Chapter 4 You dare and can't

Elinor POV

"He didn't save me," I repeated, my voice gaining a jagged edge despite the rawness in my throat. "He left me to burn, Mom. I saw him."

Diane's face hardened, the lines of worry deepening into frustration. "Elinor, stop this. You are in shock. Adrian is a hero. He risked his life-"

"He risked nothing!" I snapped, pushing myself up. The movement sent a scream of agony through my bandaged leg, but the physical pain was grounding. It was real, unlike the fairy tale my mother was trying to force-feed me. "I can't marry him. I won't. I'm going to reject him."

My mother gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "You will do no such thing! Do you have any idea what that would do to our alliance? To your father?"

My father.

The word triggered a sharp, piercing ache in my temples. Suddenly, a memory I had dismissed as a fever dream during my recovery snapped into focus. It wasn't from the fire. It was from two weeks ago, passing by my father's study. The door had been ajar, and Alpha Alistair Ramsey had been staring out the window, his eyes glazed over in a Mind-Link.

"Yes, Alpha. The contract is solid," he had projected, his mental voice leaking slightly-a sign of carelessness or arrogance. "Once the mating ceremony is complete, control of Moon Valley transfers to the Black Creek Pack. You have my word."

The realization hit me harder than the smoke ever could. Moon Valley was our pack's most fertile land, our greatest strategic asset. My father wasn't just marrying me off; he was selling me. I was the currency in a business deal to save his own failing leadership.

"It was never about the bond," I whispered, the betrayal tasting like bile. "It was a transaction."

"What are you mumbling about?" Diane reached for my shoulder, her eyes pleading. "Ellie, please. Just rest. Adrian is downstairs right now with your father. They are discussing the wedding date."

"No." I slapped her hand away, the adrenaline of pure fury overriding my injuries. "I need to go down there. It ends today."

I swung my legs over the side of the bed. The room spun, black spots dancing in my vision, but I gritted my teeth and forced my body to obey. I wouldn't let them sell me like cattle. I would reject him first.

Ignoring my mother's frantic protests, I limped out of the infirmary. The hallway seemed endless, every step a battle, but the sound of voices drifting up from the Great Hall drew me forward like a moth to a flame.

I didn't go down the main staircase. I wasn't dressed for an audience, covered in bandages and smelling of antiseptic. Instead, I dragged myself to the shadows of the second-floor gallery. From here, through the carved wooden railing, I could see everything.

My father, Alpha Alistair, stood by the hearth, looking small and nervous. My mother had rushed down ahead of me and was now standing beside him, wringing her hands.

And there was Adrian.

He stood in the center of the room, radiating power and arrogance. He didn't look like a man who had battled a fire last night. He looked pristine, his suit tailored, his jaw set. And clinging to his arm, looking like a delicate, frightened flower, was Ariel.

"Alpha Ramsey," Adrian's voice boomed, echoing off the stone walls. It wasn't a greeting; it was a gavel strike. "We need to address the unfortunate events of last night."

"Adrian, son," my father started, his voice trembling. "Elinor is awake. We can-"

"Elinor is damaged goods," Adrian cut him off, his tone ice-cold.

My breath hitched. I gripped the railing so hard my knuckles turned white.

"The fire made one thing clear," Adrian continued, his gaze sweeping over the gathered pack members, ensuring everyone heard. "I need a Luna who can survive. A Luna who is strong. Not a wolfless burden who requires saving."

He turned his head, looking directly at my parents, though I felt his gaze piercing through the floorboards to where my heart was shattering.

"I cannot weaken my bloodline with a defect."

He took a breath, the air in the room growing heavy with the gathering magic of the ritual. I opened my mouth to scream, to reject him first, to salvage some scrap of dignity, but the words died in my throat as his voice thundered.

"I, Alpha Adrian Sharpe, reject you, Elinor Ramsey, as my mate."

The sentence hit me like a physical blow. A tear in the fabric of my soul. Even though I didn't want him, the biological imperative of the mate bond screamed in agony as it was severed. I doubled over, clutching my chest, biting my lip to keep from crying out.

Below, the silence was absolute.

Then, Adrian turned to Ariel. He lifted her hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles, his eyes softening in a performance of adoration that made my stomach turn.

"I choose Ariel," he announced, his voice dropping to a possessive growl. "She is the one the Moon Goddess intended for me. She is your true future Luna."

From the shadows of the gallery, through the haze of pain and tears, I saw Ariel look up at him. She wasn't looking at my parents. She tilted her head back, her eyes scanning the upper floor until they locked onto the darkness where I stood.

And then, she smiled.

It wasn't a smile of relief. It was the sharp, triumphant smirk of a predator who had just devoured the competition.