The commotion outside my room grew louder. I could hear whispers and the sound of phones capturing every humiliating moment. Students from other dorms had gathered, their cameras trained on me. The video of Celine’s attack spread like wildfire, hitting the pack's community forum before I even realized it.

“Grab her,” she ordered, eyes gleaming with malice.

Before I could react, they had me by the arms, dragging me out of the room. The phone in Celine's hand was still pointed at me, recording my every movement.

“Where are you taking me?” I screamed, struggling against their grip, but it was useless.

Celine snickered, walking behind us. “Didn’t you say you were some innocent college girl? I’m going to make sure your little ‘awakening’ is something no one will ever forget. Maybe it’ll teach other little whores like you a lesson!”

I couldn’t believe what was happening. The hallway was lined with students, all watching, some whispering, others recording the spectacle. My face burned with shame. I wanted to disappear, but the omegas’ grip was firm.

I felt small, powerless, my body too tired to resist anymore.

The omegas shoved me onto the stage, and I collapsed in a heap. Pain shot up my arms and legs, but I forced myself to stand, my body trembling from the strain.

Celine grabbed a microphone.

“This, ladies and gentlemen, is what your school has produced! A homewrecker, and a liar! She’s been sleeping with a married man. She's been whoring with another woman’s husband! Where are the leaders? You all need to explain why your student is like this!”

Before I could react, she yanked my hair, pulling my head back violently. The pain was sharp, but I refused to cry. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction.

“Show everyone her face!” she barked at the omegas.

The camera zoomed in on me, and the next moment, my disheveled, tear-streaked face appeared on the giant screen behind us. Gasps echoed through the crowd, and I felt the weight of a thousand eyes on me.

“This,” Celine continued, pointing at the screen, “is the price of trying to destroy a family. I hope all of you are watching and learning. She doesn’t deserve to graduate… to walk the same stage as you. She’s nothing but a disgrace!”

The humiliation was too much.

The crowd was silent. Even the students who had been recording earlier seemed frozen, unsure of what to do. The Alphas of the other territory from each territory had arrived, their faces pale with worry.

“You’re ruining your own wedding with this,” I said, my voice hoarse from the tears I held back.

Celine’s lips curled into a twisted smile. “The only thing that’s ruined is this school’s reputation—thanks to you.” She raised the microphone again, speaking directly into the camera that was still broadcasting live. “Look, everyone. This is what happens when girls like her think they can get away with anything. They try to threaten me, blackmail me, even ruin my marriage! And now? Now, she’s getting exactly what she deserves.”

“You’re wrong!” I shouted, stepping forward, despite my legs wobbling beneath me. “I never tried to threaten you. I never did any of the things you’re accusing me of! You’re just... you’re just scared, scared that someone could—”

“Scared?” Celine laughed, cutting me off. “Scared of what? A little college brat like you? Please. You don’t even know what real power is.”

The crowd shifted, murmuring in confusion and unease. The Alphas of the other territory tried to speak, but Celine continued her tirade, ignoring everyone.

“Enough, Celine,” one of the Alphas from the neighboring territory said. “This has gone too far.”

I looked at him and saw a familiar feeling for him. But I'm also having mixed emotions about everything, maybe I was mistaken; maybe not mine.

I should’ve known better. The day of my awakening and my father’s wedding to Celine—a woman I barely knew—should’ve felt like a fresh start. Instead, it became a nightmare that ripped away every ounce of dignity I had left.

The Ravenhowl pack was gathered in full force for the celebrations. Celine had insisted on merging the two events, claiming it symbolized the union of family and pack. But now, standing there in my ceremonial gown, I could feel the unease crawling up my spine. Something was off.

Before I had time to question it, the doors to the hall slammed open. Celine, flanked by a group of her omegas, stormed in. My heart lurched as I caught sight of the look in her eyes—malice, pure and unchecked.

“There she is!” Celine’s voice rang out, loud and venomous. “The unwanted mate. The pack’s toy she-wolf.”

Her words cut through the room like a knife, and I froze. Unwanted mate? Toy she-wolf? She couldn’t mean me. My awakening was supposed to be a moment of honor, the day my wolf spirit aligned with the pack, but now, under Celine’s twisted gaze, it felt like the beginning of something far darker.

“This is your big day, Aria, right?” Celine continued, strutting closer, her heels clicking ominously against the floor. “But I’m here to make sure everyone knows the truth.”

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd as her omegas closed in on me. I tried to step back, but the omegas grabbed my arms, holding me in place. My eyes searched for my father, but he was nowhere to be found. Panic seized my chest.

Celine grabbed a fistful of my gown, yanking me forward. “This girl, the one you all think is so innocent, is nothing but a disgrace to the pack. She’s been seducing her way into power, manipulating everyone—just like her mother.”

I flinched at the mention of my mother. The wound from her loss was still fresh, but Celine’s words were like salt being ground into it. The crowd watched in horrified silence, the weight of the live-streaming camera suffocating me. I could feel its lens capturing every second of my humiliation, broadcasting my downfall to the entire pack.

“You think you deserve this Awakening?” Celine sneered, ripping at my gown. The fabric was torn easily, leaving half of my legs exposed. “You don’t. You’re nothing, Aria. And I’ll prove it.”

Before I could react, Celine reached into her gown, pulling out a small vial. My blood ran cold as I recognized the substance inside. Wolfsbane. My heart pounded, and my wolf spirit, newly awakened, howled in terror.

“Celine, no—” I choked out, struggling against the omegas’ grip, but it was too late. With a flick of her wrist, she hurled the liquid at me.

The wolfsbane hit my skin, and I screamed as the burning sensation spread across my body. It felt like my flesh was melting like fire was tearing through my veins. The pain was unbearable, consuming me whole. My knees buckled, but the omegas held me up, forcing me to endure the agony on display for everyone to see.

“Look at her!” Celine circled me like a predator. “She’s no heir, no leader. She’s a threat to us all, a disgrace to the Ravenhowl name. Let this be a lesson—no one crosses me and lives unscathed.”

I could barely hear her over the roar of pain in my head, but I saw the horror on the faces of the pack members watching. Some looked away, others whispered frantically among themselves, but no one moved to help me. Not even my father, wherever he was.

My vision blurred as the wolfsbane’s poison sank deeper into my skin, eating away at my strength. I could feel my wolf weakening, retreating inside me. The camera zoomed in on my wounds, capturing every second of my torment for the world to see. The shame, the pain, the helplessness—it was too much. My body trembled violently as I tried to hold onto consciousness.

Just as I thought I couldn’t take anymore, the doors burst open again. This time, it was my father, flanked by the Ravenhowl's warriors. His face was pale, eyes wide with disbelief as he took in the scene before him. But he was too late. Celine’s cruelty had already sunk its claws into me.

“Aria!” My father’s voice reached me, but it felt distant, muffled like I was underwater. My vision darkened as I slumped in the guards’ hold, my body giving in to the wolfsbane’s effects.

“Dad…” I whispered weakly, but I knew he couldn’t hear me. The pain, the betrayal, it was all too much. My eyes fluttered closed, and the last thing I saw before the darkness swallowed me was Celine’s triumphant smirk and my father’s horrified expression as he rushed toward me.

But it was too late. Everything went black.