1. Rejected and banished

"I can't believe Luna Delilah dared to push our alpha princess down the staircase."

"Who would have thought that she was so vicious and evil?"

"Isn't it obvious that she was jealous? She was always interested in the alpha princess's mate. Luna Delilah must've thought that she can have alpha princess's mate by killing her!"

Delilah was almost at the verge of losing her calm and shouting at them when the door of the emergency room opened and the nurse asked them to get inside. Delilah immediately got inside, following everyone else, including her mate, alpha Stephen.

"Ashley? How are you feeling now?" Stephen asked in a worried tone as he sat down beside her. Ashley immediately threw her arms around him, holding him tightly and started weeping.

Ashley has a bandage around her forehead. She fell down the stairs a few hours ago which gave her this severe head injury.

Ashley was Stephen's sister whose mate was thrown out of the pack a month ago for cheating on Ashley. He had rumors of going after Delilah as well. As Ashley is away from her mate, her healing power is lost as her wolf is still recovering through the loss.

"I'm sorry, but we couldn't save your baby, Ashley," the doctor said after checking and putting Ashley on the drip.

The doctor's words seemed to be like a death sentence to Delilah. Her heart dropped to her stomach as she started putting the future pieces together. Now, everyone in the pack will think and believe that she harmed Ashley intentionally, even her mate, Alpha Stephen. He was going to believe his sister only!

Ashley began crying hysterically, holding Stephen who had her hand gently on her shoulder. "Why? Why must this happen to me, Stephen? I've lost my mate, and now I lost the only gift he left me. I've lost our baby!"

Ashley's wail was very heartbreaking for everyone. But if only Delilah didn't know the truth, she would have been deeply moved to tears by her performance as well. The portrayal of a heartbroken woman, grieving the loss of her child, was so convincing that it evoked powerful emotions in the onlooker except Delilah.

"Delilah!" Stephen's almost chosen mate, the ex-beta's daughter, Melissa suddenly approached Delilah and raised her hand high, giving her a slap on the cheek, shocking everyone.

Delilah wasn't expecting it and so even after being one of the best warriors in the pack, she couldn't stop her or dodge it. Delilah held her cheek and looked at Melissa in shock before moving her eyes to her mate who just looked at them coldly with no intention of scolding his 'Friend'.

"Are you happy now?" Melissa glared at Delilah. "You have killed her baby! You are so evil and heartless that you pushed her off the staircase! How could you do this to her?!" Melissa shouted in rage.

Delilah ignored Melissa and moved toward Stephen. Her eyes were pleading as she tried to explain, "Stephen, please listen to me, I can explain.."

"What can you explain? You heartlessly pushed my sister off the staircase and jumped with her so everyone thinks that you were also a victim. How vicious are you?" Stephen asked in a cold tone while glaring at her directly into the eyes, sending chills down her spine. But she didn't let the fear consume her because she knew if she couldn't explain herself now, she would never get the chance again.

"I didn't push her! She pushed herself down the stairs and pulled me along! Please believe me!" Delilah tried to explain what really happened frantically, her voice tinged with desperation.

"Do you think everyone is stupid and blind? Why would Ashley jump off the stairs when she knows it's dangerous for her condition?" Stephen snarled, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"I don't know! Ask that to her! But I really didn't push her!" Delilah kept trying to defend herself, her voice shaking with a mix of fear and frustration, but no one paid heed to her words.

"Enough!" Stephen roared, his Alpha aura erupting like a storm, making everyone, including Delilah, cower in fear. "Stop lying and trying to slander my sister. She's suffered enough because of you."

"You've killed my sister's baby. Kneel and apologize to Ashley," he said coldly, his tone slicing through the tension like a blade.

His words made Delilah freeze in her spot again, a sinking feeling settling in her chest. She had known this moment was coming, but the reality of it still stung.

She didn't even want to apologize to Ashley, much less kneel. The very idea of doing those two things was humiliating, a bitter pill she was reluctant to swallow. Anger surged within her, mixing with her fear.

