Chapter 46

Ava pov

I was seething with anger, my feet carrying me around the sitting room in quick, sharp circles. My parents, the elders, and the rest of the pack's leadership council sat silently, watching me with a mix of concern and understanding. But I didn't want their understanding. I wanted them to know that I was furious, that I wouldn't stand for this betrayal.

"Alpha Treyton has declared you his mate," my mother said softly, as if that would calm me down.

But it only made me angrier. I knew that Treyton had been interested in me for a while, but I had never shown him any encouragement. I had thought that he would respect my boundaries, that he would understand that I wasn't interested. But now, it seemed that he had gone behind my back and declared me his mate without my consent.

"This is a joke, right?" I spat, my voice low and venomous. "He can't just declare me his mate without my permission. I'm not some prize to be won, some trophy to be claimed."

My father stood up, his eyes ste