Chapter 2 Two

For several seconds, Alpha Alaric Thorne said nothing.

Ember stood before him, holding her aching cheek. Her silver dress was stained, her hair was a mess, and her knees trembled beneath her.

She had expected anger. She had expected questions.

She hadn't expected him to laugh.

"You expect me to believe this nonsense?"

"Father, please. I heard them myself. Vance and Alpha Magnus were discussing everything."

Alaric's face darkened.

"Have you been drinking?"

"No!"

His hand struck her cheek.

Ember stumbled sideways, catching herself against a table. Pain spread across her face, and she stared at him in shock.

"You will not stand here and accuse the man who has protected this pack for years," he snapped.

"Protected us? He's planning to destroy us!"

Alaric grabbed a glass of water and threw its contents at her.

The cold liquid soaked her hair and dress. Ember gasped, wiping water from her eyes.

"Look at you," he said with disgust. "A cheap little whore, making up stories because your mate doesn't give you enough attention."

Her lips parted, but no words came.

She had spent her life trying to please this man. She had followed every rule, obeyed every command, and accepted his coldness because she hoped he might love her one day.

Yet he hadn't even asked why her face was bruised.

The door opened.

Vance entered, looking perfectly calm.

"Alpha, is everything all right?"

He glanced at Ember and smiled.

"Ah. There you are, sweetheart."

Ember stepped away from him.

Vance pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and tossed it toward her.

"Clean yourself up. You're embarrassing yourself."

She stared at the cloth on the floor.

He had beaten her, threatened her, and planned to abandon her. Now he was pretending to be a loving mate in front of her father.

"Don't touch me," she said.

His eyebrows rose.

"What?"

"I said, don't touch me!"

Alaric slammed his hand against the table.

"Enough! Apologize to your mate immediately."

Ember looked from her father to Vance.

Something inside her had finally gone quiet. The fear was still there, but she no longer wanted to obey them.

She lifted her chin.

"Vance Calloway, I reject you as my mate."

The room fell silent.

Vance's smile disappeared.

Ember's voice shook, but she continued.

"I reject you as my future Alpha King. I sever my bond with you before the Moon Goddess and every witness who may hear my words."

Her wolf whimpered inside her chest as the bond began to tear.

Pain ripped through Ember's body. She clutched her stomach and fell to her knees, fighting the urge to scream.

Vance staggered backward, one hand pressed against his chest.

"You can't do that!"

Ember looked up at him through her tears.

"I just did."

His face twisted with rage.

"You'll regret this."

She almost laughed. What more could he take from her?

---

The next morning, Ember stood before the pack council.

Outside the council hall, nearly a thousand pack members had gathered. Warriors lined the walls, while curious spectators crowded the windows.

Ember's wrists were bound. Her cheek remained swollen, and she had barely slept.

The elders sat behind a long wooden table.

Elder Thomas rose.

"Ember Thorne, you stand accused of rejecting your fated mate without lawful cause. Do you understand the seriousness of your actions?"

"Yes."

"Female rejection is a grave violation of our traditions. Have you taken another lover?"

"No!"

"Then why would you reject your mate?"

"Because he betrayed me. He plans to help Alpha Magnus take our pack."

Murmurs spread through the hall.

Vance stepped forward, wearing a solemn expression.

"This is heartbreaking," he said. "I have done everything to care for Ember. Unfortunately, she has become suspicious and violent. Yesterday, she attacked me and invented these accusations to justify her rejection."

Ember stared at him.

"You're lying!"

Vance lowered his head as if her words wounded him.

"I still love her. Even now, I would forgive her if she admitted her mistake."

Several elders exchanged sympathetic looks.

Alaric stood beside the council, his expression cold.

"Enough," he ordered.

Ember turned toward him.

"Father, you know me. You know I wouldn't lie about something like this."

He slapped her.

Her ears rang.

"I wish your mother had survived that rogue attack instead of you," he said. "Perhaps then I would have had a daughter worth keeping."

Ember stopped breathing.

Her mother had died protecting her when she was a child. For years, she had blamed herself for surviving.

Hearing her father say those words crushed what little hope remained in her heart.

Alaric pointed toward the doors.

"You are hereby banished from Ironclad Pack. You will never cross our borders again. If you return, you will be executed."

"Father, please!"

She dropped to her knees.

"Don't do this. I have nowhere to go."

He turned away.

"Take her out."

The guards approached, but Vance suddenly stepped forward.

"Alpha, please. She's still my mate. Give her another chance."

He looked genuinely distressed. Several spectators whispered about his kindness.

Then he crouched beside Ember.

His voice dropped so only she could hear.

"Enjoy your freedom, sweetheart. Once you're gone, I'll sell this pack for a fortune. Your father can take his arrogance to the grave."

Ember's blood ran cold.

Vance smiled and rose.

The warriors seized her arms and dragged her outside.

The crowd parted as they pushed her through the gates. Some people laughed. Others watched silently, unwilling to risk angering their Alpha.

At the forest's edge, one warrior released her.

"Run. You have five minutes before we hunt you."

Ember looked back at the pack she had called home.

No one came to save her.

She shifted into her wolf form, ignoring the pain in her body, and ran into the trees.

Three warriors shifted behind her.

Their howls followed her into the forest.

Ember ran faster, terrified that the people she had once trusted would become the reason she died.