Chapter 3 Bleak Future

(Briana POV)

“Get your hands off me!” I screech, fighting with everything I have. Which sadly isn’t much. After a year of inertia, I’m not exactly fighting fit.

I’m not above using my teeth and muscle memory kicks in, but it only serves to highlight how weak my attacks are compared to what they used to be. 

A far bigger problem is the fact that Vesper’s men are starting to recognize me as the former Beta of the pack.

“This bitch killed Aaron!” One of them shouts and this seems to open the floodgates. “Kill her! She was their Beta during the war. She took out a lot of our warriors.” 

I strangle the urge to comment that they’d still be alive if they were better fighters.

Fear is engulfing my mind and I’m entering that dangerous zone where panic takes over. It never leads to anything good and I don’t have the agility and power to back it up with a few lucky strikes.

“Alec,” I mumble, head ringing from the random punches raining down on me. I’m on my knees, trying to make myself as small a target as possible. 

Fighting won’t help me now, there are too many, with more piling on by the second and I’m too feeble to protect myself.

“Stop this! Get away from her right now,” Raul’s voice suddenly rings out. “How dare you attack a member of my pack without provocation?”

Raul is standing up for me. Protecting me. Claiming me as part of his pack. I was right, his love for me isn’t dead, he still cares.

A tiny flame of hope sputters to life weakly in the icy darkness that is my heart. There’s still time for him to come to his senses and choose me. He doesn’t need a second-chance mate when I’m still alive.

“No provocation?” Vesper asks icily, his men reluctantly retreating from my prone body, but not going very far. “What is she doing here on the day when you’re supposed to be crowning my sister as your Luna? We all know what she used to be to you, Raul. If you truly love my sister, you shouldn’t care whether Briana lives or dies.”

Raul’s jaw is working and I can feel the heat of his rage. Is that for the insult to me? His next words are a blow to my heart. 

“This has nothing to do with Briana and everything with the fact that you’re attacking a member of my pack without my permission.”

Vesper snorts in disbelief and Raul’s eyes narrow dangerously. 

I’m still cowering, not something I enjoy doing, but my position is precarious. 

My eyes drift to Valerie, who looks appalled and embarrassed at her brother’s actions. If I didn’t hate her for taking my place, I would have felt sorry for her.

It can’t be easy to join a new pack while such a tenuous truce exists between your new Alpha and your old one. Who just so happens to be your brother and also a gigantic ass. There’s pity in her eyes when her gaze moves to me and all my sympathy vanishes.

I definitely don’t need the woman who usurped me to feel sorry for me. None of this would be happening if she wasn’t somewhere she doesn’t belong.

Alec moves to Raul’s side, his body tense, ready to spring into action if the need arises. Seeing him step up to protect Raul, when he was willing to stand back and watch Vesper’s men kill me, leaves me in tatters.

Has my whole life been nothing but a lie? Could I possibly have been that blind? Of course Alec should protect Raul, but after all we’d been through together, I expected Alec to have my back too.

“Do you doubt my word, Vesper?” Raul asks quietly. Our little trouble was drawing a lot of attention and members of the two packs were eyeing each other suspiciously. “If this stand-off continues, there will be bloodshed. I thought we both agreed that there’s been enough of that?”

Vesper sighs, looking bored, and I’m tempted to snap out my leg and kick him in the shin. 

Raul’s eyes flick to me warningly and I feel a tendril of warmth in my abdomen. He still knows me better than anyone.

“I’m tired of this infernal back and forth,” Vesper says tightly. “If you don’t get back to crowning my sister as your Luna right this instant, I’m backing out of the deal. You shouldn’t have turned around to come to her rescue like some avenging angel.”

Valerie tightens her hold on Raul’s arm, “There’s no need for that. Raul told you why he had to intervene. Our packs need this truce. We need peace,” she says quietly. 

Vesper’s eyes soften when they turn to her. “You deserve to be shown respect due to a queen. As long as Briana remains here, there will always be some who question the bond between you and Raul.”

A beat of silence follows, which Vesper finally breaks. “I have an amendment to add to our agreement and it’s non-negotiable.” Raul raised his eyebrows, waiting for Vesper to continue. “You give Briana to me, to do with as I please.”

Raul looked at me, before returning his gaze to Vesper. His face betrayed nothing but boredom when he responded coldly, “Deal.” 

Devastation ripped through me, razing everything I ever believed in to the ground.