My Mate Killed Our Daughter

As my mate Roderic Ravenshade was returning through the forest to fetch our daughter Aeliana from the clearing where she trained with the younglings, he suddenly sent a sharp thought into my mind—urgent, pressing. He left Aeliana halfway and commanded that I take over. Worried that danger might befall her, despite the fever that burned through my veins, I raced under the silver glow of the moon toward her. But even my fastest stride was too slow. A carriage, black as midnight and unmarked, thundered along the path, striking her and vanishing as if swallowed by shadow. She lay still, her small body broken. I cradled Aeliana against my chest, and the howl of my grief tore through the night. Meanwhile, Roderic’s first mate, Katelyn Crowe, appeared at the edge of my mind, her joy spilling outward as she murmured to the nearby pack, “You always appear just when I need you. I am grateful to have you near.” A memory of them together—their minds entwined, a tender warmth between them—burned into my thoughts. Shaking, I sent a mindlink to Roderic, my voice icy with accusation: “Is this why you left Aeliana alone?” It was only after Aeliana was laid to rest beneath the cold earth, the moonlight silvering her grave, that Roderic finally answered me through the mindlink. “Aeliana is six. She can manage. But Katelyn… she cannot be without me.” “Roderic,” I whispered, my words sharp as claws, “we are done.” I severed the bond, sending my final thought before closing myself to him entirely. Roderic had been my guiding star for thirty cycles of the sun. We had run together through childhood, hunted together under the moon, and everyone knew my loyalty never wavered. I had followed him through heartbreaks, sacrifices, and longings, quietly enduring the pain of unrequited love while he adored Katelyn. When she departed and his heart cracked, I bared mine. And we joined in bond. We had known one another since the age of five, paired in our first hunt at twenty, bonded fully at twenty-six, and brought Aeliana into the world at twenty-nine. Now she was six. For thirty cycles, my gaze never strayed from him. For thirty cycles, my youth burned for him alone. For thirty cycles, I gave everything, believing I would find my place within his heart. But I was mistaken. In his heart, I was second-best. He had always been cherished, while I learned humility, sacrifice, and silence. Even in marriage and motherhood, I dared not demand more than my portion. I moved quietly around him, tending to illness, birthing, and every need without troubling him, for fear my failings would anger him. This was the first time the fever had seized me so fully that I could not act alone. I asked him to fetch Aeliana. But this time, because of Katelyn, he abandoned her, and she was gone. She was only six—so much life and potential cut short. How terrified she must have been, alone, when death claimed her! I knelt at her grave, tears pouring until nothing remained to weep, then rose with a heart hollowed of life. Not long after, I saw Roderic walking through the grove, Katelyn at his side, an urn clutched in her hands, her face pale and weary. His eyes were soft upon her, full of pity and warmth. “Roderic,” she murmured, “the grove is filled with moonlight and the songs of birds. Danny would like it.” Roderic’s expression faltered, but when he caught sight of me, the warmth fled, replaced by cold indifference. “Riana,” he said, voice sharp, “you will never stop, will you? First the bond-breaking, now this. Have you no better purpose?” He strode toward me, brows knit in disdain. “Step aside,” I said, my tone low and lethal, unwilling to offer him another word.