2

BRIANA

"Briana, you are accused of attacking my future daughter-in-law, Laura. For this offense, you are hereby stripped of your rank and cast down to omega," Alpha Marcus declares, his voice echoing through the gathering.

My whole body stiffens. The words crash into me like a stone dropped in deep water. My title as beta-my pride, my identity-is ripped away, replaced with the lowest rank among wolves. Omega. My chest tightens as the new weight settles on me.

And the worst part? He didn't even bother to ask what really happened. Marcus only saw the end of a fight where I was fending off Laura's friends-Clara and Prisy.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" the alpha continues, his gray eyes like slabs of cold stone. This was not the man I grew up respecting.

I swallow hard, anger mixing with despair. "If I tell you the truth, will you even believe me?" My voice shakes, but my eyes stay on his.

"Of course," Marcus replies too quickly, too smoothly.

I inhale, catching the bitter scent of dishonesty clinging to his words. He's protecting Laura. That much is clear. But it isn't only about him believing me-it's about whether the pack will.

"I didn't attack Laura," I answer sharply, glaring at him. My gut twists because something about this feels deeply wrong. My mind reaches for Drake, my mate, but the link is blocked. I try pushing images toward him, desperate for him to see the truth, but it's like shouting into a wall.

At last, I spot him in the crowd. His eyes meet mine-only for him to look away, guilt flashing across his face. The sight stabs me deeper than any claw. He was supposed to be mine. He was supposed to stand with me.

"I was only getting ready to meet Drake when Laura and her friends attacked me," I say louder, forcing my voice to carry. "Look at me. Look at my wounds. Smell the wolfsbane in the blood dripping from my skin. They left these marks."

Around me, sneers falter. Wolves sniff the air, their expressions shifting to shock. Some even glance at Drake. They can smell it now-my mate's scent clinging to me beneath the wolfsbane.

"Why would Laura attack you?" Alpha Marcus scoffs, as if my story is laughable.

I stare at him, stunned. Can he not smell his own son all over me? Or does he simply refuse to admit it?

"Because your son is my mate," I say flatly, my voice cutting through the air like a blade. My gaze flicks to Drake, waiting for him to confirm it.

His head snaps toward me, fists clenching. For a moment, I think he'll speak up, but instead, he throws me a glare-cold and sharp.

"We found out the moment I turned eighteen yesterday," I continue before he can deny it. My tone hardens, though my heart cracks. "We spent the day together in his room. The pack can smell him on me."

"You're lying. We are not mates!" Drake suddenly shouts, fury blazing as he storms down the steps.

Two wolves rush forward, blocking him before he can reach me. His anger cuts deeper than his words. Only last night, he had whispered promises of love. Now, he stands across from me, denying me.

"I am not lying, and you know it," I cry out, my voice trembling with both rage and heartbreak.

"Drake," Alpha Marcus says firmly, turning to his son. "Briana turned eighteen last night, and the two of you disappeared from her party. She wears your clothes. She smells of you."

For a heartbeat, I think he'll side with me. But then Marcus turns back, his eyes hard as iron, and all hope drains from me.

"Unfortunately, Briana, my son and Laura were promised to each other long ago," he says coldly. "Our packs must unite through marriage. Without it, Alpha Norman Joss will destroy us for our land."

Gasps ripple through the crowd. My heart sinks. I think of last night-how I trusted Drake, how I gave myself to him, believing in the bond the goddess gave us. Believing in us.

"What do you mean I can't be with my mate?" I scream, my voice raw. "The goddess chose him for me! There won't be another!"

"You heard me," Marcus replies without a shred of pity. "Reject him-or let him reject you."

Rage floods through me, burning hotter than the wounds across my body. My chest heaves as I turn to Drake, my supposed mate. "No. I will not reject you."

"Then Drake will do it-for the good of Moonveil Pack," Marcus says calmly, motioning to his son.

The world stills. I shake my head, ready to beg, ready to fight, but before I can, Drake pushes past the wolves restraining him. His eyes are blazing, his mouth set.

"I, Drake Summer, reject you, Briana George, as my mate. May the goddess have mercy on you."

The words tear through me like fire and steel. A scream rips from my throat as pain explodes in my chest, shattering my soul. I fall to my knees, clutching at the pieces of a bond I never wanted to lose.

My mate chose another. My mate chose duty over me.

My mate chose a pack whore over the bond the goddess gave us.