Chapter 1 Rejected Mate

Alina's POV

"You're pathetic, Alina."

Marcus's voice boomed loud and cruel in the courtyard, reverberating off the brick walls as though it wasn't enough to break me just once. My knees buckled threateningly beneath me, but I stood firm, clenching my shaking hands into fists to prevent them from betraying my weakness. The whole pack was watching-every face a mask of either humor or disgust.

"Did you really think I'd want someone like you?" he went on, the corners of his mouth curled in a sneer. His eyes, warm and hazel, were cold and distant now when they looked at me.

My voice was gone, caught in my throat. The soft hum of the bond between them was an insidious thread tugging at my chest with longing when his words should have shredded me.

"Marcus..." My voice broke, barely audible above the murmurs of the crowd.

"Don't say my name," he growled, body closing in on mine. "I, Beta Marcus of the Silvercrest Pack, reject you, Alina, as my mate."

My wolf whined at the pain, its forlorn cry echoing inside my head, as I stumbled backward, grasping at the invisible scar ripping through me. The bond whipped apart, and an emptiness yawned open, so deep, so resounding, that part of me had ceased to exist.

"No," I whispered, head shaking wildly. Tears blurred my vision, but I forced myself to look into his eyes. "Please... You can't do this."

Marcus sneered at me; the mockery dripped from every angle of his face. "I just did. And why not? You are just an Omega, weak and worthless. You're a shame to this pack."

A wave of laughter filtered through the audience. At the sound, my heart wrenched painfully. These were people I had grown up with, people I cared about. And now, they delighted in my humiliation.

"Enough!" Alpha Richard's voice cut through the noise, sharp and commanding. The crowd fell silent at that, parting quickly as he stepped forward. The towering frame and icy demeanor of the Alpha sent a shiver down my spine.

"Marcus has spoken," he said, his lips curling into a cruel smile. "You are no longer his mate. And as far as I'm concerned, you are no longer one of us."

My heart plummeted. "Alpha, please," I begged, my voice shaking. "I've done nothing wrong. I've served this pack loyally-

"Loyal?" He laughed, the sound low and humorless. "You call yourself loyal while your family plots against me? You're lucky I'm being merciful, Alina. If it were left to me, you'd rot alongside them."

"Alongside them?" I repeated, some thread of horror seeping into my tone.

The smile now extended to the Alpha's features. "Oh, you haven't heard? Your parents are in custody for treason. They were caught conspiring with rogues to overthrow me."

"No!" I shrieked, my head shaking in violent denial. "That's not true! My parents would never-"

"Take her away," he said, his hand flicking in a dismissive wave.

But I didn't. I whirled and sprinted back to the packhouse, my head reeling. This had to be some horrible lie. My parents, who'd been loyal always, who'd instilled into me the respect due to the Alpha, would never commit treason against their own country.

I flung myself upon our house, my breathing in tattered gasps. The thing which met me glaciated me right where I was.

My mother and father knelt in the dirt, hands locked behind their heads, mouths gagged. Two enforcers stood on their backs, arms clamped against my father's shoulders from behind.

"No!" I yelled running to their side. "What am I doing? Let them go!"

One of the enforcers snarled as his firm hand connected with my chest, sending me backward. I teetered, caught my balance. "What have they done?" I asked, desperation shaking my voice. "Why are you doing this?"

The enforcer sneered. "Orders from the Alpha. Stay out of the way, girl."

I turned to my mother-her wide eyes filled with fear. "Mama..."

My voice cracked. "What's happening? Tell me what's happening!"

She shook her head frantically, her face streaming with tears.

"Get her out of here," one of the enforcers growled.

"No!" I shrieked again this time trying to push my way past them. But they were too strong. They dragged my parents from the house, and I followed after them, my heart pounding against my chest.

"Stop!" I yelled. "Please! You have to tell me what's going on!"

They said nothing. They dragged my parents through the streets, the pack gathering to watch. I could hear their whispers, their snickers.

"She's pathetic."

"Like mother like daughter."

"Probably conspiring with rogues herself."

The words cut into me, yet I didn't falter. I raced after my parents, my breathing seizing at every step.

Finally, when we reached the pack courtyard where just a moment before Marcus had denied me-the Alpha was waiting.

"Alpha Richard!" I shrieked, hurling myself up onto my knees in front of him. "Please! Whatever you think they've done, it's not true. My parents would never betray you. They've served this pack faithfully their entire lives!"

He gazed down at me with a cold, pained amusement. "And yet, here we are."

"They're innocent!" I exclaimed. "You know they're innocent!"

Richard was looming over me, his eyes edging closer and closer to mine. "What I do know," he drawled with languid ease, "is that your family has been found in conspiracy with the rogues for the sole intention of overthrowing my rule. It is proof absolute."

"That's a lie!" I shrieked, my voice rising shrill. "You're lying!"

His hand shot out and caught my chin, forcing me to look up at him. His eyes were cold and pitiless.

"You would do well to watch your tone, Omega," he said in a soft, measured voice. "Or you'll join them in the dungeons."

I yanked myself away from him, my chest heaving with ragged sobs. "Please...," I begged my voice breaking. "Please don't do this. They're all I have."

He snarled over his back at me. "Take them to the dungeons."

"No!" I shrieked scrambling onto my feet. Tried giving chase but a cold Marcus stepped into my path.

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be," he said, the temperature in his voice.

I glared at him, my sight blurring through my tears. "How can you do this? After everything my family has done for you-after everything I've done for you-you stand here and do nothing?"

Marcus's face didn't falter. "You're not my responsibility anymore, Alina. You're nothing to me."

The words shattered what was left of my heart.

I turned in time to see my parents being dragged away, their muffled cries ripping into me like cold blades. My mother turned back to me; her eyes implored mine, with her tears glinting in the sun.

And then they were gone.

Cold, hollow rage began to well inside me, drowning out the pain.

"You'll regret this," I said, my voice low, my body shaking with rage.

The Alpha turned back to me, the hint of an amused smile playing on his lips. "Is that so?"

"I'll come back," I said, my voice growing braver. "I'll come back and I'll destroy everything you've ever built. I'll make you pay for what you've done to my family."

And then silence fell over the courtyard. For one very still moment, the Alpha's smirk faltered.

Then he laughed. "You?" he spat, the word dribbling with malice from his lips. "You are nothing, Alina. You will die out there, all alone, and nobody will ever remember."

I heard the crowd laughing along with him-cruel voices that seemed to close in around me on all sides.

And I didn't care. I looked back at the Alpha, my eyes ablaze with unshed tears.

"I'll make you pay for this," I whispered, more for my ears than for his.