Chapter 3

LIANA

I took the rogue to the pack hospital and waited until he was admitted. The doctor informed me that he would be fine and that was the only reason I felt like going back home.

I kept thinking about what Samantha did and how much pain the guy must be feeling. I also wondered why he was there and how he got injured. Since there was no one I could tell about him, I realized it was now my responsibility to make sure he was fine which would include daily checkups until he was discharged.

The doctors had thankfully asked no questions since I couldn't provide answers to them. I didn't even know his name or where he had come from in the first place.

When I got home, I realized the house was empty which was strange considering the fact that Samantha was usually frolicking around with Ryle to spite me. I figured I could enjoy the peace and quiet before they come back and start again. They were usually very loud but I've let it not bother me.

In the morning, an announcement was passed about an emergency meeting and I wondered what it was. I dressed up for the meeting, seeing nearly everyone except my family and Ryle with confused looks.

One would guess that I would know about this but I figured after what happened yesterday, which Samantha must have gone to tattle about, Dad doesn't really consider me as someone he could talk to about his plans anymore.

Once it seemed like everyone had gathered, dad announced that he had something to say. I could hear whispers all around me since an emergency meeting has almost never been called before. Everyone started speculating about what it could be.

“I would like to announce who the next alpha would be. I have decided that one of my daughters is fit to be the Alpha and she has shown great qualities of one” My heart swelled.

This is the moment I had been waiting for my entire life since I knew I could be the alpha. Everything I had done up to this moment was based on this and I could see a few people turn to look at me too.

What was weird was the fact that Dad hadn't informed me before this. One would think he would have told the next alpha about his announcement beforehand. Then again, he must have meant for it to be a surprise.

“From now on, I would like for everyone to know that I have chosen Samantha, as my successor and the next alpha of this pack” The silence that followed his announcement was deafening.

Almost as one, the pack members turned to look at me and I had to school my expression into one that showed no emotion. Inside of me, I was boiling.

There was no other way to put this than the fact that he was trying to punish me for not making peace with his beloved daughter. He knew this was all I've never wanted and when he looked at me from where he was, all I saw was pure disdain. I wonder what must have happened within the last few hours.

No matter what had happened, dad had never looked at me like that and I suspected Samantha was behind this.

She looked extremely smug as she got up from her seat and went to stand beside Dad. He gave her a brief hug before continuing with his announcement. “And Samantha has chosen a mate. Her mate will be Ryle”

He gestured to Ryle, who stood up, walked to them and kissed Samantha right in front of everyone. I could hear gasps since nearly everyone knew we were married. The news of what they did hadn't come up within the pack so it was shocking to everyone else who wasn't in the family.

This was obviously meant to spite me. They wouldn't have done this if not for what happened and I knew it. However, I wasn't going to let their plans get to me.

I stormed off, not caring that the meeting wasn't over and it was quite rude to leave without getting dismissed. All eyes were on me as I left the meeting. The whispering began almost immediately and I tuned out what everyone was saying as I passed by them.

I hadn't gone far when I heard a loud and commanding “Stop right there”. I turned around to see dad walking up to one, extremely angry by the looks of it.

I nearly laughed because if anyone was entitled to anger, it had to be me.

Immediately he caught up with me, he raised his hand and gave me a resounding slap which caused a round of gasps among the other pack members.

“How dare you walk out on me?” He shouted, as I held my face where I had been hit. “You just disrespected me in front of the entire pack”

He didn't even bother to realize that he had just slapped me in the presence of the entire pack he just told me I disrespected him in front of.

“You think I was going to stand there and watch you do this to me, dad? You think I don't know that you made that announcement out of spite?” He must not have anticipated that I would have talked back to him. He still expected me to be the scared daughter he raised me to be. The one who would do anything to remain in his good graces.

“And this is why you're unfit to be the alpha. Your sister is a much better candidate than you are “ As if. He's just doing this as a punishment. “An alpha would have never saved a rogue”

The shock on my face must have been obvious. I didn't tell anyone about that and I was certain that Samantha had already left before I took him to the hospital. Unless…

“You think I wouldn't have found out? You saved a rogue, an enemy and brought him into the pack. You just endangered everyone here by doing that. You should have left him to die” He said it with so much conviction that I now understood why he was looking at me with so much disdain earlier.

“But–” I tried to defend myself. Even if he was a rouge, he was still a werewolf and I wasn't even sure he wasn't from our pack.

“No buts. Since you want to save him so badly, then you get to leave with him” He turned around and looked at Samantha and Ryle who were holding each other. “Ryle, come here”

I watched as Ryle left Samantha and walked over to dad. He didn't even look at me the whole time but fixated on my dad. I guess his hatred for me actually ran deep.

“Reject Liana. Right now” Everyone around us must be gasping a lot today because even I couldn't control the sound that came out from my mouth.

“What—?” I tried to speak. He couldn't do that. He knew how much it was going to hurt and how painful it would be except it was a mutual rejection and I wasn't planning on rejecting Ryle just yet.

“Now, Ryle!” I watched as Ryle jumped and looked at me as if on autopilot. He walked in front of me and I kept shaking my head, silently pleading with him not to go through with it.

“I, Ryle–” No, no, no, no. I kept muttering in my head but he looked like he was relishing doing this. He must be elated that he could do this in a place where he could embarrass me in front of everybody in the pack. “ — reject you, Liana, as my mate”

It felt like the world had stopped and I was the only being alive. My chest felt hollow, like nothing was there. I could swear my heart stopped beating until all of a sudden, everything hit me at once.

The pain was so excruciating. It felt like I was having my heart ripped from my chest and I almost fell to my knees but I maintained my stance. I wiped the tears that dropped from my eyes with the back of my hand and looked at my dad.

He wasn't showing any remorse for what he had done but looked at me blandly. Ryle walked back to him and they had a whispered conversation during which something was handed to dad.

He walked to where I was and handed over my car keys which I had left at home since the meeting was a walkable distance from the house.

I was confused as to why he was handing my keys to me and I didn't want to dwell on why they were with Ryle in the first place.

As he placed the key in my hands, he looked dead into my eyes and spoke

“Your bags are in the car. Leave”