BRIANA

"Briana, you are accused of attacking my future daughter-in-law, Laura. For this offense, you are hereby stripped of your rank and cast down to omega," Alpha Marcus declares, his voice echoing through the gathering.

My whole body stiffens. The words crash into me like a stone dropped in deep water. My title as beta-my pride, my identity-is ripped away, replaced with the lowest rank among wolves. Omega. My chest tightens as the new weight settles on me.

And the worst part? He didn't even bother to ask what really happened. Marcus only saw the end of a fight where I was fending off Laura's friends-Clara and Prisy.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" the alpha continues, his gray eyes like slabs of cold stone. This was not the man I grew up respecting.

I swallow hard, anger mixing with despair. "If I tell you the truth, will you even believe me?" My voice shakes, but my eyes stay on his.

"Of course," Marcus replies too quickly, too smoothly.

I inhale, catching the bitter scent of dishonesty clinging to his words. He's protecting Laura. That much is clear. But it isn't only about him believing me-it's about whether the pack will.

"I didn't attack Laura," I answer sharply, glaring at him. My gut twists because something about this feels deeply wrong. My mind reaches for Drake, my mate, but the link is blocked. I try pushing images toward him, desperate for him to see the truth, but it's like shouting into a wall.

At last, I spot him in the crowd. His eyes meet mine-only for him to look away, guilt flashing across his face. The sight stabs me deeper than any claw. He was supposed to be mine. He was supposed to stand with me.

"I was only getting ready to meet Drake when Laura and her friends attacked me," I say louder, forcing my voice to carry. "Look at me. Look at my wounds. Smell the wolfsbane in the blood dripping from my skin. They left these marks."

Around me, sneers falter. Wolves sniff the air, their expressions shifting to shock. Some even glance at Drake. They can smell it now-my mate's scent clinging to me beneath the wolfsbane.

"Why would Laura attack you?" Alpha Marcus scoffs, as if my story is laughable.

I stare at him, stunned. Can he not smell his own son all over me? Or does he simply refuse to admit it?

"Because your son is my mate," I say flatly, my voice cutting through the air like a blade. My gaze flicks to Drake, waiting for him to confirm it.

His head snaps toward me, fists clenching. For a moment, I think he'll speak up, but instead, he throws me a glare-cold and sharp.

"We found out the moment I turned eighteen yesterday," I continue before he can deny it. My tone hardens, though my heart cracks. "We spent the day together in his room. The pack can smell him on me."

"You're lying. We are not mates!" Drake suddenly shouts, fury blazing as he storms down the steps.

Two wolves rush forward, blocking him before he can reach me. His anger cuts deeper than his words. Only last night, he had whispered promises of love. Now, he stands across from me, denying me.

"I am not lying, and you know it," I cry out, my voice trembling with both rage and heartbreak.

"Drake," Alpha Marcus says firmly, turning to his son. "Briana turned eighteen last night, and the two of you disappeared from her party. She wears your clothes. She smells of you."

For a heartbeat, I think he'll side with me. But then Marcus turns back, his eyes hard as iron, and all hope drains from me.

"Unfortunately, Briana, my son and Laura were promised to each other long ago," he says coldly. "Our packs must unite through marriage. Without it, Alpha Norman Joss will destroy us for our land."

Gasps ripple through the crowd. My heart sinks. I think of last night-how I trusted Drake, how I gave myself to him, believing in the bond the goddess gave us. Believing in us.

"What do you mean I can't be with my mate?" I scream, my voice raw. "The goddess chose him for me! There won't be another!"

"You heard me," Marcus replies without a shred of pity. "Reject him-or let him reject you."

Rage floods through me, burning hotter than the wounds across my body. My chest heaves as I turn to Drake, my supposed mate. "No. I will not reject you."

"Then Drake will do it-for the good of Moonveil Pack," Marcus says calmly, motioning to his son.

The world stills. I shake my head, ready to beg, ready to fight, but before I can, Drake pushes past the wolves restraining him. His eyes are blazing, his mouth set.

"I, Drake Summer, reject you, Briana George, as my mate. May the goddess have mercy on you."

The words tear through me like fire and steel. A scream rips from my throat as pain explodes in my chest, shattering my soul. I fall to my knees, clutching at the pieces of a bond I never wanted to lose.

My mate chose another. My mate chose duty over me.

My mate chose a pack whore over the bond the goddess gave us.

