Chapter 5

Sienna's POV

The heavy oak doors of the grand council chamber stood open, exposing the high ceiling, polished stone floor, and long timber table lined with the pack’s highest elders. Morning light flooded through the tall stained-glass windows, painting the room in deep hues of crimson and gold.

I stood ten feet back from the foot of the long table, still wearing my plain, dark server's tunic. My ankles were stiff, my throat dry as bone, and my stomach churned in quiet nausea. The Ceramic mug containing the Moon-tea sat on the bedside counter in Jaxson's room, a constant reminder of the quiet death of every dream I had harbored since childhood.

In front of me, seated on the carved Alpha throne at the head of the chamber, was Jaxson.

He looked majestic, cold, and entirely untouchable. Broad shoulders filling out his leather Alpha jacket, dark hair swept back with precision, his face carved from unyielding granite. Beside him stood Elder Thomas, holding a thick scroll of parchment, and across the room sat Lady Valerie, draped in fine velvet, her sharp chin raised in triumphant anticipation.

The room fell into an expectant, suffocating hush. Dozens of high-ranking warriors, bloodline elders, and key pack advisors lined the sides of the hall, their heavy gazes weighing down on me like lead weights.

"Bring the female forward," Elder Thomas commanded, his voice echoing off the stone walls.

My boots felt like lead, but I forced my feet to move, stepping into the center of the hall until I stood directly before the raised dais. I kept my head bowed, my eyes fixed on the silver buckles of Jaxson’s polished leather boots, refusing to let them see the tremble in my chin.

Jaxson leaned forward, resting his thick forearms on the wooden table. His golden eyes locked onto mine, burning with an intense, unreadable fire, but his expression remained as unmoving as a winter mountain.

"Sienna Vance," Elder Thomas read from his parchment, his tone filled with administrative coldness. "It has come to the attention of the inner council that a physical encounter occurred between you and the Alpha-elect during the hours following his ascension. As an unbonded Omega, your presence within the Alpha line requires immediate formal resolution to protect pack order and clear the way for northern alliances."

A soft, cruel chuckle rippled through the northern delegation near Valerie. Valerie leaned back in her chair, a slow, predatory smile spreading across her painted lips as she watched me suffer.

"Alpha Jaxson," Elder Thomas turned to the throne, bowing his head respectfully. "Under ancient pack law, a formal declaration must be made in the presence of the inner circle. What is your decree regarding this female?"

The silence that followed was agonizing. The sound of my own frantic pulse hammered in my ears, loud as a war drum. My wolf curled into a tight, shivering ball deep inside my chest, holding her breath, hoping against hope that some tiny sliver of last night’s warmth might show itself.

Jaxson did not hesitate. He stood up slowly, his tall frame instantly dominating the entire hall. The broad width of his chest blocked out the sunlight behind him, casting a massive, long shadow over my kneeling form.

"Let it be known to the elders, the warriors, and the northern allies gathered here today," Jaxson began, his deep, baritone voice booming through the hall with brutal, undeniable authority. "The events of last night were a temporary lapse in judgment, driven by the heat of ascension and the instinctual pull of an unvetted mate bond."

A collective murmur went through the crowd, heads turning, whispering behind raised hands.

"The Bloodmoon Pack stands at a critical turning point," Jaxson continued, stepping down from the dais. His heavy boots made sharp, rhythmic thuds against the stone floor as he walked toward me, stopping just three feet away. His scent—cedarwood, cloves, and ozone—flooded my senses, making my core ache with bitter, mocking familiarity. "We face hostile rogue elements along our southern border, and our survival depends on absolute strength, political unity, and dominant bloodlines."

He looked down at me, his golden eyes cold and sharp, stripping away every shred of dignity I had left.

"An Omega cannot strengthen my leadership," Jaxson declared, his voice ringing loud and clear into every corner of the chamber. "A weak mate brings no territory, no guards, and no political power to the Bloodmoon line. She cannot defend our borders, nor can she command our warriors."

The words sliced through my chest like jagged steel. I clenched my fists so hard my nails bit into the soft skin of my palms, drawing tiny pinpricks of blood, but I refused to let a single tear fall in front of these people.