"I'm not going to kneel or apologize. I didn't do anything wrong," Delilah growled, her voice laced with defiance, refusing to be cornered into submission.

"If you don't kneel and apologize, I will divorce you and reject our matebond," he said indifferently, the weight of his words hanging in the air like a heavy cloud.

She froze again, disbelief crashing over her in waves. He was ready to cast her aside and dissolve their bond over something she didn't do? The reality of his words struck her like a physical blow, a painful reminder that she was nothing more than a forced bride in his eyes.

Yes. Even after being his mate, she was a force bride to him. He didn't want to accept her as his mate in the first place but his parents forced him because of the well-being of the pack. But guess he was finally getting free from this forced marriage of theirs.

"You cannot do that to me, Stephen! I am your mate! I didn't have any relationship with Ashley's mate, nor did I push Ashley down!" She shouted in desperation, her voice cracking as she clung to the last shreds of hope. In that moment, she felt more isolated than she had ever felt in her life.

He stood up and came to stand before her, his presence overpowering. Reaching out his hand, he pinched her chin forcefully, his grip a painful reminder of his authority.

"As your alpha, I am now telling you to kneel and apologize to Ashley," he snarled, his command cutting through the air like a blade.

From the corners of her eyes, she saw Melissa smirk, a cruel satisfaction in her expression, while Ashley wore a triumphant smile that made Delilah's heart sink further.

"You believe someone else's words rather than your mate? Can't you see I am hurt as well? I am bleeding as well?!" She clung to a glimmer of hope, still foolishly believing that she could sway his judgment and make him see reason, to see her pain and innocence.

"Enough, Delilah! No matter how many times you try to deny it, the evidence is right in front of us. Everyone saw what you did!" He released her chin forcefully, and she staggered back a few steps from the strength of his push. His rage and love for his sister had clouded his judgment entirely. He wasn't going to believe her, no matter how hard she tried.

"You... You really don't believe me?" She felt her heart turning to ice, the weight of his disbelief crushing her spirit. The realization settled in that defending herself was a futile effort.

"I don't like to repeat my words, Delilah. Kneel and apologize or I'll break our matebond and divorce you," Stephen's voice was as cold as ice, his threat chilling her to the bone.

"I will NEVER kneel or apologize for something I didn't do," Delilah said, her voice trembling with stubborn determination as she locked eyes with him, making her final stand.

"I, Alpha Stephen, Alpha of Crystal Moon Mystery pack, reject you, a warrior, Delilah as my mate!" He uttered those words even before she could blink her eyes and instantly dropped down to her knees as pain spread throughout her body. She looked at him with tears and disbelief in her eyes.

"You are banished from the pack. And remember one thing. I hate you, Delilah! Get out of my pack right this moment!" He snarled, stabbing her for the last time that night. She didn't even have the energy or strength to even say a word.

She got up with the help of the wall and slowly left the hospital as everyone around them was silently watching it. She went back to the pack and started packing.

After she finished packing, she dragged her suitcase and went out without anyone noticing. Everyone was either busy cooking nutritious meals for Ashley in the kitchen or going to the hospital to take care of her.

Looking at the starless night sky, she felt tears stinging her eyes again. Three years of trying to be his perfect mate went down the drain because of a lie, and the weight of that realization bore down on her like a heavy burden.

She began walking toward the pack’s border while dragging her suitcase, each step feeling like an arduous effort. The more she walked, the weaker she felt. Her breathing became heavier, her wounds began to throb as her wolf stopped responding to her, and she felt her vision begin to blur.

Her body swayed, and she fell to the ground, her strength giving out entirely. The sensation of helplessness engulfed her as if she were trapped in a nightmare. She couldn't even move an inch of her body as she felt darkness start to pull her in.

She didn't know what to do, and that's when a face came into view, albeit blurry before her eyes.

"Who are you, trespasser? And what are you doing on my border?" A voice pierced through the haze, both demanding and concerned.

"Please… Help me..." She managed to choke out the words, each syllable a struggle, before finally succumbing to the darkness that had been tugging at her consciousness.