BRIANA

Suddenly, Drake lets out a piercing scream, his hand flying to his neck as if he's trying to tear something off. Through my tear-blurred eyes, I see it-his skin searing with the burgundy-red mark of betrayal. A jagged heart, split with three harsh lines, burns itself into his flesh.

The pack gasps. Some wolves stare in shock, others whisper in horror, and a few... a few actually smirk as if enjoying my pain.

Agony shoots through me like fire. The mate bond that we sealed last night, when Drake held me close and made love to me, now twists and shatters inside me. Every breath feels like knives. Each heartbeat feels like my chest will split open. I clutch my stomach, crying, choking on the pain, waiting for the fire to consume me whole.

And then-just like that-it fades.

I force my eyes open. Drake is standing straight now, breathing hard, the torment on his face gone. He looks at me coldly, his voice rough and final.

"We are no longer mates, Briana."

The words slice through me deeper than claws ever could.

My rage pushes past my heartbreak, boiling over. Without thinking, I lunge at him. My hands twist into claws, and before he can move, I rake them across his face. His scream tears through the air as his blood splatters warm against my fingers. A scar-my scar-will forever mark him.

And why shouldn't it? He knew. He knew he was promised to Laura Joss for years. He knew our love was forbidden. Yet he still took my innocence last night. Still made me believe we had forever.

Strong arms wrap around me, pulling me back before I can strike again. I breathe in the familiar scent of David, Drake's uncle by marriage, my godfather, and my late father's closest friend. He murmurs in my ear, steady and calm, "Briana, enough. Stop. He'll carry that scar for life. You've done enough."

I tremble, shaking with fury, but I let David's words sink in. My chest heaves as I drag in a deep breath, forcing myself to still.

Then Alpha Marcus steps forward, his voice booming with anger.

"Briana George! You have disgraced this pack!"

My head snaps toward him. Rage lights my veins. He's the one who disgraced me, stripped me of my beta rank-the last gift I had from my parents before they were killed last year. He made me an omega without hearing my truth. He made Drake reject me.

I glare, my voice breaking but fierce.

"No, Marcus. You and your son are the disgrace of Moonveil Pack! My parents gave their lives for you-for this pack-and this is how you repay me?"

The pack stirs uneasily, whispers of disapproval rising against Marcus and Drake.

Marcus snarls, spit flying as he rages.

"It is because of your parents' sacrifice that I allow you even this much!"

His eyes blaze with hatred as he delivers the final blow.

"Briana George, you are no longer a member of Moonveil Pack. You have until midnight to leave this territory, or you will be hunted as a rogue and put down."

The words crash over me like thunder. I feel the pack bond snap, like my very heart being ripped apart. My body shudders, and for a moment, it feels like my soul stops breathing. The weight of omega shackles falls away, and my true beta blood flares in my veins once more.

In half an hour, I've gone from beta... to omega... to nothing but a rogue.

"Marcus, this is madness!" David roars back at the alpha.

But Marcus only sneers.

"No, David. This is justice. If you think I have gone too far, then leave with her. See how long you last."

David opens his mouth, but another voice cuts through the air.

"Then we will leave."

Everyone turns.

Linda Bruce, Marcus' elder sister, strides forward with her head held high. Her figure wavers before my eyes, blurred by the waves of pain and rejection crashing through me. But her voice is strong, unshakable.

"Moonveil Pack is nothing but liars and snakes. I will not stand by my brother while he destroys what our family built."

I shake my head weakly, wanting to protest, to stop her from severing her family bond for my sake. But my legs buckle. My vision darkens.

David catches me before I hit the ground, holding me firmly against his chest. His voice is low, steady, for me alone.

"Don't fight it, Briana. Rest. If Linda says we're leaving, then we're leaving."

I try to push away, to stay awake, but the pain, mixed with the lingering wolfsbane in my blood, drags me under. My eyelids fall shut, and the last thing I hear is Linda's voice rising in a storm of defiance against Alpha Marcus.

Then darkness swallows me whole.

BRIANA

A faint, throbbing ache pulls me out of the darkness. My body feels heavy, but the familiar scent of home seeps into me, reminding me where I am.

"Good, you're awake, Briana."

The soft but steady voice makes me turn my head. Standing in front of me is Linda Bruce. She is carefully removing photographs from their frames, setting each one into a box as though they are priceless treasures. I watch her slender hands work, steady and precise, as if she refuses to let even one corner bend. Those pictures are the last pieces I have of my parents, and she's guarding them with care.

I part my lips to speak, but Linda cuts me off before I can form words. Her hazel eyes pin me with a determined light.

