Chapter 13: Blood on her name

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*Chapter 13: Blood On Her Name*

I thought carrying me out of the training room meant something.

I was wrong.

By lunch, the whole pack knew. 

"Alpha went feral."

"Because of her."

"She’s cursed. Like her sister."

I kept my head down in the dining hall. The black mark was covered by a scarf now. It didn’t help.

“She shouldn’t be here.”

“Alpha’s losing his mind because of her.”

“Send her to the rogues. With Mae.”

The words cut deeper than claws.

Then a tray hit the floor next to me.

Tasha. 

“Oops,” she said sweetly. “Did I scare you, little rogue?”

“I’m not a rogue.”

“Not yet.” She leaned in. “But you will be. No one wants you here.”

Before I could answer, a hand slammed down on the table.

Kieran.

He looked worse than this morning. Dark circles. Jaw clenched. 

But his eyes were clear. And they were on Tasha.

“Apologize,” he said.

Tasha laughed. “To her? Alpha, she’s the reason you almost killed three warriors—”

“I said apologize.” His voice dropped. Dangerous.

The entire hall went quiet.

Tasha’s face went red. “Fine. Sorry.” She spat the words and stormed off.

Kieran sat down across from me. Pushed a plate of food toward me.

“Eat.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Eat,” he repeated. Softer this time. “You need your strength. The bond is draining you.”

I picked at the food. “Everyone hates me.”

“They don’t—”

“They do.” I looked up at him. “And they’re right to. Because of me you lost control.”

Kieran’s expression hardened. “Because of the bond. Not you.”

“But it’s the same thing.”

“No.” He reached across the table and took my hand. Right there. In front of everyone. 

Gasps.

“I choose you,” he said, loud enough for the whole room to hear. “Even if the bond didn’t exist. I choose you.”

My heart stopped.

And then Elder Voss stood up.

“How touching,” he said. “Alpha defending the girl who nearly got him killed.”

Kieran didn’t let go of my hand. “Watch your tone, Elder.”

“I will speak,” Voss said. “Because someone has to. The pack is scared. We had an Alpha go feral. And it happened the moment you brought this girl into his bed.”

“I did not—”

“You shared a room,” Voss cut me off. “You shared a bond. And now we share the consequences.”

He turned to the pack. “I propose a vote. Banish the girl. Send her to live with the rogues. Until we can break the bond safely.”

Banish.

The word echoed in my head.

“No,” Kieran said immediately.

“You don’t get a vote, Alpha,” Voss said. “Not when you’re compromised.”

One by one, hands started to raise.

Betrayal. From his own pack.

“Stop,” I whispered. “Don’t fight them for me.”

Kieran looked at me. Really looked at me. “I’m not fighting them for you.” He stood up, pulling me with him. “I’m fighting them because it’s right.”

He faced the entire hall.

“You want to banish her?” His voice shook the walls. “Then you banish me too.”

Silence.

“I, Alpha Kieran Blackwood, claim this omega as mine. By law, by moon, by choice. Touch her, and you touch me. Vote her out, and you vote me out.”

No one moved.

Voss’s face went purple. “You can’t—”

“I can,” Kieran said. “And I will.”

He turned to me. His thumb brushed over my knuckles.

“Let’s go home, Rejoice.”

Home.

He called it home.

We walked out of the dining hall together while 50 people watched.

No one stopped us.

But as we left, I heard Voss whisper to someone:

“If the Alpha won’t get rid of her... we’ll have to do it ourselves.”

The mark on my neck burned.

We weren’t safe. Not even close.

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*END OF CHAPTER 13*