Chapter 2

Crystal's POV

Pain. That was all I felt. It did not come in waves or pulses, it consumed everything, like my body was being torn apart from the inside. I could not breathe. I could not think. I could only feel the bond breaking, piece by piece, like something sacred was being ripped out of my soul.

“Get up,” someone said. I did not move. A kick landed against my ribs, forcing a weak gasp out of me. “I said get up, you useless thing,” Bryan’s voice snapped. Of course. Even after rejecting me, he still was not done.

My fingers dug into the dirt as I tried to push myself up, but my arms trembled violently beneath me. The crowd had not left. They were still watching. Still enjoying.

“She looks like she is dying,” someone laughed. “Good,” another replied. “Saves us the trouble.” My vision blurred as tears slipped down my cheeks. So this was how it ended.

Not with love. Not with freedom. But with humiliation.

“Stand her up,” Alpha Matthew ordered. Strong hands grabbed my arms, forcing me upright. My legs could barely hold me. My head hung low, my hair falling over my face like a shield.

“Look at her,” the Alpha continued, his voice loud and filled with mockery. “This is what happens when an Omega forgets her place.”

I wanted to scream. I wanted to fight. But I had nothing left.

“I never forgot,” I whispered weakly. His laugh was cold. “Oh, but you did,” he said. “You hoped.” The word hit harder than anything else. Hope. That was my mistake.

“Punish her,” Luna Vanessa said casually. My heart dropped.

“No” I started, but the words never finished. The first blow came fast. A whip cracked across my back, tearing through my already broken body. I screamed. This time, I could not hold it in. Again.

And again. And again. Each strike burned like fire, ripping through skin and bone. My knees gave out, but they held me up. They wanted me to feel all of it.

“Please…” I begged, my voice barely audible. No one listened. No one cared. “Harder,” Bryan said.

Something inside me snapped. Not from the pain. From the sound of his voice. The same voice that was supposed to be mine. The same voice that rejected me. The same voice that was now enjoying this.

Another strike landed. And suddenly, Everything went quiet. Not outside. Inside. The pain faded. The noise disappeared. Even my heartbeat slowed. It was wrong. It was unnatural.

“Stop.” The voice was not mine. But it came from me. The whip froze mid air. The man holding it stiffened.

“What is happening?” someone shouted. My head lifted slowly. My vision sharpened. The world looked… different. Clearer. Darker. Stronger. A strange energy pulsed through my veins, replacing the weakness with something heavy and alive. Fear spread through the crowd. Real fear.

“What did you do?” Alpha Matthew demanded. I blinked slowly. I did not answer. Because I did not know. But whatever it was… It was not normal.

“Continue,” he ordered quickly. “End this now.” The whip came down again. This time, I caught it. Gasps filled the courtyard. My hand tightened around the leather, stopping it completely. That should not have been possible. Not for an Omega. Not for me. But I was no longer sure what I was.

“Let go,” the guard snarled, trying to pull it back. I did not. Instead, I stood up. Slowly. Fully.

My body did not tremble this time. It felt… steady. Strong. Alive. Bryan stepped forward, his expression darkening.

“What trick is this?” he demanded. I looked at him.

Really looked at him. And for the first time in my life… I did not feel afraid. “I don’t know,” I said quietly. My voice sounded different.

Colder.

Stronger.

But before anything else could happen, Pain exploded inside me again. Stronger than before. My body seized violently as I dropped to the ground, screaming. It was worse this time. Much worse.

My bones felt like they were breaking. Reforming. Changing.

“What is wrong with her?” someone shouted.

“She is shifting!” another yelled.

“No,” Alpha Matthew said sharply. “That is not a normal shift.” He was right. It was not. My wolf roared inside me, louder than ever before. But it was not alone. Something else was there. Something bigger. Something ancient. I could feel it fighting to break free.

“Kill her,” the Alpha ordered suddenly. Silence fell for a split second. Then chaos erupted.

“What?” Bryan snapped. “She is still-”

“She is no longer one of us,” Alpha Matthew cut him off. “Kill her now.” The words echoed in my ears. Kill her. So this was it. Again. I laughed weakly, the sound broken and hollow. Even now…

They were afraid of me. The guards moved closer. Weapons drawn. Ready. I could barely move. Barely breathe. Barely think. But deep inside… That voice returned.

Stronger this time. Clearer. “Do you want to live?” My heart pounded.

Yes.

Even after everything.

Yes.

“Then stop being weak.” Something inside me exploded. My eyes snapped open. And they were no longer the same. And for the first time… I think about leaving. Even if they hunt me. Even if they try to break me again. I can’t stay. I won’t survive here. Then I ran. I did not remember deciding to.

One moment I was on the ground, broken and bleeding, and the next my body moved on its own.

Instinct. Survival. Something deeper. “Stop her!” someone shouted behind me. But their voices sounded far away. Distant. Irrelevant. The world blurred around me as I pushed forward, my feet barely touching the ground.

Branches tore at my skin. Thorns ripped through my clothes. I did not slow down. I could not. Because if I stopped… I would die. Pain burned through my chest with every step. The rejection. The whipping. The awakening. It all collided inside me like a storm that refused to settle. “Run.” The voice returned. Not loud. Not soft. But absolute. I obeyed.

The forest stretched endlessly, dark and suffocating. Shadows followed me. Or maybe they were part of me now. My breath came in sharp gasps, but my body refused to give in.

Not yet. Not now. Not when I was finally free. Free. The word felt strange. Unfamiliar. Dangerous. Because freedom came with something else.

Fear. Hours passed. Or maybe minutes. I did not know. Time had lost meaning. All I knew was forward. Forward.

Forward.