"No protests. David and I already gave up our titles in Moonveil Pack, and the house is packed. This is final."

Her words hit me like a slap, but I know she isn't the kind of wolf to change her mind once it's made up. She is alpha-blooded. Stubbornness is in her veins.

"Marcus and Drake crossed the line this time," she continues firmly. "You deserve more than this. I won't stand by while they crush everything my family worked for. Moonveil pack may carry my ancestors' name, but I won't watch it be destroyed."

I push myself upright on the couch, the motion sending a sting of pain through my chest. My eyes sweep the room, noticing the bare spaces on the walls where pictures once hung. The empty frames rest neatly beside Linda's box.

"But Marcus is your brother," I whisper, confused. "Wouldn't you want to stay, no matter what?"

Linda scoffs, the sound sharp and bitter.

"Marcus is power-hungry. The only reason he wears the title of Alpha is because Moonveil law forbids a she-wolf from ruling. Otherwise, I'd be the one leading this pack." She gives me a faint smile, one that hides too much pain to be called real.

I don't want to argue with her, not when she's one of the few who has stood beside me since everything fell apart. So instead, I ask quietly, "If you're already leaving... shouldn't you be packing?"

"We finished," she replies. "You've been unconscious for five hours. It's three in the afternoon now. David and the pups are outside, loading the trailer. I came back for you."

My head snaps toward the clock on the wall. She's right-three in the afternoon. I had woken at nine-thirty this morning, believing my life was just beginning. I thought I'd be mated soon. Thought I'd be Luna.

The memory claws through me, raw and merciless. A gasp escapes me as pain flares in my chest, spreading through every nerve. Drake rejected me. My mate. The one the goddess herself had chosen. He didn't just turn away from me-he broke me. All for an arranged bond with Laura Joss. And Marcus... Marcus threw me out, stripped me of my place in Moonveil pack, leaving me nothing but an exile.

"Shh, it's alright, Briana."

Linda kneels at my side, her hands gentle as they cup my cheeks and wipe the tears streaming down.

"I-it hurts!" My voice cracks as sobs wrack me, each breath sharp and shallow.

"I know, baby girl. It'll hurt until you or he binds to another. But right now, you need strength. Do you think you can find that strength?"

Her question burns through the haze of pain. I nod weakly, and she rewards me with a small, relieved smile.

"Good. Now, breathe with me. In. Out. In. Out."

Her calm voice pulls me back piece by piece. I match her breaths until the sharp edge of the agony dulls enough for me to steady myself.

"Listen to me," she says softly but firmly. "We have only nine hours before Marcus's wolves hunt us off Moonveil land. You can't break now. Pack what you can. Can you do this?"

The thought of leaving slices into me. Packing means saying goodbye to my parents' memories forever. But the truth is harsher-if I don't, I won't survive.

"I... I don't know," I admit, squeezing my eyes shut. My breath trembles. "But I'll try."

When I open them again, Linda is watching me with pride shining in her eyes. She ruffles my hair gently before standing.

"Good girl. I'll finish the pictures. You gather what matters most to you. We're leaving in four hours."

Her words settle over me like a command. Shaky but determined, I push myself up and make my way toward my room.

I should count myself lucky. Most wolves forced into rogue life are given an hour-if that-to pack before being chased away. I've been granted nearly a day.

Inside my bedroom, I slip into a simple sundress from my closet. My hands tremble as I throw Drake's torn, bloodied clothes into the trash. The fabric reeks of his scent, and it makes me sick. I had given myself to him fully the night we discovered we were mates, certain he'd mark me and claim me. Certain the goddess's design was enough. I was wrong.

The ache surges back, fierce and unrelenting. My knees nearly buckle, and I clutch the bed for balance. The bond between us claws at me, screaming to be healed, but it never will. Drake made sure of that. Marcus made sure of that.

Hot tears streak my face again, blurring everything. I choke on the helplessness clawing up my throat, desperate to fight it back.

I can't undo the past. I can't erase last night or take back what I gave him. I can't stop the rejection. But I can choose what happens from this moment forward.

With effort, I force myself to breathe through the torment. Slowly, the sobs quiet. Slowly, my strength returns, shaky but steady enough to stand.

Linda's words echo in my head. Push the pain aside. Stay strong.

I will. I have to. If I fall apart now, I won't make it out alive.

Other than Peter Wood, I have no one left here. That truth doesn't crush me the way I expect-it steadies me.

I lift my chin, a strange calm washing through me, and begin to pack.