Scorned, Rejected, Thrown out

~ IRENE POV ~

The murmurs changed, soft and approving.

“Such a kind Alpha,” someone said. “Keeping her even after this.”

I laughed again, the sound hollow, mocking myself. They didn’t know. They didn’t see the guards who watched me, the bruises he left, the way he forced me to bear children only to sacrifice them for his mistress. He didn’t want me to leave because I was his tool, his means to keep her alive.

Before I could speak, a guard burst into the hall, his face pale.

“Alpha,” he said, breathless. “We… we found this.”

He rushed to Trenton, handing him a small, folded note.

The music stopped, and silence fell, heavy and thick.

Every eye was on Trenton as he opened the paper, his face unreadable at first. Then his expression darkened, and he turned to me, his eyes sharp enough to cut glass.

Blue. Icy. Deadly.

My pulse thudded against my ribs like a caged bird. “What… what is that?” My voice cracked like glass.

Trenton’s lips curved, but it wasn’t a smile. It was a blade, honed and gleaming.

“Tell me, Irene,” he drawled, voice carrying through the silent hall like a lash. “How much is your dignity worth?”

Confusion clawed at me. “What—”

He almost squeezed the note shut with a sharp crack. “Because apparently, it’s worth half a million from my pack’s treasury.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

My eyes widened, my breath catching.

“What?” My knees buckled. “That’s a lie—I didn’t—”

He held up the note, his lips curling into a sneer. “Proof,” he said, waving it like a weapon. “Ledgers, transactions, all traced to you. You’ve been siphoning pack finances, betraying us all. You’ve been bleeding this pack dry while you play the victim!”

The crowd gasped, murmurs rippling through the hall.

“Stealing from the pack?” someone hissed.

“No wonder the Goddess cursed her!”

“A Luna, a thief…” another hissed.

“Traitor!” another shouted.

I stood there, my heart pounding, my mind racing. I hadn’t touched the pack’s money. I barely had access to anything, locked away as I was.

This was a setup, another way to break me.

“Trenton, you know that’s not true,” I said, my voice shaking but loud enough for all to hear. “You’ve kept me caged, watched every move I make. When would I even—”

“Silence!” he roared, stepping toward me. “You’re a disgrace, Irene. A pathetic omega who thought she could play Luna. You’re nothing.”

“No!” I screamed, my voice raw. “I didn’t do this! You know I didn’t!” My eyes darted to Amira, who stood behind him, her face a mask of concern. But I saw it—the flicker in her eyes, the same cruel glint she’d had when she taunted me about my babies.

“It’s her!” I pointed at Amira, my hand shaking. “She did this! She framed me!”

Amira gasped, her hand flying to her chest. “Irene, how could you say that?” she said, her voice soft, trembling, perfect. “I’ve only ever tried to help you.” She turned to the crowd, her eyes glistening with fake tears. “I defended her earlier, tried to stop the gossip, but she attacked me. I just want peace.”

The crowd murmured, their sympathy flowing to her.

“Liar!” I screamed, lunging at her. My hands reached for her, desperate to wipe that smug look off her face, but guards grabbed me, yanking me back. I thrashed, screaming, “She’s lying! She’s the one framing me!”

“Enough!” Trenton’s voice boomed, and the hall fell silent again.

“You’re a disgrace, Irene. A thief, a failure as a Luna, a burden to this pack.” He stepped closer, his eyes cold, cruel. “You're a leech, just like I always said. You thought you could steal from me, from this pack, and go unnoticed?”

Then he turned to the crowd, his voice booming. “I, Trenton Rivers, Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack…” He paused, his eyes boring into me with merciless fury. “…reject you, Irene, as my mate and Luna. You are no longer part of this pack.”

The words slammed into me like a death sentence. The bond tore. Pain seared through my chest, ripping and burning until I couldn’t breathe. I gagged, a scream clawing up my throat as my wolf—what was left of her—shattered into nothingness. My knees buckled but the guards held me.

The hall erupted in cheers, the sound deafening.

I stood frozen, my chest tight, tears burning my eyes but refusing to fall.

Then Trenton turned to Amira, his face softening, and dropped to one knee. “Amira,” he said, his voice warm now, “you’re the true heart of this pack. Will you be my mate, my true Luna?”

Amira’s eyes sparkled, her smile radiant as she nodded. “Yes, Trenton, yes!” she said, her voice sweet as honey.

The crowd roared again, clapping, some even crying for joy, shouting their approval as he opened a velvet box and slid a ring onto her finger.

She threw her arms around him, and they kissed, the hall exploding with celebration.

I stood there, invisible, my heart shattering into pieces too small to ever put back together. The man I’d once loved, the one behind the death of my children, had cast me aside like garbage. And Amira, the woman who’d taken everything from me, stood in my place, basking in their adoration.

“Get her out,” Trenton ordered, not even looking at me.

Guards seized my arms, their grips bruising, and dragged me toward the doors.

I didn’t fight. I had no strength left.

The crowd in the hall parted, their faces twisted with contempt.

“Good riddance!”

“Worthless omega!”

“Get out before you influence us all!”

Spit splattered my skin, sliding down my cheek like filth. Another threw a glass, and it shattered at my feet, the shards cutting my bare ankles. I stumbled, my vision blurring, but the guards yanked me forward, out of the hall, out of the pack house.

And then, I was outside.

The rain started as they threw me onto the road, cold and heavy, soaking through my gown. I staggered to my feet, my body aching, blood trickling from the cuts on my ankles, my face stinging from the slap Trenton had given me earlier.

The pack members lined the path, jeering, their voices a chorus of hate.

“Whore!” one screamed.

“Dirty thief!” another yelled.

More spit hit me, mixing with the rain, and I stumbled again, my knees scraping the gravel.

I was dazed, barely able to stand, the world spinning around me. The rain plastered my hair to my face, my gown clinging to my thin frame, and I felt like a ghost, fading into nothing.

Three years of pain, of loss, of Trenton’s cruelty had hollowed me out, and now I was cast out, rejected, alone. My babies’ faces flashed in my mind, their cries echoing, and a sob broke free, lost in the storm.

I staggered down the road, my feet slipping in the mud, my body trembling. I didn’t know where I was going, didn’t care. I just kept moving, driven by some stubborn spark that refused to die.

Lightning split the sky. Thunder rolled like laughter from the gods.

Then, out of the darkness, headlights blinded me. A sleek, luxurious car roared around the bend, too fast. I tried to move, but my legs gave out, and the car clipped me, sending me sprawling off the road into the ditch.

Pain exploded through me, my shoulder screaming, blood seeping from a gash on my arm. The rain kept falling, washing the blood into the mud.

I lay there, gasping, the world fading in and out. The car stopped, its door opening, but I couldn’t clearly see who it was.

A tall figure in black stepped out, his silhouette sharp against the headlights.

I tried to speak, to scream, but my voice was gone. Darkness crept in, cold and heavy, pulling me under.

My eyes fluttered shut.