Chapter 2

"Kneel. Now! Do you want the Alpha King to turn his back on our entire pack because of you?"

Claude's voice snapped me back to the present.

I drew in a sharp breath and shouted back, fury burning through my chest.

"Apologize? Everything here came from my hunt. Why shouldn't I be allowed to enjoy it?"

I could have reached out through the mindlink and asked my uncle for the truth right then.

But there was one thing I couldn't understand. Even if Emily truly held a noble identity, what right did she have to strip others of what they earned?

All I wanted was fairness.

When Claude realized I had no intention of bowing my head, his gaze turned vicious. He studied me for a moment. Then he turned, lowering his head respectfully toward Emily.

"Emily, the right to bathe in the Sacred Spring will be yours this time. Please forgive the disrespect shown by our pack."

A chill rushed through me.

I ground my teeth, my voice shaking with restrained rage.

"On what grounds? I mapped the routes. I led the pack forward. When we faced powerful prey, I was bitten and lost my mobility. Even then, I didn't retreat. I fought because I wanted this pack to stop suffering from a lack of resources. I gave everything I had in this hunt!"

I pointed toward the piled carcasses outside the hall.

"All of that. That's at least five years' worth of prey for this pack!"

Then I turned back to Emily.

"And her? She didn't successfully hunt a single animal. Worse, she screamed in fear again and again, drawing in dangerous beasts. Because of her, many of our pack members were injured. What right does she have to bathe in the Sacred Spring?"

No one questioned my words.

The Sacred Spring was meant for the one who contributed the most. Emily clearly didn't qualify.

When no one spoke up for her, she shrieked.

"Ariel, you're out of line! Hunting for the pack is your duty. The Sacred Spring is far too precious. Only someone of my status deserves something like that."

I clenched my fists, my body trembling uncontrollably.

Several pack members were watching me with open sympathy. Others crowded in behind me, trying to calm me down and yield.

I didn't want to hear their empty words. I shook off the hands reaching for me and shouted, my voice cutting through the hall.

"Since when has the right to enter the Sacred Spring been decided by rank? If status is all that matters, then what is the point of our effort?"

I turned to Claude.

"So tell me. If you were the one chosen to bathe in the Sacred Spring, would you really give it up so easily?"

Claude's brows knit together, irritation flashing across his face.

"Ariel, this time you're the one in the wrong. Why did you have to challenge Emily? Are you trying to bring the Alpha King's punishment down on our entire pack?"

I fought the tears threatening to spill.

"What did I do wrong? The Stag King's meat is my rightful reward. It came from my hunt. And her? She hid in the back the entire time. The moment she saw anything bigger, she screamed. She cried from start to finish and needed someone assigned just to protect her. And you want to let someone this useless take my place?"

Before I could finish, Claude roared, the force of it rattling my ears.

"That's enough! Emily is the Alpha King's daughter. And you? You just brought in more prey than usual. That's all. Let me make this clear. Even without hunting, Emily's status alone can bring this pack more resources and benefits than you ever could. Understand the difference between you!"

I let out a cold laugh and took two steps back.

"Your behavior is pathetic. If you wanted to give my place to someone who truly contributed more than I did, I wouldn't object. But I won't accept you giving my right to bathe in the Sacred Spring to a useless shewolf like her—a useless leech who only knows how to enjoy the results of others' work, without contributing a single thing!"

My words pushed Emily over the edge. She pointed straight at me and screamed, "The real useless one is someone who can't recognize the gap in status. You actually think a little contribution can change a lowly identity? Someone like you doesn't deserve to stay in this pack at all."

She spun toward Claude, righteousness painted across her face.

"Claude, keeping someone like her in the pack will only make your leadership harder. If I hadn't come to inspect the packs on my father's orders this time, you might never have noticed such a disruptive presence among you. I propose we exile her!"

I looked calmly around the room.

Not one former friend spoke up for me.

The ones I had shielded during the hunt stood there with their heads lowered, silent.

They were afraid that defending me would drag them down with me.

A cold laugh slipped from my lips.

"There's no need for you to exile me. I'll leave on my own. But remember this. I'm walking away by choice. You didn't drive me out."