Chapter 5

Freya

The ballroom fell silent after Kael’s announcement. I froze, unable to believe that this was really happening. He couldn’t seriously think I would marry him—not after everything he had done to me, to my pack!

“Did he just…?” Grace whispered beside me.

I couldn’t even respond. My breathing became shallow, and for a moment, I thought I might pass out. The audacity of this man was unbelievable.

Suddenly, the silence broke as people began clapping and cheering like they actually supported this. I looked around, hoping to find some allies in the crowd—maybe the Alpha I’d been speaking to earlier—but I found none. Everyone was smiling and laughing and raising their glasses.

They all thought this was a joyous occasion because of the love Kael and I once shared. As if he hadn’t ruined my fucking life and trampled all over my parents’ legacy in a very public manner.

That was the problem with fated mates—everyone thought it was destiny, that we would eventually find our way back to each other like life was some big fairytale. That no matter what happened, our love would always prevail.

But they didn’t know what I knew. They didn’t know just how expertly Kael had manipulated the public’s opinion of him, how he had made everyone believe that my parents had intended for him to inherit Silvermoon pack, and that I was the crazy one for trying to get in the way of my dead parents’ last wishes.

Back then, then I had refused to bow down and had stepped away from him, rejecting him and even going so far as to sue him, I had become the bad guy. I was the angry, evil, jealous ex who just wanted Silvermoon to herself.

Never mind the fact that it was all a fucking lie.

As the crowd continued to cheer, my shock quickly turned to anger. Gritting my teeth, I pushed through the crowd and made my way toward the platform where Kael was waiting for me, smiling down at me with a smug glimmer in his eyes.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I hissed when I reached him, keeping my voice low so that only he could hear me.

Kael’s smile didn’t falter. “Announcing our engagement, of course.”

“There is no engagement,” I snapped. “I rejected you, remember?”

“You’ll change your mind,” Kael said with all the confidence of a man who really thought he had just won. “You know we’re meant to be together.”

Before I could respond, we were surrounded by a throng of other Alphas, all friends of Kael, and all offering their congratulations. One older Alpha clapped Kael on the back and turned to me with a patronizing smile.

“It’s about time you two worked things out,” he said. “A fated pair like you shouldn’t be apart.”

I opened my mouth to correct him, but another Alpha cut in.

“You’ve been acting too proud, Freya,” he said disapprovingly. “Suing your mate over inheritance? You’re lucky he’s taking you back at all. It’s a despicable thing to do to your mate.”

“No, what’s despicable is using your mate to gain power,” I said.

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous,” a third Alpha added. “Alpha Kael didn’t use you. It’s not his fault that your parents chose him to inherit the pack instead of you! You should forgive him.”

I clenched my jaw, knowing fully well what they all thought of me. They thought I was just a woman throwing a tantrum, refusing to accept my proper place as a Luna. That I was something to be tamed and controlled.

That it was the womanly thing to do to give up my inheritance to this… manipulator.

As the Alphas continued to egg me on, I felt the walls closing in on me. These were the most powerful Alphas in the region, and they were all siding with Kael. I knew that if I didn’t handle this carefully, I could be isolated by all of the Alphas—which would mean no allies, no business deals, no way to support what remained of my pack. I would really lose everything then. Everything.

But I couldn’t let Kael get away with this. I wasn’t about to stand here and let him publicly humiliate me.

Before he could react, I snatched the microphone from his hand and held it to my lips.

“I never agreed to Kael’s proposal,” I stated firmly, my voice ringing clear through the microphone. “And I intend to sue him for defamation after this stunt.”

The crowd grew quiet, and Kael’s smile finally faltered. He took a step closer to me, wrapping an arm around my waist. It was meant to look like an affectionate gesture to everyone else, but to me, it felt like a snake coiling around my belly and cutting off my air. But when I tried to pry his arm away from me, he held fast.

“Stop throwing a tantrum, Freya,” Kael said, his voice carrying through the now-silent ballroom. “I know you’re upset because you lost the trial, but I still love you, and I know you still love me. Our wedding has been delayed for far too long.”

I could feel everyone watching us, waiting to see how this drama would unfold. The pressure was suffocating. They all expected me to give in, to admit that I was just being stubborn, to fall back into Kael’s arms where I “belonged.”

I remained silent for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts. The tension in the room was palpable as everyone waited for my response.

“I no longer belong to you, Kael,” I finally said. “I never did.”

Kael’s grip on my waist tightened. “Of course you do. We’re fated mates.” He gently ran his hand over my neck, wiping away the foundation I’d used to cover the mark, exposing it fully to everyone. “Even if you reject me, our bond still exists. I’ll always be here, waiting for you to return to me, Freya.”

But then, he noticed the hickey on my neck. His fingers suddenly dug into my throat, rubbing the skin roughly. His eyes widened in shock, then narrowed with rage.

“Who left those marks on you?” he demanded, gripping my wrist and yanking me close again.

I gasped as Kael’s nails dug into my skin. “Let go of me,” I growled, attempting but failing to break free. Kael was furious, and I could feel it through the mark I still bore on my neck. White-hot pain surged through me, overwhelming everything else, draining me of all strength.

He wasn’t controlling his power, and I was choking.

“No,” Kael snarled. “I’m not letting you go until you tell me who left those marks.”

“I did.”

The room fell silent as Ezren casually stepped forward and wrapped his arm around me, pulling me away from Kael’s grip.