CHAPTER 5: BANISHED FROM MY HOME

I woke up to someone shaking my foot.

“Get up.”

I groaned, every muscle in my body screaming in protest. My ribs were on fire, my face felt swollen, and when I tried to open my left eye, it wouldn’t budge.

“I said get up, Elysia. You’re not dying on my watch.”

I forced my good eye open. Mira stood over me, her face pale, her hands shaking as she held out a wet cloth.

“What…” My voice came out raspy, broken.

“Don’t talk. Just…just let me clean you up.” She knelt beside me, dabbing at my face, and I hissed when the cloth touched my split lip. “God, Ely. What did he do to you?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Because if I started talking about last night, I’d break. And I couldn’t afford to break again.

“You need to get back to work,” Mira whispered, her voice tight. “Cook is asking for you, and if you don’t show up…”

“I’ll be there,” I croaked.

She looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “Ely, you can barely stand…”

“I’ll be there.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but something in my expression stopped her. She just nodded, helping me to my feet.

Every step hurt. My ribs felt like broken glass shifting under my skin, and my legs wobbled like I’d forgotten how to walk. But I made it to the kitchens, gripping the wall for support.

Cook took one look at me and her face twisted with something that might have been pity. But she didn’t say anything. She just handed me a bucket and a brush and pointed toward the floors.

So I got to work.

Because what else was I supposed to do?

I was scrubbing the same spot for the third time when I heard footsteps behind me.

“Elysia Belrose.”

I froze.

That voice didn’t belong to anyone from the kitchens. It was deeper and more official.

I turned slowly, my heart sinking.

An elder stood in the doorway, his arms crossed, his face expressionless. Behind him, two guards waited.

“You’re summoned,” he said. “Now.”

The room went silent. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared. I could feel their eyes on me, I could hear the whispers starting already.

…Summoned by the elders. That’s never good.

…What did she do now?

… She probably tried to steal something. She’s always been—

“Get moving,” the elder snapped.

I dropped the brush and stood, my legs shaking. Mira caught my eye from across the room, her face pale, her hands gripping the counter so hard her knuckles were white.

I wanted to tell her it would be okay. That this was just a misunderstanding. But I couldn’t lie to her. Not when I didn’t believe it myself.

The walk to the council hall felt like a death march. My ribs throbbed with every step, my vision blurred at the edges, and by the time we reached the heavy wooden doors, I was struggling to stay upright.

The guards shoved them open, and I stumbled inside.

The council sat at a long table, their faces cold and unreadable. Alpha Greaves was in the center, his arms crossed, his expression hard.

And standing to the side, looking every bit the grieving victim, was Killian.

My stomach dropped.

“Elysia,” Killian said, his voice soft, almost pitying. “I tried to warn you.”

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

He stepped forward, blocking my view of the council, and leaned in close enough that only I could hear.

“Kneel,” he whispered. “And beg, then maybe…maybe…I’ll put in a good word for you.”

I stared at him, my chest tight, my hands curling into fists. He wanted me to beg. After everything he’d done. After beating me. After humiliating me. He wanted me to kneel.

“No,” I said.

His eyes darkened. “Wrong answer.”

He stepped back, his expression shifting into something sorrowful, and turned to the council.

“I’m sorry it came to this,” he said, his voice breaking just enough to sound convincing. “But she gave me no choice.”

Alpha Greaves leaned forward. “Explain.”

Killian sighed, running a hand through his hair like he was struggling to find the words. “Last night, after the feast, Elysia approached me. She—she tried to seduce me. When I turned her down, she became… aggressive.”

My blood turned to ice.

“That’s not…” I started, but one of the guards slammed the butt of his spear into the ground, silencing me.

“You’ll speak when spoken to,” Alpha Greaves said coldly.

Killian continued, his voice steady. “She didn’t stop there. She went after the Alpha King next. I believe she tried to drug him. To…to force herself on him.”

The room exploded. Voices overlapped, sharp and angry, and I felt the walls closing in.

“That’s a lie!” I shouted, my voice cracking. “I didn’t…I would never…”

“Silence!” Alpha Greaves roared.

I flinched, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst.

“Do you have proof?” one of the other elders asked, his tone skeptical.

“I do,” a new voice said.

Sabrina stepped into the room, her head held high, her ice-blue eyes locked on me. She looked perfect. Poised. Innocent.

“I saw her,” Sabrina said, her voice trembling just enough to sound genuine. “She was outside my father’s chambers last night. She had a vial in her hand…some kind of herb, I think. When I confronted her, she ran.”

“She’s lying!” I screamed. “I was never…”

“Enough!” Alpha Greaves slammed his fist on the table, and the room fell silent.

He looked at me, his expression disgusted. “Elysia Belrose. You stand accused of attempted seduction and drugging of an Alpha King. These are crimes punishable by death.”

My knees buckled.

Death.

He was going to kill me.

“However,” he continued, “given your… circumstances, the council has decided to show mercy.”

Mercy. Right.

“You will be banished from this pack for one hundred days. If you survive, you may petition to return. If you don’t…” He shrugged. “The Wildlands will take care of you.”

The words didn’t register at first. Banished. One hundred days. I’d be lucky to survive one.

“No,” I whispered. “Please. I didn’t do anything…”

“Take her,” Alpha Greaves said.

The guards grabbed my arms, dragging me toward the doors, and I fought. I kicked and screamed and clawed, but it didn’t matter.

No one was listening.

The last thing I saw before they shoved me through the gates was Mira.

She was sobbing, her hands reaching for me, and when one of the guards shoved her back, she hit the ground hard.

“Mira!” I screamed.

But the gates slammed shut, cutting her off.

And I was alone.