, breathless, Paige giggled, patting both their faces with delight.
—
Six months later, the grand ballroom of the Ironwood estate glowed with the soft light of crystal chandeliers. Pack members in formal attire lined the marble hall, their attention fixed on the ornate dais where Keith stood in an impeccable black suit. “Tonight we gather not just for celebration,” his powerful voice resonated throughout the elegant space, “but to formally recognize our Luna. ”
Elsa stepped forward, Paige balanced on her hip.
The toddler wore a tiny silver dress matching her mother’s elegant gown. A collective murmur of approval rippled through the assembled guests. “My fated mate,” Keith continued, taking Elsa’s hand. “Mother to my daughter.
Strength of our pack. ”
The traditional claiming ceremony passed in a blur of ancient words and modern promises. When Keith placed the delicate silver circlet on her head, symbol of her status as Luna, Elsa felt a surge of emotion so powerful it stole her breath. From wolfless outcast to Luna of the most powerful pack in the region.
From barren and worthless to mother and mate. The journey still felt dreamlike at times. Afterward, during the reception, Elsa noticed a familiar figure at the edge of the gathering. Hector stood stiffly among a delegation from neighboring packs, his eyes fixed on her with undisguised shock.
Keith followed her gaze, his arm tightening possessively around her waist. “Shall I have him removed? ” he murmured against her ear. Elsa smiled, leaning into her mate’s embrace.
“No need. Let him see what he threw away. ”
As if sensing the attention, Hector approached, offering a formal bow. “Luna Caldwell.
Congratulations on your claiming. ”
“Thank you,” Elsa replied serenely, watching him struggle to reconcile the confident woman before him with the wolfless wife he’d discarded. Paige chose that moment to squirm in Keith’s arms, reaching for Elsa. “Mama,” she demanded.
Elsa took her daughter, feeling the weight of Hector’s stare as he witnessed what he once declared impossible. Elsa as mother, as Luna, as complete. “Quite a turn of events,” Hector managed. As he retreated, Elsa exchanged a look with Keith that spoke volumes—of triumph, of belonging, of a future neither could have imagined before fate and courage brought them together.
She may not have a wolf, but Elsa had something far more precious. A family built on choice as much as destiny. A place where she truly belonged.
