Chapter 4

Brock slammed his glass down on the desk. The sound made me flinch. He moved so fast I didn't see it coming. In a heartbeat, he had me pinned against the door, his hands on either side of my head.

"You want the truth?" he hissed, his breath hot against my face. "The bond is everything, Raya. When I touched her, it was like the world finally turned from black and white to color. Everything I felt for you... it was a shadow. A flicker. Compared to her, you are nothing."

I felt the tears finally spill over. "You're lying. You're trying to convince yourself because the pack expects this."

"I don't care what the pack expects," he growled, leaning down so his lips were an inch from mine. "I want her. I want her in my bed, I want her marking my skin, I want her pups. And you? You're a reminder of a life I’ve outgrown."

He grabbed a lock of my hair, tugging it back so I had to look at him. His eyes weren't soft anymore. They were cruel.

"You are a peasant, Raya. An orphan we took in because we had too much food. Don't ever confuse pity for love again."

I reached out, my hand trembling, and touched his chest. I felt the heat of his skin through his shirt. For a second, I thought I felt his heart skip a beat. I thought I saw a flicker of the old Brock in the depths of his pupils.

"Then let me go," I choked out. "Reject me as a friend. Reject me as pack. Let me leave."

Brock’s grip on my hair tightened. His gaze dropped to my lips, and for a terrifying, beautiful moment, I thought he was going to kiss me. I thought he was going to break.

Instead, he leaned into my ear, his voice a lethal whisper.

"You aren't leaving, Raya. You’re going to stay right here in the dirt where you belong. You're going to watch us. You're going to watch me love her. You're going to watch her wear the crown you wanted."

He pulled back, his face a mask of cold stone once more.

"And if you ever try to contact me again, I won't just have you whipped. I'll have you exiled to the Rogue Lands. And we both know you wouldn't last a night out there."

He let go of me as if I were made of glass shards. He walked back to his desk, picking up his drink as if I wasn't even there.

"Get out," he said. "Now."

I turned, my hand on the doorknob, my body shaking so hard I could barely stand. But as I opened the door, a sudden, sharp pain flared in my abdomen. It was a cramp, deep and burning, unlike anything I had ever felt before.

I gasped, doubling over, my hand flying to my stomach.

Brock didn't move. He didn't even look up.

I managed to stumble out into the hallway, my vision tunneling. I needed to get back to the Omega quarters. I needed to hide.

But as I reached the end of the hall, a tall, dark figure stepped out of the shadows, blocking my path.

It was Declan, but he wasn't alone. Behind him stood two of the Elders, their faces grim.

"Raya," Declan said, his voice sounding strange. "The Luna has made a request."

I looked up, my breath hitching in my chest. "What request?"

Declan didn't answer. He just stepped aside, revealing Claire standing behind him. She held a small, silver dagger in her hand—the ceremonial blade used for pack banishments.

"The Alpha is too kind," Claire said, a chilling smile spreading across her face. "He wants to keep his little pet. But I don't like sharing my air."

She stepped toward me, the blade glinting in the moonlight.

"Tell me, Raya," she whispered, leaning in close so only I could hear. "Do you think the Alpha will care if you 'accidentally' fall into the silver-pits tonight?"

The hallway suddenly felt very, very long, and the exit was nowhere in sight.