Chapter 6 The world spun around her as her body crashed down the stairs. Horrible pain shot through her instantly, warm blood streaming from her forehead and making everything blurry. At the top of the stairs, the two pups stood there with evil grins on their faces. "Good!" Cora clapped her hands. "That's what you get for not giving us cake!" Kai made a nasty face. June struggled to get up, blood dripping from her chin onto the floor. She stared at these two little monsters and couldn't believe these were the same pups she'd almost died giving birth to. The front door slammed open. "What the hell is going on?" Alpha Nicholas's deep voice filled the room, with Megan right behind him, and all three of them stopped dead when they saw the scene. "Daddy!" The pups instantly changed their expressions, bursting into fake tears as they ran to him. "Mom threw away the cake and wouldn't let us have any, and she said she doesn't want us anymore!" Nicholas's eyes went from the cake in the trash to June covered in blood, his face getting darker. "June Blackstone, why do you keep starting fights with the pups?" His voice was ice cold: "Saying stuff like that to your own children-do you even deserve to be their mother?" June pushed herself up against the wall, blood soaking through her shirt. She looked at Nicholas and suddenly started laughing. "When have I ever deserved anything in your eyes?" she said hoarsely. "Haven't you always just seen me as some breeding tool for the pack?" Nicholas's eyes went wide. "Since the mate you really want is Megan Silvermoon," June wiped blood from her face, "and the pups only want her as their mom, then I'll get out of the way and let you have your perfect little family." The room went completely silent. Nicholas's face twisted with something ugly as he stared at June like he was seeing her for the first time. "June Blackstone, don't forget," his voice was low and mean, "our mating was just pack politics from the start-there was never any love." "What do you want from me? Love?" He laughed coldly. "Sorry, I can't give you that." June started laughing, and as she laughed, tears ran down her cheeks. He was right, of course. It was her own stupidity, thinking she could make an Alpha fall for her. Nicholas had fallen hard once before, but not for her. She should have known better. "Nick, come on..." Megan stepped in then, pulling on Nicholas's arm. "The pups are terrified. Let's take them upstairs." Nicholas gave June one last hard look, then turned away, picking up both pups as he left with Megan. June watched them walk away, blood still dripping. She regretted everything now-mating with Nicholas, having those pups. In this life, she wasn't going to make the same mistakes. From now on, she was only going to live for herself. Three days later, it was the full moon, and Kai's birthday celebration was being held at the sacred moonstone clearing. Ancient stone circles glowed under the moonlight, and the entire pack had gathered for the ceremony. Nicholas had arranged for the most elaborate full moon celebration in pack history to honor his son's seventh birthday. June stood at the edge of the clearing, watching Kai and Cora hold Megan's hands on either side, running around the moonstone like excited little wolves. The pups stuck to Megan all night, completely ignoring their birth mother. Nicholas stood near the center of the circle, his powerful frame silhouetted against the moonlight, his eyes following Megan with a tenderness June had never seen. "The Alpha's so devoted," someone whispered. "After all these years, he still only has eyes for Miss Silvermoon." "Absolutely," another pack member agreed. "And the pups are the same way-they only care about Megan."