Chapter 4

Tyla POV

The sting of rejection still coursed through my veins like venom. Every word Klaus had uttered replayed in my mind—a loop of agony I couldn't escape.

My mate, my supposed other half, had tossed me aside as if I were nothing, as if I hadn't been made for him.

Fragile as it had been without a wolf to anchor it, it was gone. Now all that remained was the hollow reminder of how pathetic I was—a feeling no one could see, but one I felt with every breath.

The dining hall had emptied hours ago, but its ghost lingered in the hateful stares and whispered insults that followed me wherever I went. I didn't need a wolf to feel their disdain. It was thick in the air, suffocating and cruel.

I tried to keep my head held high as I walked through the packhouse, but their voices pierced through my defenses.

"She doesn't belong here—wolfless and rejected. What a disgrace."

"She should have been gone a long time ago."

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. The pain grounded me, keeping me from breaking down in front of them. Tears burned at the edges of my vision, but I refused to let them fall. They wouldn't see me cry. Not again. Not ever.

I hurried to my small hut and fell onto my bed. The door burst open with a loud bang, and I turned to see Marissa standing there, a smug grin plastered across her face.

I quietly got up from the mattress and faced her. She was one of Klaus's many admirers, and she took every opportunity to remind me of how unworthy I was.

"Did you really think you could stay here after what happened?" she sneered, stepping into the hut as if she owned it. "Klaus deserves a real mate, not some pathetic, wolfless reject."

I bit the inside of my cheek, willing myself to stay silent. She wasn't worth my energy.

When I didn't respond, her smile faltered and her eyes glinted with malice. "What, no snappy comeback? You think you're better than us?" She shoved me hard, and I stumbled back, hitting the wall. "Say something, Tyla!"

I stared at her, my chest heaving with restrained anger. "Leave," I said, my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands.

Her laughter was sharp and cruel. "You don't get to give orders. You're nothing here. You've always been nothing." She raised her hand, claws extending.

But before she could strike, a commanding voice rang out, "Stop!"

Alpha Lucas stood in the doorway, his presence like a storm cloud ready to burst. Marissa immediately backed off, lowering her head in submission. I felt no such compulsion. My body tensed as his cold gaze settled on me, the corner of his mouth curving into a mockery of a smile.

"Go tell Timothy to gather everyone in the hall," he commanded, his voice sharp as a blade.

"Yes, Alpha." Marissa didn't dare hesitate, disappearing without another word.

His hard gaze locked onto me, and an icy dread crawled down my spine.

"I really did like you, Tyla," he said, his voice dripping with mockery, a twisted smile playing on his lips. "But sadly, there's no saving what we had."

Before I could respond, he closed the distance between us, grabbing me roughly. He forced his lips against mine, but I fought back with everything I had. The struggle only fueled his anger. He sank his teeth into my lower lip, sharp and cruel, drawing blood.

I gasped in pain, and the next moment, his fist slammed into my stomach.

I collapsed at his feet, clutching my abdomen as waves of pain coursed through me. His cruel laughter echoed in the small space as I writhed on the floor.

"This chaos ends now," he spat, his voice cold and final. "Be in the hall. Don't make me wait."

Without another glance, he turned on his heel and stalked out of the hut, leaving me alone in the suffocating silence.

The pack hall was packed when I arrived, every eye turning to me with thinly veiled contempt. The whispers began immediately, a crescendo of cruelty that filled the air. I kept my head high, refusing to let them see how much their hatred hurt.

Alpha Lucas stood at the center of the stage. Klaus was seated to his right. Klaus's face was a mask of anger and disgust, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He wouldn't even look at me.

"Tyla Cross!" Alpha Lucas called out, his voice loud and commanding.

The room fell silent as all eyes turned to me. My heart pounded in my chest, but I forced my feet to move one step at a time until I stood before him.

He looked down at me, his expression carefully arranged into something that might pass for pity if you didn't know better.

"It pains me to say this," he began, his tone heavy with false sadness. "But your presence here has become a source of division and unrest within the pack."

I stared at him, my jaw clenched so tightly it hurt. The hypocrisy was suffocating. This was the man who had torn my life apart, the man who had taken everything from me, and now he dared to stand there pretending to care.

"We've tried to find a way to make this work," he continued, his voice growing louder for the benefit of the crowd. "But after much discussion with Alpha Klaus, we have come to the difficult decision to banish you from the Silver Fang Pack."

The words hit me hard, but I refused to flinch. The crowd erupted into cheers, their joy at my humiliation ringing in my ears. My hands trembled at my sides, but I kept them clenched into fists.

Alpha Lucas raised his hand, and the room quieted again. He turned back to me, his expression solemn. "As of this moment, you are no longer a member of this pack. You will leave immediately and never return."

I felt the weight of their stares, their satisfaction at seeing me cast out like a piece of garbage. My throat tightened, but I swallowed hard, forcing the tears back. I wouldn't cry. Not here. Not for them.

Instead, I squared my shoulders and lifted my chin, meeting the crowd's gaze with all the strength I could muster. Then I turned to Klaus—the mate who had rejected me, who had destroyed what little hope I had left. His eyes flicked to mine for a brief moment before he looked away, his jaw tightening.

And finally, I looked at Lucas again—the man who had killed my parents, my friends, and my future; the man who had marked me against my will. My blood boiled with hatred, but I kept my face blank.

I swore to myself then and there that I would never forgive them—not Lucas, not Klaus, and not the pack that had stood by and watched my suffering without lifting a finger to help.

Without a word, I turned and walked toward the door. The crowd jeered and threw things at me—stones, food, whatever they could get their hands on. Their insults followed me out of the hall, but I didn't stop. I didn't look back.

They chased me to the edge of the territory, their laughter ringing in my ears as they forced me across the border like a common criminal. They didn't let me take anything, not even the meager belongings I had in my hut.

I stood at the edge of the woods, the packlands behind me and the unknown stretching out before me. My chest ached, my body trembling with exhaustion and pain, but I didn't let myself break. They had left me to die, but I wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

Squaring my shoulders one last time, I stepped into the forest, the shadows swallowing me whole. I didn't know what lay ahead, but whatever it was, it couldn't be worse than the hell I was leaving behind.