The beeping of hospital monitors had become the soundtrack to our lives. My daughter Violet lay in the sterile bed, her small frame dwarfed by medical equipment. Kidney failure. Those two words had shattered our world five years ago, and now time was running out.
"Mommy," Violet whispered, her voice barely audible over the machines. "Do you think Daddy will come tomorrow?"
I brushed her thin hair back from her forehead. "Of course, sweetheart. It's your birthday."
"And we'll go to the Moonlight Fair? All three of us?" Hope flickered in her emerald eyes—eyes just like mine.
"Yes, Violet. I already asked him, and he promised." I forced a smile, ignoring the doubt gnawing at my heart. Julian had broken so many promises before.
Violet's face lit up with joy I hadn't seen in months. "Really? Daddy promised?"
I nodded, squeezing her fragile hand. The doctors had given her days, maybe hours. This birthday might be her last, and her only wish was to spend it with her father—the Alpha King who could never find time for her.
The next morning, I dressed Violet in her warmest clothes. The weather had turned unexpectedly cold, but nothing would stop us. We waited at the Moonlight Fair entrance, the colorful lights and cheerful music a stark contrast to the heaviness in my chest.
One hour passed. Then two.
"He's just running late from work, right Mommy?" Violet asked, her lips turning slightly blue despite the heavy coat.
"I'm sure he is, sweetheart." I dialed Julian's number for the twentieth time. Straight to voicemail.
Three hours. Violet refused to sit in the wheelchair I'd brought, insisting on standing so her father would see her right away.
"Maybe he forgot," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Maybe he's with Isabelle again."
My heart cracked at her words. "Let me try once more."
This time, someone answered. Not Julian, but his assistant.
"The Alpha King is unavailable. He's at Disney with Ms. Beaumont and her daughter for a special celebration."
The world tilted beneath my feet. "But today is his daughter's birthday. Violet is waiting for him at the Moonlight Fair. He promised."
"I'm sorry, Luna Aurelia. He left strict instructions not to be disturbed."
When I turned back, Violet had collapsed. Her small body convulsed on the cold ground, her breathing shallow and rapid.
"VIOLET!" I screamed, gathering her in my arms. "Someone help us!"
At the hospital, the doctors worked frantically, but I could see in their eyes what I refused to accept. Violet's organs were shutting down.
"Mommy," she whispered, her eyes fluttering open one last time. "Why does Daddy love Isabelle more than me? Is it because I'm sick?"
I couldn't answer through my tears. Violet's phone slipped from her pocket, the screen lighting up with a video someone had sent her. Julian, Natalie, and Isabelle at Disney. Julian was carrying Isabelle on his shoulders, all of them laughing. A giant banner read: "Happy Birthday, Bella!"
"I just wanted him to love me," Violet whispered.
Then she was gone, her final breath a question I couldn't answer.
The monitor flatlined, its continuous tone announcing what my heart refused to accept. My daughter was dead. And her father wasn't even there to say goodbye.
The funeral home was quiet except for my muffled sobs. I stood alone beside Violet's small body, arranged peacefully on the cremation table.
"Where is everyone?" the staff member asked gently. "Surely the Alpha King..."
"He doesn't know," I said, my voice hollow. "He doesn't even know she's gone."
I pulled out the Moonstone Hair Clip I'd designed for her birthday—tiny healing crystals embedded in a delicate silver setting. I'd spent months crafting it, infusing each stone with protective energy.
"This was supposed to help you get better," I whispered, carefully placing it in her hair. "I'm so sorry it wasn't enough."
The staff member shifted uncomfortably. "The Alpha King should be informed before we proceed."
"He's at Disney," I said, bitterness seeping into my voice. "Celebrating Isabelle Beaumont's birthday with the same party he promised Violet. With the woman he always loved more than us."
The man's eyes widened in shock, but he nodded respectfully. "I understand, Luna Aurelia."
As the cremation began, I stood alone, watching flames consume the daughter Julian had forgotten.
The traffic ahead was at a standstill. I clutched the Moonwood Ceremonial Urn to my chest, Violet's ashes still warm inside. We were stuck on the highway, directly across from Disney.
A massive screen on the park's exterior wall flashed with images—breaking news about the Alpha King's extravagant celebration.
"Alpha King Julian Valois spared no expense for young Isabelle Beaumont's birthday celebration today," the announcer's cheerful voice boomed. "Sources say he rented the entire park for this special occasion!"
The screen filled with images of Julian carrying Isabelle on his shoulders, both laughing. Natalie stood beside them, her hand possessively on Julian's arm.
Natalie was Julian's childhood sweetheart. After she left the pack five years ago, she mated with another wolf and gave birth to Isabelle.
Several months ago, she returned to the pack as a widow. My life was changed overnight.
Julian felt it was hard and pitiful for Natalie to raise a child alone, so he always went to take care of them. He treated Isabelle even better than our daughter Violet.
Now, Isabelle wore a Crystal-Embroidered Princess Gown—the exact dress Violet had begged for, the one Julian had refused to buy because "it's too expensive for a sick child who can't go anywhere."
I turned the urn away from the screen, shielding it as if Violet could still see. "Violet, don't look!" I whispered, tears streaming down my face. "Don't look, baby."
The Silvercrest Manor was silent when I returned. Our wing of the massive estate felt empty without Violet's presence. I carried the urn to her room, still filled with her toys, her books, her dreams.
I sat on her bed all night, cradling the urn, watching the moon track across the sky through her window.
Morning came, and with it, footsteps in the hallway. Julian appeared in the doorway, his expression annoyed.
"Where's Violet? We're supposed to meet the specialist today."
I stared at him, unable to comprehend his words. "What?"
"The kidney specialist. From Europe." He checked his watch impatiently. "Go get her ready."
Something broke inside me. I stood, still clutching the urn. "Get her ready? GET HER READY?"
Julian's eyes narrowed. "What's wrong with you? And what's that?"
I thrust the urn toward him. "This is your daughter! This is Violet!"
He took a step back. "Stop being dramatic. Where is she?"
"Violet's dead!" I screamed, my voice shattering the morning silence. "Where are you going to pick her up? Hell?"
Julian's face hardened. "This isn't funny, Aurelia. I don't have time for your emotional outbursts."
"She died on her birthday," I continued, my voice breaking. "While you were at Disney with your precious Natalie and Isabelle. While you were buying Isabelle the dress you said was too expensive for Violet."
Julian turned away, moving toward the stairs. "You're being unreasonable. I'm going to get Violet myself."
As he reached the stairs, his phone rang. He answered immediately, his entire demeanor changing.
"Bella? What is it, sweetheart?" His voice was gentle, loving—a tone Violet had begged to hear.
A little girl's voice filled the room, sweet and demanding. "Daddy, I miss you. Will you come and accompany me?"