Chapter 3

Ashley’s POV

I didn’t care about the murmurs and whispers from the crowd.

Tears fell down my face as I pointed at him with a shaky hand. “I gave you my heart because I thought you were worthy of it,” I choked out, my voice breaking from all my feelings.

My chest moved hard with every shaky breath. “I let you have me because I believed you deserved my innocence. I love you for years, Jayden—then—and think that you felt the same way. And now, you stand here and say I was just a fling? A mistake? All because I willingly gave myself to you?” My voice got louder, full of hurt and anger.

It hurt. It hurt a lot. To love him so much and be shamed like this.

I turned to Daisy, my supposed friend, my eyes hot with betrayal. “Was it that night? Two days ago, when you tried to tell me something and he stopped you? Is that when you both knew you were mates?”

Daisy snorted, a smug smile on her lips. “I thought you were too blinded by love to see the truth. I only wanted to warn you to back off from my man. But look at you—throws yourself at him like some desperate slut.” She rolled her eyes, and something inside me broke.

Thwack!

The slap echoed, and everyone stared at me, mouths open. I was shocked too, but my anger had built up. I had to make her stop.

Jayden turned to me, his face dark with rage. In a second, he pushed me. Hard.

I fell to the floor, pain shooting through me. I looked up at him, hoping he’d help me up. But he didn’t. He just stood there, looking at me with cold eyes.

“Who would want an orphan with no rank like you to be my Luna?” His words cut me deep. “Do you really think you’re worthy of standing beside me as the Luna of the Oakwood Pack? You actually thought I’d reject my fated mate for you? What could you even offer me?”

I was stunned, unable to speak. An orphan with no rank?

Did he forget that if my parents hadn’t died saving his family, his father wouldn’t be alive today? My mom died protecting his mom, and my dad didn’t make it after the rescue.

“You know why my parents died,” I whispered, struggling to stand, wiping tears with shaky hands. I needed answers.

Jayden looked at me coldly. “Yeah, I know, they died saving my parents after leading them into a trap that almost killed my father. My mother wasn’t lucky enough, but your parents? They died doing their job.”

He turned away, clearing his throat as he spoke to the pack. “Our Luna will only be Daisy, because she is worthy enough to stand by my side.” A cruel smile curved his lips. “And as for Ashley, she’s stripped of her position and banished from the Oakwood Pack.”

Laughter and clapping filled the air. My heart broke into a million pieces.

I couldn’t believe it. I was being banished.

Tears blurred my eyes as I turned and ran. Humiliated and broken, I rushed to my room, grabbed a few things, and left.

At the packhouse gates, Daisy stood there with her maids, arms crossed smugly.

“So, how does it feel to be abandoned?” she sneered.

I tried to push past her, but she shoved me back.

“Daisy, you’ve won,” I said, my voice sharp with bitterness. “You have him now. Just let me go. I’m already banished, I have no reason to stay.”

Her frown grew as she pushed me again, but I stood strong this time.

“Do you mean enjoy it while it lasts?” she snapped.

I looked at her, a small knowing smile on my lips. “I mean that this—your position, your so-called love—it’s all temporary. Jayden doesn’t love you. He never will.”

With that, I pushed past her and walked away. But at the main gate, I stopped.

I turned to look at the pack one last time, my heart hurting. A part of me hoped Jayden would come, realize his mistake, and stop me. Apologize.

But he didn’t. He never came.

I wiped new tears and walked away without looking back. I couldn’t. If I did, I might not leave.

A Few Hours Later

I stopped by the roadside, far from the Oakwood Pack and closer to the human world. Fear chewed at me. I couldn’t go back to the pack, but I wouldn’t survive with rogues either.

My body felt weak, exhaustion dragging me down. I hadn’t rested or eaten in hours.

Everything blurred as I stepped onto the road. The last thing I heard was a loud horn and something hitting me before it all went black.

At the Hospital – Three Weeks Later

My eyes opened slowly, heavy and weak. My whole body hurt, and I felt so tired—like my wolf was slipping away.

I turned my head and saw a man in a white coat beside me. My heart raced, and I tried to growl at him. Then I noticed the white walls, machines, and clean air.

The human world?

“Where am I?” I asked, my voice rough and confused.

He smiled, showing deep dimples. He was handsome, with black hair and bright blue eyes.

“Relax,” he said softly. “I hit you with my car a few weeks ago. You weren’t hurt, but you were in a coma. Honestly, I still don’t understand how. There was nothing physically wrong with you.”

I frowned. Of course, a car couldn’t hurt me. My kind was much tougher.

“It’s weird, actually,” he continued. “My car took all the damage, but you… you were perfectly fine.”

I sighed, my head spinning. I needed to get strong again before anyone found out what I was.

“How long was I out?” I asked carefully.

He put a report on my lap. “Three weeks.”

I breathed out hard, my mind racing, but then he said something that froze everything.

“There’s one more thing. You’re pregnant.”

My heart stopped.

“What?!”

My eyes widened in shock.