Chapter 2

I stood there by the door, clutching his phone, and got lost in dark thoughts about all the nasty things I could do to him.

"You can't let him get away with this," my wolf Nyssa's voice rang out strong and commanding in my head. Her brutal and fierce side was impossible to brush off.

I'd believed Kaelen was genuine, that he was different, but I'd just been too trusting. My eyes turned red, the heaviness of my choice pressing down hard on me.

I spun around to walk away, but right in that quick instant, Nyssa seized control, and I lost every bit of my sense of right and wrong.

Since Kaelen wanted to play dirty, well, game on.

I burst into the room and realized it wasn't some laid-back gathering of buddies, but the alpha and all the key figures in the pack were there.

I sneered at them, and it felt like the ideal moment to spill what was on my mind and hit back at Kaelen for being such a jerk.

"Everyone," I said to grab their full focus, even though my sudden entry had already thrown them off.

"I am Kaelen's mate," I declared, and their jaws hit the floor, like they hadn't expected me to blurt it out, but they had no idea I wasn't finished.

"I, Lyra Collins, reject you Kaelen Campbell as my fated mate and I cut all ties to you, now and forever."

The expressions of shock, hatred, and fury on every face gave me this strange kind of satisfaction.

Even though I knew what I'd done was painful and impulsive to Kaelen, it was nothing next to how he'd made me feel, and in my mind, my actions made sense—or at least Nyssa thought so.

I turned and walked out, buzzing with a sense of achievement, heading home. I'd blocked out any rational thoughts and just let Nyssa guide me.

I got to my house, hurried up the stairs, and shut the door behind me. I craved being alone, hoping it would all just end and there'd be no more to it, but that wasn't how it went.

The shame and rejection I knew Kaelen was dealing with now still didn't bring me the joy or calm I needed so badly.

It left me sad and brokenhearted. I was heartbroken, and it left me sad.

A few minutes later, I heard pounding at the door. I jumped off my bed, where I'd been drowning in tears, and went to see who it was. Who could it be, trying to knock the house down? I opened it and saw Kaelen's parents standing there.

"How dare you?" Kaelen's mum slapped me hard across the face before I could even process it.

"You weak, good-for-nothing wolf. You have the gods to reject my son? A worthless piece of shit like you," she spat again, and I opened my mouth to explain I wasn't some toy or plaything for her son, but before I could say a word, she'd slapped me again.

I was sure her handprint scarred my face.

Kaelen's father grabbed my arms roughly and dragged me outside, pulling a whip from his belt. In under ten seconds, I'd been whipped five times. I felt the sting, but it was nothing compared to what their son had done to me, and I didn't regret my choice.

"Take this creep away; she needs to be taught a good lesson. One she won't forget in a hurry," two huge men appeared from behind them and grabbed my arms, ready to haul me off, but what crushed me more was seeing my parents just standing there, helpless as I got beaten and insulted.

Not a single word or plea to help me from the betas; they just ignored my suffering, and I shook my head in revulsion. Why was I cursed with such careless and unreliable parents? They're why my life ended up like this, and still, they didn't think this was the moment to step in and fix things.

They moved out of the way and let the betas do their wicked thing to me. My already broken heart got crushed by my parents' neglect.

I got dragged off, not that I couldn't resist, but I knew it was smarter not to fight the beta of our pack. Nyssa was geared up to take charge and break free from the guys holding me, but with how things were unfolding, Kaelen's parents could do anything, and I couldn't chance losing Nyssa. If I lost her, I'd lose myself completely.

They wouldn't think twice about using wolfsbane on Nyssa.

They took me to a dungeon through crumbling, long-abandoned hallways. It reeked of dead rats and roaches all over. I wasn't fazed; I'd been in worse spots. They tied my hands and feet to a post in the middle of the dungeon.

They told me to apologize to Kaelen for embarrassing him, or they'd make me pay.

I sneered at them.

"Kaelen got precisely what he deserved," I said, and felt a sharp punch to my side.

"Is this all you've got?" I asked with a creepy grin on my face.

"You'd apologize right now, or this is nothing compared to what you'll feel," Kaelen's mum said, and I asked her if Kaelen deserved my apology after fooling me? Nothing would sway me; I'd done just what I had to.

"Guys, beat her up," his dad commanded, and they pounded every inch of my body, inflicting agony and endless torment, but I wouldn't retract my words.

I held firm and said I'd do it to Kaelen again and again because he deserved it.

My words ramped up their rage, and they beat me harder until I couldn't handle it anymore.

The taste of blood like metal filled my mouth, and my eyes swelled so much I could hardly see.

I tried to hang on, but my strength gave out, though I'd never apologize. The dungeon went dark all of a sudden, and everything blacked out.

The faint light flickering in the dungeon stung my eyes as I opened them, every part of my body throbbing in intense pain. My hands were limp, and my legs locked up from the hurt.

But I felt a warm, gentle touch, unlike the burning pain everywhere else.

I forced my eyes open to check my state, only to find a man standing right in front of me.