Chapter 2 Shattered Vows

Aurora's POV

I stood frozen, my breath catching as his voice echoed in my head.

My instincts knew who it was even before his scent reached me, cedar, leather, and the weight of his Beta aura pressing into my space.

Then his voice came again, calm and smooth.

"Congratulations on regaining your freedom."

The words hit like sharp claws scraping over old wounds.

Beta James.

If it had been anyone else, I might have nodded politely, offered a hollow thanks, and moved on.

But coming from him? The voice I once trusted now only reminded me of everything he had done.

He stood a few steps away, posture controlled, his expression calm. Always so careful, so composed.

The polished Beta who once stood beside me, who once swore loyalty beneath the moonlight, now looked at me like nothing had ever happened.

But everything had happened.

This was the man who had once sworn to protect me as a Beta of the Silver Moon Pack.

Five years ago, when my world crumbled, he was the one who was supposed to stand by me.

But when Helen's tears came and the accusations rose, Beta James stood before the Elders.

He publicly accused me of seriously injuring Vicky, defending the Donald family and throwing me under the bus as if their lies were the truth.

Beta James also openly rejected me as his mate before the court.

Instead, he chose Helen, the one who framed me and stood by her as if I had never existed.

Privately, he had begged me to take the blame, whispering behind closed doors like a coward. "Helen can't endure the hardship," he pleaded. "Take this for her."

Once, when some bullies tried to force my wolf to shift, he knocked one of them down and growled at the others until they ran. He swore no one would ever hurt me again.

I believed him. But in the end, he had traded my future for his own ambition.

Now, he stood here as a nationally respected Beta lawyer, the one who helped send the Alpha's daughter into a psychiatric hospital and built his career on my downfall.

As though none of that mattered, as though five years of betrayal could be swept away, he reached out and offered me a bouquet of pale winter roses.

I stared at them for a brief moment. The same flowers he once brought, back when my heart foolishly trusted him. Back when I thought his promises were real.

There was no warmth left now.

I reached out, took the bouquet with steady hands, and let them fall.

"No need," I said quietly, my voice calm, cold, final.

For a moment, Beta James faltered.

His Beta aura flickered beneath my steady gaze, but like always, he recovered quickly, slipping back behind his polished mask.

Alpha Keith's voice broke the heavy silence.

"Let's go. Get in the car."

I walked past Beta James without even glancing his way. My face stayed calm, as if he no longer existed.

His hand lifted halfway, hovering in the air, but he stopped himself before reaching me. His eyes followed me, filled with a sharp ache, but I didn't slow down.

My wolf felt it, that quiet desperation clinging to him. But it was nothing compared to what he had done to me.

The worst pain had already been dealt years ago when he stood silent while they destroyed me.

Once, I would always search for him in every crowd, waiting for him to protect me.

Nights when we ran together under the moonlight, his voice softly calling me "Little Moon" as we chased each other through the trees. He promised I'd never be alone.

But that James was gone. And I no longer cared for him to protect me or his affection anymore.

Now, as his eyes begged for words, I finally turned to him, my voice cold but steady.

"You knew the truth, Beta James, and you chose to speak her lies anyway."

He inhaled deeply but had no words to answer me.

"You stood in front of the court," I continued, "and chose her. You spoke your oath beside her while I was dragged away."

"I never expected your love," I whispered. "I only wished you would defend me."

"You built your name standing on my grave," I finished, voice steady. "You let them destroy me so you could rise."

In the distance, Alpha Keith stood watching, his arms crossed, posture stiff, eyes narrowed. His aura pulsed faintly with growing impatience.

I turned slightly toward him but kept my focus on Beta James a moment longer.

I spoke one final time, my voice low and unshaken. "Don't pretend we're anything but strangers now."

Beta James remained frozen, unable to answer.

Compared to him, the Donald family's open hatred almost felt cleaner. At least they had never pretended to love me.

Without a word, Alpha Keith opened the door.

Beta James remained frozen in place, fists clenched at his sides, his Beta instincts warring between guilt and pride. But there was nothing left for him to say.

I stepped into the car, closing the door behind me with a solid thud.