Chapter Four

A week later, the steward brought the twins home from camp. They found me in the kitchen, where a tray of honey oat cakes was nearly ready.

“Mother, did you hear about Vanessa?” Chloe asked. She sounded delighted. “She twisted her ankle leading our trial. Dad was so worried.”

“He called the whole medical team,” Caleb said. “He cleaned it himself and used the moon-dew balm. The expensive one.”

I pulled on the oven mitts.

“He even put off an emergency meeting,” Caleb continued. “He stayed with her and used his Alpha scent to make her feel better.”

“Are you listening?” Chloe stamped her foot. “Dad's so much nicer to her than—”

The timer rang.

I opened the oven, and warm honey and oats filled the kitchen. Both children stopped talking and moved closer.

“Oat cakes.” Caleb rose on his toes. “For the Full Moon Festival? I want one.”

I set the tray on the counter. Most of the cakes were golden, but one had spread badly and burned along the edge. I lifted it with the spatula and tipped it into the trash.

Chloe shrieked. “Why did you throw that away? It's for the Moon Goddess.”

“It's burned. We don't offer ruined cakes, and we don't eat a rejected offering.”

It was a tradition they had watched me follow every year.

“You're lying.” Caleb reached toward the hot cake in the bin, then snatched his hand back when he touched the scorched edge. “You did that on purpose.”

“I took it straight out of the oven.”

“You just don't want us to have any because we like Vanessa more.” He bared his small teeth. “You're jealous. You're a bad mother. You don't deserve your healing gifts.”

“The Moon Goddess won't bless you,” Chloe said. “You're not our mother.”

I pulled off the mitts and laid them beside the tray.

For an instant, I could remember their weight against my body when they were newborns. How carefully I'd held them, how frightened I'd been that I wouldn't have enough strength to keep both of them well.

Now they were glaring at me over a cake I couldn't have served them anyway.

“Fine,” I said. “Then I don't have cubs who talk to me like that.”

Caleb opened his mouth, but I went on.

“Go to your perfect Vanessa. Ask her to make your festival cakes.”

I left the kitchen before either could answer. Their shouting followed me toward the stairs.

“We hate you,” Chloe cried.

“We're telling Dad you insulted the Moon Goddess,” Caleb said. “You'll be sorry.”

I put my foot on the third step. I wanted to get to my room and close the door before I started crying.

“I wish you'd just disappear, you useless Omega!”

Caleb shifted behind me. I caught the scrape of claws against the floor, then his wolf's head struck me hard in the back of the legs.

The blow knocked me off the step. I reached for the rail, missed, and fell sideways from the open edge of the short stair flight onto the tiled floor below.

My head hit first. Pain spread through my back when the rest of my body landed.

For a few seconds, I couldn't take a breath. I tried to focus on the bottom stair, but blood ran from my forehead into my eyes.

The children had climbed above me. Caleb's fangs still showed as he looked down. Chloe stood beside him with her ears pricked, smiling.

“Serves you right,” she said.

“That's what you get for upsetting Vanessa,” Caleb told me. “And for throwing out our cakes.”

I planted a hand on the floor and tried to push myself upright. Pain stopped me. Blood dripped from my chin between my fingers.

Neither child moved to help.

I stared up at them, waiting for something in their faces to change. Caleb had seen me fall. Chloe could see the blood. They knew I was hurt.

The front door opened.

“What is going on in here?” Ronan demanded.

Vanessa came in behind him. They both stopped at the sight of me on the floor.

“Dad!”

The twins' ears and fangs disappeared as they ran to him. Chloe began crying before she reached his side.

“Mother threw away the cakes,” Caleb said. “The ones for the Goddess. She wouldn't give us any.”

“And she said she doesn't want us anymore,” Chloe sobbed.

Ronan looked at the discarded cake in the kitchen bin, then at me.

“Why do you have to pick on them, Elara? They're children.”

I pressed my hand against the wall and tried again to stand. My legs shook under me.

“How can you say that to your own cubs?” he continued. “Do you have any idea how much you've hurt them? What kind of mother does that?”

Blood had soaked the front of my dress. He was looking straight at it, and all he could ask about was their hurt.

“Nothing I do has ever been good enough for you.” My voice was weak, but he heard it. “I understand that now.”

His eyes narrowed. I couldn't tell whether it was my answer or the fact that I'd answered at all that surprised him.

I wiped my cheek. The bond pulled painfully in my chest as I looked from him to Vanessa and the children pressed against his legs.

“You want her as your Luna. They want her as their mother.” I steadied myself against the wall. “I'll step aside. You can have the family you want.”

For once, no one answered immediately.