Chapter 2 A Pariah Among Her People

Erica's POV

Erin's voice broke the silence while filled with accusation. "I knew it! I knew you were unfaithful to Jaxon!"

"Erin!" I almost yelled with my heart pounding with fear as her voice filled with blame. "You can't be serious! I'm not cheating on Jaxon!"

I hurriedly blurted out my denial. "What? No! Erin, it's not what it seems! I-"

"Not what it seems?" Her voice was full of contempt while hurting more than I could stand. "Do you think this is just a little mistake? You're in bed with another guy!"

I felt my cheeks getting hot with shame filling me up. The man next to me quietly pulled the sheets up as he looked back and forth between us.

But before I could even start to explain, Jaxon's anger filled the room. The friendly look in his eyes vanished and was replaced by a focus that made him dangerous. He walked toward us with his fists tight, and I felt a wave of fear wash over me.

"That's enough!" His voice came-strong and loud-breaking through the noise. In a flash, he ripped the sheets off the stranger, leaving him bare and defenseless. I felt my heart race for the man beside me, a stranger caught in this storm of anger.

"Get away from her," Jaxon growled while grabbing the stranger by the collar and lifting him.

"What is going on, man?" the intruder said while struggling in Jaxon's stronghold, but his words hardly mattered as my life fell apart.

As Jaxon's fist hit the man's jaw, the loud noise shook me. "Jaxon, stop!" I begged with fear rising in my throat as I jumped out of bed. My bare feet touched the cold floor, and everything in me wanted to step in. "Please, let's investigate this!"

But Jaxon was furious while throwing punches and shouting sharp words. "You think you can just walk into this house?" Another hard hit, and the man slid down the wall. "With my mate?"

My heart dropped even more while feeling heavy from what was happening. "Stop it!" I shouted while running up and wanting to get him away. "You're hurting him! We should wait until we dig deeper into this!"

Jaxon stopped then, with his eyes full of pain, as he turned to look at me. "Do you think I care about him, Erica? You're the one I'm let down by!"

"Let down?" My voice shook with his accusation. Tears filled my eyes. "Jaxon, please!"

His face turned serious while hitting me with the deep feeling of his disappointment. He took a step back while letting the guards, who had quickly come in, hold the stranger. "Get him out and make sure he doesn't escape," he ordered with his voice quiet but threatening while leaving me vulnerable after the chaos.

When Jaxon looked at me again, the pain in his eyes was worse than any hit. "You've let me down," he said, and every word felt like a knife cutting into me. "I thought you were not like this."

"I didn't! I wouldn't!" I yelled with my heart filled with pain. "You have to trust me! We were having a party-I can't even recall..."

"That's enough!" His voice shouted with his voice bouncing off the walls like thunder. "Do you think your excuses matter? Do you think I'll let this slide? You're not my mate anymore!"

"Jaxon, stop!" I reached out while feeling scared, but he pulled back while looking like my hand hurt him.

"With the authority I have, I reject you as my mate," he said, with each word cutting deep. "May the Moon Goddess see this. You are not mine anymore."

His words were heavy and hard to breathe in, like poison in the air. I stepped back with my heart breaking from his refusal. "No... no, Jaxon, please."

The room was spinning, and I felt panic rising in my throat. "Mom! Dad! Please help me!" I looked at my parents, my voice shaking with fear.

But instead of the comfort I wanted, their faces showed disappointment with a sad look that hurt me more than any words of criticism.

"Do you see what you have done?" My mother's tone was harsh and steady while cutting through the sadness. "You've shamed this family!"

"While you were out having fun, what did I say about loyalty?" My father's rough voice felt heavy on my chest. "You've let us down, Erica. Not just yourself but our whole pack!!"

"How can you say that?" I cried while feeling hopeless. "I was-"

"We don't want to hear your excuses!" Erin scoffed with her arms crossed proudly. "This isn't only about you. You will face the consequences for your betrayal, and you deserve all the shame coming your way."

I felt crushed when Erin's betrayal hit me hard with her words sharp and hurtful. How could my sister enjoy my suffering like this? "Erin, how can you say this?" I said in shock while trying to understand why she was happy about my hurt.

Her smile grew bigger, and her eyes sparkled with a satisfaction that stirred something in me. "You deserve this. You thought you could have a perfect life, didn't you? But you're just a cheater!" My stomach turned at her words.

"That's enough!" The elder shouted like thunder breaking through the noise around us. "This shame can't be accepted. You have shamed yourself and the whole pack. You are banned from our land starting now!."

His words hit me hard like a punch. "No!" I shouted with my voice shaky as I stepped back while feeling empty inside where my life used to be. "You can't do this!"

"It's finished," the old man said with his face firm. "You need to go now and not come back. If you are seen here again, there will be punishment."

Fear tightened around my throat as I struggled to find words. "But I didn't do it!" I begged while looking for Jaxon's eyes one last time, hoping for a hint of kindness. "You have to trust me! I love you!"

"Love?" he shot back with anger and sadness filling his eyes. "You've ruined what we had. You don't deserve my love."

I gasped for air, and it felt like the ground was falling apart. Shame and loneliness weighed on me, choking out any desire to fight back. I turned to my parents and clung to the last bit of hope. "Please... don't let them do this! I'm your daughter!"

"But you've destroyed our trust," my mom said coldly. "You've made your decisions, so now you have to deal with what happens next."

A wave of sadness hit me as I stood in front of the people I thought would help and protect me.

"Go away," Jaxon said with his voice calm but full of sadness. "You're not welcome anymore."

Feeling the heavy disapproval from everyone,

wound me hit harder than any physical hit I was an outcast rejected by my people...