Chapter 3 No.3

Caelia POV:

"I promise, I will perform my duties as an Omega and offer you my full support," I said, my voice a perfect mask of obedient respect.

Seraphina smiled, a victor's smile.

One of Kaelen's Gammas, a brute named Marcus, stepped forward with a sneer. "Good to see you finally know your place, Omega. We were getting tired of watching you trail after the Alpha like a lost puppy."

Another, Leo, chuckled. "Remember that time she tried to sing for him over the Mind-Link during the Blood Moon hunt? He cut her off so fast. It was embarrassing."

Their words were meant to sting, to humiliate me in front of the entire pack. A few weeks ago, they would have. I would have flushed with shame, my eyes filling with tears.

But now, their taunts were like stones thrown into a bottomless well. They just disappeared.

I looked at Kaelen. He stood there, silent, his expression cold and detached. He didn't stop them. He watched as his inner circle tore me down, his silence a clear endorsement of their cruelty. In that moment, I understood. Any kindness he had ever shown me, any tolerance for my presence, had been purely because of Ronan. Without my brother's status as Beta, I was nothing to him. Less than nothing.

The party continued. Kaelen was the perfect mate-to-be. He shielded Seraphina when another male offered her a strong drink, taking the glass himself. He cut her portion of the roasted boar, making sure it was the most tender piece. He was putting on a grand performance for the entire pack, showcasing his devotion to his chosen Luna.

Later, Seraphina found me in a quiet alcove. She had a glass of juice in her hand, her smile cloyingly sweet.

"I just wanted to make sure you're alright," she said, her voice a soft purr. "Kaelen worries, you know."

I didn't respond.

Her smile tightened. "How did you find out?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper. "About our plan. I know you know. Your reaction... it's too calm."

I met her gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She leaned closer, her scent of wildflowers suddenly suffocating. "Don't play dumb with me, Omega. You heard something, didn't you?"

Before I could answer, a sudden tremor shook the great hall. Shouts of alarm erupted. I looked up. High above, the massive central chandelier, a monstrosity of iron and polished silver, was swaying violently. Its supports had been cut.

Rogues. It had to be.

The chandelier broke free, plummeting towards the ground-directly towards us.

Time seemed to slow. I saw Kaelen's head snap up. His eyes widened in panic. His wolf, his instincts, took over. In a blur of motion, he lunged. Not for me. He shot past me, a black-clad missile of pure protective instinct, and wrapped his body around Seraphina, shielding her completely as he carried her out of the drop zone.

He never even glanced in my direction.

I had no time to move, no time to even cry out. The world exploded in a symphony of shattering crystal and blinding pain. The weight of the chandelier crushed me, but it was the silver that brought the agony.

Silver. The one substance that is poison to our kind. It seared my skin, its cold fire burning through flesh and bone, suppressing my wolf's natural healing abilities. A scream was ripped from my lungs, a raw sound of torment.

The last thing I saw before darkness claimed me was Kaelen. He was holding Seraphina, his hands running over her frantically, his voice a desperate whisper in her mind that I could faintly hear. *Are you hurt? Seraphina, talk to me! Are you hurt?*

He was completely oblivious to the fact that his true mate was bleeding out on the floor just a few feet away.

I woke up in the pack's infirmary. The air smelled of antiseptic herbs and blood. My brother, Ronan, was sitting by my bed, his head in his hands. His shoulders were shaking.

"I'm so sorry, Caelia," he choked out when he saw my eyes were open. "I should have protected you. I should have stopped him."

My leg was wrapped in thick bandages, a dull, throbbing ache radiating from it. The Healer had done her best, but silver wounds were slow to heal.

I reached out and placed a hand on his arm. My own voice felt foreign, detached. "It's not your fault, Ronan." I looked into his worried eyes. "This time... I'm really letting go."

He looked confused.

I closed my eyes and focused, sending a silent message through the Mind-Link to the transport hub in the neutral territories.

*Confirming my ticket for the portal jump in ten days. Destination: Silverwood.*

This was it. There was nothing left for me here but pain.

---