Jaxson took a deep breath, raising his right hand, his ancestral tattoos gleaming beneath his dark sleeve.

"Therefore, before the elders and the ancestors of this pack, I, Jaxson Vance, Alpha of the Bloodmoon Pack, formally reject Sienna Vance as my mate."

A sharp, collective gasp echoed through the room.

The mate bond inside me snapped with a violent, physical crack. It felt as if an invisible thread tied directly to my heart had been yanked out and scorched to ash. A sudden, white-hot agony shot through my chest, burning through my veins and making my knees buckle slightly. I swayed where I stood, my breath catching in a dry, painful gasp, but I forced my legs to lock, keeping myself upright through pure, stubborn pride.

Jaxson’s jaw clenched tight, a muscle ticking wildly in his cheek as he watched me react to the severing of the bond, but his golden eyes did not soften. He kept his arm raised, finishing the ancient ritual words required by law.

"I sever all claims, all obligations, and all ties of the bond," Jaxson finished, his voice steady, though a low, gravelly rasp undertoned his final words. "She is free to remain an unranked servant of the pack, or to leave our territory entirely. The matter is closed."

"So decreed," Elder Thomas announced loudly, stamping a heavy brass seal onto the parchment scroll.

Valerie let out a pleased, melodic laugh, sitting up straight and adjusting her red silk shawl. "A wise and practical decision, Alpha. A true ruler chooses the survival of his people over simple instinct."

"Indeed," another elder agreed, nodding approvingly. "A dominant Alpha needs an Alpha female at his side. An Omega in the Luna seat would have been a disaster for our standing."

I stood frozen in the center of the room, surrounded by their nods of agreement and quiet snickers. Jaxson stood right in front of me, his massive body shielding me from the rest of the room for a brief second. For a fraction of a second, his gaze flicked down to my face, taking in my bloodless lips and wide, hollow eyes. A flicker of something dark and painful flashed deep within his golden irises, but just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, swallowed up by his cold, unyielding mask.

"You heard the decree, Omega," Valerie’s voice cut through the air, sharp and full of spite. "Step aside. The Alpha has real business to attend to with my father's council."

I didn't look at Valerie. I didn't look at the elders.

I raised my head slowly, forcing my chin up until my dark brown eyes locked directly onto Jaxson’s glowing golden ones. I wanted him to see me. I wanted him to remember the exact face of the woman he had discarded to secure his precious border treaties.

"Thank you, Alpha Jaxson," I said, my voice quiet, flat, and remarkably steady despite the storm raging inside my chest. "Thank you for making your priorities so clear."

Jaxson’s nostrils flared, his chest rising in a sharp, heavy breath, but he said nothing. He simply stood there, stiff and silent, as I turned on my heel and began walking toward the double doors at the far end of the hall.

Every step felt like walking on broken glass. The whispers of the warriors and servants lined up along the walls followed me like a cloud of stinging insects.

"Did you hear that? Completely rejected."

"She actually thought an Omega could become Luna..."

"Foolish girl. Alpha Jaxson would never dilute his bloodline like that."

I kept my eyes fixed straight ahead, ignoring the burning heat behind my eyelids, ignoring the raw, bleeding hole where my mate bond used to be. I pushed through the heavy oak doors, stepping out into the cold stone corridor.

The heavy doors slammed shut behind me, cutting off the sound of Elder Thomas opening the northern treaty discussions and Valerie’s satisfied voice filling the room.

I walked until I reached the secluded washroom near the back stairwell, slipping inside and locking the heavy wooden bolt into place. I leaned back against the solid door, sliding down until my knees hit the cold stone tiles.

I remembered the Moon tea I left at the bedside table, I felt dirty for ever believing what Jaxson said.

He had chosen his title, his elders, and his political alliances over me. He had used me to satisfy his wolf’s desire, then thrown me to the wolves of his inner circle to prove his own cold strength.

I wiped the tears from my face with the back of my hand, my breathing coming in slow, shallow gasps. The pain of the rejection was vast and deep, but beneath the heartbreak, a cold, hard ember of resolve began to form in the pit of my stomach.

I was done bowing my head. I was done serving people who viewed me as nothing more than dirt beneath their boots. Jaxson Vance had made his choice, and now, I would make mine.