Chapter 2

I finally reached where he was, and I cringed at the sight of his arm on another woman's body that wasn't mine.

Lana's eyes were filled with spite for me. I didn't even know who this b*tch was.

I turned to Callum and stared deep into his eyes.

"We need to talk," I said. Why did my voice sound so low?

His face reflected impatience and disgust, but I wasn't backing down.

My subconscious kept tugging at me that I may be making a fool of myself, but I was persistent. 

Then we walked just towards the edge of the ballroom, where it was quiet.

"What happened?" He quickly snapped at me as soon as he saw no one around.

"Callum, you can't truly be serious about making that woman your Luna and leaving me. This is a prank, right?" I said, tears forming in my eyes.

He raised his hand a little, wanting to touch me, but he quickly brought them down before staring at me.

"Lorraine, do you intend to be given unbridled attention or your special chamber for something as minor as this." Callum spat. 

My hands clenched at my side, and I looked at him.

"Minor? You said you loved me, you said you were never going to let me go, and that I was your one and only woman, but now you come out of the blue to say Lana's your wife and the future Luna?" My voice mirrored my heartbreaking emotions.

A humorless scoff escaped him.

"I said what I needed to say at the time."

His eyes swept over me with open disdain, as though I disgusted him. "But look at you, Lorraine. You're wolfless."

The words landed hard on me.

"You can't shift. You can't hear the Moon Goddess. You can't even call yourself a werewolf."

He took one deliberate step closer, towering over me. 

"So tell me..." His voice dropped into something colder. "On what grounds did you ever think you were worthy of standing beside me as Luna?"

His gaze hardened.

"Lana is everything you will never be. She has a wolf. She has strength. She has a future."

A cruel smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "You? You're nothing but a human living in a pack that pitied you for far too long."

Every word struck harder than the last.

And the worst part...it was true and I still hadn't gotten my wolf.

But we had talked about this, before.

Last year, on my eighteenth birthday, I was supposed to get my wolf, but no wolf arrived.

I had spent the whole day crying, but Callum had reassured me that he would always be by my side–wolf or not. 

"So what are we at this point? I'm your side piece you used and tossed away when you found someone better?"

A mocking smile tugged at Callum's lips.

"I almost wish that were true."

Hope flickered inside me for the briefest second.

"But even a side piece has value."

You don't."

The air caught in my throat.

I felt the sting of my mascara in my eyes. I hurriedly turned away from Callum so he wouldn't see me crying, and I rushed as fast as I could upstairs and into my room.

I didn't lock the door, I expected him to come after me.

Some pathetic part of me still believed he'd come after me.

The door creaked open.

My heart leaped.

"Callu—"

"Well..." a sickly sweet voice interrupted, dripping with amusement. "Isn't this the Alpha's favorite bed warmer?"

I froze.

"Excuse me?" I glared at her intrusion.

"We only know the only thing you bring to the table of the alpha is the dirty thing in between your legs for a man who wasn't even going to marry you in the first place. Tsk."

 I felt nothing but hatred for her already.

My hands clenched at my side. Just ignore the bitch, I told myself.

"I can't imagine how pathetic and dumb you must feel. All your sacrifices were disregarded just for a better person to take your spot; It's giving a villain origin story, don't you think?"

She let out a soft laugh.

"It's almost poetic."

"Get out of my room." My voice came out louder shaking with barely restrained fury.

Lana's smile disappeared.

"As your future Luna..." she said slowly, "you don't get to raise your voice at me."

Her eyes flashed a brilliant green as her wolf surfaced for a split second.

"You'll address me with the respect I deserve."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced myself to stand.

I walked to the door entrance, I didnt want to get provoked. "You're just a little girl." I muttered. "How can you dream of leading an entire pack when you can't even carry yourself with dignity?"

Her face hardened.

Without warning, she swept her arm across my dresser and began to scatter everything, but I was battling with my emotions and was too weak even to stop her.

"You don't even deserve this." She grabbed forward, ripping away the necklace Callum had gifted me on my birthday.

Anger surged towards me as I stepped closer to her.

"Don't touch me, for I am with a child and, most importantly, the alpha's child," she said with one hand gingerly placed on her flat stomach.

She moved outside the room, as if threatening me against harming the child like I would do such a thing

"Child?" I whispered, the word barely audible.

Lana's lips curved into a slow, victorious smile and I couldn't believe Callum would do such a thing to me.

In my moment of silence, she looked at the necklace in her hand.

"Oh, this?" she said lightly.

With deliberate slowness, she let it slip through her fingers.

The silver chain landed at my feet with a soft clink and began to step on it with her shoes.

Something inside me snapped.

"Stop!"

I lunged without thinking.

I shoved her away from the necklace.

It wasn't even that hard or at least, it didn't feel that hard.

Lana stumbled backward.

Her eyes widened.

Then her heel missed the first step.

"No!" Her scream echoed through the house as her body pitched backward.

A chorus of horrified gasps rose from downstairs.

What have I done?

She was pregnant, Lorraine. What if you killed the Alpha's child?

"No..." I breathed, rushing toward the staircase, trying to see how far she had fallen, but I met Callum holding her.

He had caught Lana before she hit the bottom, cradling her trembling body against his chest.

His eyes lifted to mine. I had done something unthinkable.

Callum's face had many emotions, the most prevalent being anger.

"Lorraine Slater. I order you..."

His jaw clenched so tightly I thought his teeth would break.

"...to get down here. Now."

For the first time, I felt fear as I stared at Callum.

With slow yet deliberate steps, I reached the ballroom.

Pack members rushed past me carrying Lana toward the healer, their faces pale with panic.

"It-It was a mistake," I muttered. 

"Lorraine Slater. You have committed one of the gravest offenses a pack member can commit."

His icy gaze met mine.

"You laid hands on your future Luna and endangered the life of my unborn heir. Whether through malice or recklessness is no longer relevant."

"Callum, I didn't mean to—"

"You will remain silent!" His voice echoed, angrily. "You have forfeited the right to explain yourself."

Callum's jaw tightened. "As Alpha, my duty is to protect this pack above all else." He inhaled slowly. "And today... you became a threat to it."

For the briefest moment, he looked away. When he faced me again, there wasn't a trace of warmth left in his eyes.

"As Alpha of the SilverLake Pack..."

His voice boomed through the hall.

"...I strip you of your place within this pack."

My heart stopped.

"I hereby sentence you to permanent banishment on the charges of attempted harm against your Luna and treason against the Alpha's bloodline."

A collective gasp swept through the guests. 

"No," I took a shaky step toward him. "Callum... I'm your mate." I screamed.

His expression didn't change. "You were. Escort her beyond the pack borders before sunrise." He ordered.

My eyes searched the crowd desperately.

Anna.

She couldn't even look at me.

I was alone. But I swallowed the sob clawing its way up my throat.

I couldn't break here.

"Thank you, Callum, but I assure you, you will regret this." I bowed slightly, and when I raised my head, I could swear I saw his expression shift.

With my remaining confidence and my shoulders held high, I walked away from them, from everyone. I had nowhere to go.

Everything I had ever loved–My home,my mate, and best friend, it was lost. The tears burned behind my eyes, but I had to be strong.