The lost mate
Chapter 83: Doubt

Chapter 83: Doubt

Anne’s vision blurred with anger. The insult, the arrogance—it all fueled the fire inside her. She was done playing Jessica’s game. She braced herself, preparing to attack, when a sudden voice cut through the noise.

"Enough!"

The command rang out like thunder, halting them both mid-fight. Anne turned to see Liana striding towards them.

Jessica immediately stepped back; she lowered her head in respect. The pack members watching from the sidelines fell silent.

Anne’s heart pounded in her chest, but she stood her ground, still panting from the exertion of the fight.

"What is going on here?" Liana’s voice was sharp, her gaze piercing as it swept over both of them. "This is a disgrace."

Before Anne could respond, Liana turned her attention directly to her. "Anne," she said, her tone carrying the weight of reprimand, "I expected better from you. You’re supposed to be the future Luna of this pack, and yet here you are, fighting in front of everyone like some impulsive child."

Anne felt the sting of Liana’s words, her anger simmering beneath the surface. She opened her mouth to defend herself, but Liana raised a hand, silencing her.

"You need to learn restraint," Liana continued, her voice cold and authoritative. "A Luna does not act on impulse. A Luna leads with grace and control. Fighting like this, letting your emotions dictate your actions, will only weaken your position in this pack."

Liana faced the gathered crowd now, her voice rising so everyone could hear. "The show is over," she declared, her tone final. "Get back to your duties. There’s no more to see here."

Slowly, the pack members began to disperse, though not without a few lingering glances in Anne’s direction. Anne could feel their eyes on her, the weight of their judgement pressing down. She had wanted to show them her strength, but now all she felt was the sharp sting of humiliation.

Liana stepped closer to Anne, her voice dropping to a quieter, but no less stern, tone. "If you keep letting others provoke you like this, you’ll never survive in this pack."

Anne swallowed hard, feeling the truth of Liana’s words, even though they stung. "I understand," she said quietly, though the fire of frustration still burned in her chest.

"Good," Liana replied, her tone softening just slightly. "Learn from this. Next time, show them what a real Luna looks like."

Without waiting for a response, Liana turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Anne standing in the centre of the training grounds.

Jessica cast a final glance in Anne’s direction before stalking off in the opposite direction.

Anne exhaled, her muscles still tense from the fight, she couldn’t iunderstand what did Liana want.

******************************

Ryan bounced through the door, his small backpack slung over one shoulder as he rushed towards Anne, excitement radiating from him. His blue eyes sparkled with pride.

"Mum!" Ryan called out, dropping his bag by the door and running to her. "Guess what I learned today?"

Anne knelt down, brushing a lock of his dark hair away from his face. "What did you learn, sweetheart?" she asked with a gentle smile.

Ryan puffed out his chest.

"I learned that I’m an Alpha!" he declared proudly, his little fists resting on his hips as if the words alone made him stronger.

Anne laughed.

"Of course you are," she said, kissing the top of his head. "You’re the son of an Alpha."

Ryan looked up at her, his eyes curious now. "Are you an Alpha too, Mum?"

The question caught her off guard. She blinked. Anne pondered for a moment, considering her answer. Technically, she wasn’t an Alpha. Her father had been a Beta, which made her one by birth. But her rank in the pack had been that of an Omega.

In the world of werewolves, lineage was everything. Pure-blood Alphas mated with other Alphas, strengthening the power and prestige of their bloodlines. Mixing happened, of course, especially when wolves found human mates or those of lower rank. But it was rare for an Alpha to mate with someone from a lower tier, especially a Beta-turned-Omega like herself.

She didn’t want to dampen Ryan’s excitement or confuse him with pack politics; he was too young to understand. So, she carefully crafted her reply. "No, Ryan. I’m a Beta."

Ryan’s brow furrowed in thought. "A Beta?" He seemed to roll the word around in his head. "Then... why aren’t you an Alpha too?"

His innocent question made her think. She ruffled his hair affectionately, trying to mask the sudden rush of emotions. "That’s a good question, buddy," she said, her voice soft.

The truth was, Damien was a pure-blood Alpha, destined to lead a powerful pack. By all logic and tradition, she shouldn’t have been his mate at all. Wolves of his rank were expected to mate with strong Alphas, ensuring the bloodline remained pure and the pack powerful. But here she was, a Beta by birth, mated to one of the most powerful Alphas in the realm.

Ryan tugged at her sleeve, pulling her back to present. "Mum?" he asked, his voice filled with curiosity. "Why aren’t you an Alpha ?"

Anne hesitated, not sure how to explain something so complicated to a child so young.

"It’s because I was born a Beta," she said, keeping her voice light. "But being a beta isn’t a bad thing. It just means I have different strengths."

Ryan nodded thoughtfully.

"But if Dad’s an Alpha and I’m an Alpha, then you’re still special, right?"

Anne’s heart warmed at his innocent words. She kissed his forehead, smiling as she pulled him into a gentle hug. "Yes, I’m still special. And so are you. We all have our strengths, Ryan. It doesn’t matter what our rank is. What matters is what we do with it."

Ryan seemed satisfied with that answer for now, but Anne couldn’t shake the lingering thoughts from her mind. It didn’t make sense; she should not have been Damien’s mate unless Damien was not a pure blood Alpha or she was switched at birth. Both possibilities were ridiculous.