Three

FAITH

“Get off me,” I snapped, pulling my chin away. “I don’t belong to you.” 

“Not yet,” Alpha Cain chuckled cruelly, and I tried to stand on my shaking legs but fell back to one knee. “Get used to this position, White Wolf. You will kneel before me as your king and as your mate soon.” 

I could see the wheels turning in his head as he looked me up and down, and I shook my head before forcing myself the rest of the way up to my feet. Sable was still in Ryan’s arms, and I turned to meet his gaze, to face the man who had just shattered me. 

Only, the second my eyes met his, my stomach rolled, and bile threatened to rise. 

He was no longer my mate. I had no right to meet his stare. He was an Alpha…My Alpha. 

I should have submitted to him, but the stubborn part of me didn’t want to and surprisingly, the urge vanished almost as soon as it had come.

Ryan’s hand raised again, and I flinched away from him, looking down and submitting as another sob got caught in my throat. Hadn’t he hurt me enough? 

“How many times before have I told you that you will submit to me?” He asked, and I shook my head as my body continued to tremble. I felt like I was going into shock. "When will you learn your place?"

Each second, the pain of the rejection kept getting worse, and I expected my wolf to jump in and help to heal me, but she…she wasn’t there. 

I felt around for her, but it was as if there was a large hole in my soul where she used to be as if she had retreated to lick the wounds her mate had just inflicted. 

No, not her mate. 

Ryan was no longer my mate. He had chosen Sable. 

The knife in my chest twisted, and I instinctively turned to the pack that I had led by his side for years. I had loved and cared for all of them, yet no one spoke up. 

In fact, as I stared out at the people I had led by Ryan’s side since I was eighteen, they collectively looked away from me. One of the older women stared at me with pity for a moment longer than the others, and a guard shifted uncomfortably before they, too, looked away. 

“Alpha Cain, I know you weren’t expecting such a weak wolf, but I hope you can look past her failures and still accept her as a peace offering,” Ryan said, and I turned back to him. 

Alpha Cain reached forward, tapping my amulet. A wave of nausea washed through me, and he let out a dark chuckle. “I accept your offering. Her magic… there is so much potential if it’s in the right hands.” 

I shook my head back and forth, the tears falling faster as terror went through me. I wished I could use my power on him, but it wasn’t mine right now. Ryan was still wearing the other half of my amulet, so I couldn’t do anything without him ordering it.

Sable wasn’t going to be mate number four to Alpha Cain. I was. I was the one he was going to use and kill. 

I stared at him in shock, with silent tears streaming down my face, unable to recall how to get my lungs to work properly again as my breathing came in short, rapid gasps. 

Black dots danced across my eyes, and I knew if I didn’t stop the pain, I would pass out soon. I had to get out of here. The rejection and betrayal were too much. 

Turning on my heels, I rushed away.

“You insolent bitch!” Ryan growled, and I expected him to chase me down to teach me a lesson, but he didn’t. Instead, I heard Sable speak. 

“Baby, she’s just hurting. I don’t think she meant to be disobedient. I’ll go talk to her.” Sable said as I reached the edge of the crowd and pushed my way through. She sounded so sweet and innocent, as if she really cared, and several people made comments about how kind and selfless she was to check on me.

Ryan would have been furious if I had talked to him like that, defending someone against his judgment. 

I could hear her following me, but I didn’t stop until I was alone on the patio, struggling to pull in lung-fulls of fresh air. 

“Oh, Faith. Poor little Faith.” Sable tsked from behind me.

“Poor Faith? You fucked my mate, Sable! What the hell is wrong with you?” I said, wiping my cheeks as I glared at her, expecting to feel my wolf rising up to attack her again, but there was nothing, just emptiness where my wolf should have been, and panic settled in my gut.

“He’s not your mate anymore!” Sable hissed, her face turning red with anger. 

“You’re my little sister! I loved you so much! Why would you do this to me? I’ve always been the one to take care of you! I’m your sister! How can you hurt me like this?!” 

“Stop playing the victim. You’ve always just been handed everything that I had to fight for! You took everything good for yourself and left me with nothing! Don’t pretend like you cared about me! It’s time I start taking what I deserve. I am prettier and stronger!” Sable said, and I sobbed out a laugh as the fire in my chest burned hotter. “Do you know why you couldn’t feel it when he fucked me, Faith?” 

My laugh got caught in my throat, and I didn’t speak or move. I wanted to hear what she had to say. 

“Because you’re weak. All it took was one special little tea, and you passed out. I was surprised you kept drinking it each time he gave it to you, but now I know. You’re not just weak. You’re stupid.” She laughed. 

Ryan had brought me tea before bed every night for the past few months, telling me it would help my wolf heal. I had trusted him and drank it without question because I knew he needed my wolf to heal if he were going to use my magic.

A small part of me had also hoped maybe he was starting to care for me, wanting to tend to me…

She was right. I had been a fool.

My vision was blurring, and my body shook from weakness as the rejection continued to destroy me from the inside out. I didn’t know how much longer I would last before I succumbed to the pain.

“You aren’t a Luna. You’re a disgrace. He doesn’t want someone as weak as you. Now that I have come into my powers, Ryan knows that you will never compare to me. You may be older, but my magic is stronger.” She said, pulling a piece of metal from the pocket of her dress and flipping it open to reveal a blade. “I’m going to make sure you are never welcome back here. I am the rightful Luna, and I will never let you take anything that belongs to me again.” 

My eyes widened in horror as she slashed it quickly across her stomach before dropping it to the floor. Her hands pressed down on it, but blood still ran down the front of her dress.

Instinctively, I reached out as she hunched forward, wanting to catch her but hesitating and stopping myself as my mind finally registered what she had just done.

“No! Faith, stop! Someone help!” She cried, and I looked up confused as I stood with hands out-stretched.

The guards ran toward us. Ryan was right behind them with Alpha Cain.

“Get the pack doctor!” I insisted but yelped in surprise as my arms were grabbed and pinned behind my back instead. “What are you doing? I didn’t do anything!” 

“Ryan!” Sable cried. “Our baby, Ryan…. Faith tried to kill our baby!”