Rejected by My Alpha, Claimed by the True King

Lilians POV

Ill take Adelines place and accept the marriage-mating with the man you promised her to,I said,my voice flat as stone.But I want two things in return.One billion in gold-backed funds transferred through the Pack vault.And a Blood-Severance Letter,sealed by Alpha and Luna,witnessed by the Council,declaring that I am no longer a Wyatt.

The Wyatt ancestral study smelled of smoke,old parchment,and wolfbane oil used to preserve sacred documents.Above the hearth hung the Packs first Alphas pelt,whitened by age,the eyes replaced with onyx so they always looked awake.Beneath it sat the black table carved with the moon-phase runes that every Wyatt pup learned to trace before they learned to read.

I tossed the agreement onto that table.

The parchment slid over the carved symbols and stopped at the center sigil,as if the Pack itself had caught it.

My fathers aura snapped outward,a cold Alpha pressure that pressed against my lungs.He didnt even bother to hide his anger.He raised his goblet and slammed it onto the stone floor with enough force to crack the base.

One billion?he thundered.Do you want to bleed the Wyatt Pack dry?

The glass shattered.A shard cut into my ankle.Blood seeped warm between my toes,staining the pale stone.

I didnt flinch.Wolves were taught early that pain was information,not permission to be weak.

I lifted my head,met the eyes of the Alpha who had fathered me,and smiled.

What?I asked softly.Is Adelines life not worth that much?

For a moment,the fire popped.The onyx eyes above us gleamed.My mothers hands tightened in her lap,but she didnt speak.

My father stared at me as if he was seeing a stranger wearing my face.Why are you suddenly agreeing to this?His voice dropped into suspicion.Dont you love Brian Herbert the most?

A laugh tore out of me,sharp and bitter.It pulled at my ribs and pain flashed white behind my eyes.Id learned to breathe around broken bones,to speak around the ache,to keep my voice steady even when my body begged me to curl up and disappear.

Two weeks ago,it had been my twenty-fifth birthday.

In our world,twenty-five wasnt just a number.It was the age the Pack considered a wolf fully claimed by the Moon,old enough for a formal bond,old enough to stand before a Council without being dismissed as a pup.

That night,I was taken.

Not by rival Pack warriors.Not by Council enforcers.By rogues.Unclaimed wolves and half-men who lived outside territory lines and sold their claws to the highest bidder.

Adeline Wyatt arranged it.

They broke three of my ribs with the lazy cruelty of men who enjoyed hearing bone give way.They whipped my back until the skin split open,until the sting became heat,until the heat became numbness.They laughed when my wolf tried to rise and protect me,then stuffed wolfsbane smoke into my face until my beast retreated,choking and terrified.

Ive always had claustrophobia.A real weakness,the kind elders calla human sickness.They knew that too.

So they locked me in a room barely wider than my shoulders.No window.No moonlight.Just darkness thick enough to press against my eyes.For twenty-four hours I listened to my own breathing,to the blood in my ears,to the distant drip of water that counted time like a curse.

When I started losing hope,the door exploded inward.

Brian Herbert arrived with his men,the air shifting as his Alpha dominance hit the room.The rogues dropped to their knees like the Moon itself had commanded it.He strode straight to me,and when his gaze landed on my blood and bruises,his eyes filled with tears.

Lilian,he said,voice breaking.Dont close your eyes.Were almost at the infirmary.Hold on a little longer.

I clung to his scent,anchoring myself in it.Cedar,smoke,and something that used to make my wolf go quiet with trust.He carried me out like I mattered.

Like I belonged.

At the Pack hospital,the healers pressed silver-threaded bandages to my wounds and murmured prayers to the Moon Goddess.The moment I hit the bed,exhaustion dragged me under.

When I woke,pain slammed through my entire body like a second beating.My ribs screamed.My back burned.My wolf lay curled inside me,shaking,as if it didnt trust the air yet.

I reached for the call bell.

And then I heard voices outside my door.

The rogues who originally took Miss Wyatt have been caught,an assistant reported.

They confessed.It really was Miss Wyatt who hired them to stage the whole thing.

My breath caught so hard I tasted blood.

Brian went quiet for a beat.Then his voice came,low and mocking.

So Adeline was right then.

His assistant hesitated.Butwhy did you hire someone to keep Lilian locked up for another twenty-four hours?She was in bad shape when we found her.

Brians reply didnt hesitate at all.

She loves playing the victim,he said,cold as ice.So I gave her a real lesson.

The rogues demanded ransom from Adeline.She panicked.She got a fever.She suffered.Good.

He exhaled like he was bored.I told them to rough Lilian up a little.Nothing fatal.Shes just too fragile.

In my bed,my scalp prickled.A chill swept over me so thoroughly it felt like my blood had been replaced with winter.

So this was the truth.

Adeline had already blamed it on me,called it my scheme,and Brian believed her so completely that he decided punishment was deserved.He didnt rescue me because he loved me.He rescued me because the story required a hero,and he wanted to choose which wounds I was allowed to have.

When I was eighteen,the Wyatt Pack brought me back from the outskirts like retrieving lost property.That was when I learned the truth about themarriageeveryone whispered about.

It wasnt romance.It was politics.

A HerbertCWyatt alliance contract,written under moonlight ink,sealed with Alpha blood and Council witness.Everyone in Londons werewolf circles said Brian and Adeline were childhood sweethearts,raised under the same territory stars.They said he would choose her,because that was how these things were meant to go.

And then Brian chose me instead.

He pursued me relentlessly.He marked me with attention,with protection,with words that sounded like vows even before a ceremony.Adeline accused me of stealing everything meant for her,and Brian turned on her with a grim face.

I only care about your sister,hed said.Youve enjoyed the Packs warmth your whole life.Lilian survived outside without asking for anything.Why are you making such a fuss?

Back then,it had felt like safety.Like love.

Now I understood it had been temporary.A phase.A convenient rebellion.

Love that can expire was never love at all.

I drew a slow breath and pushed the memory down like a blade into a sheath.Then I looked back at my parents,still seated beneath the watch of onyx eyes and old pelts.

Have you decided?I asked calmly.

Mr.and Mrs.Wyatt exchanged a look.I saw it in their faces:not grief,not guilt,but calculation.They were weighing rumors about the Lloyd Pack,the wolves who didnt forgive insult or weakness,the bloodline said to have descended from the first Moon-blessed Alpha.A Pack whose ceremonies were older than our laws.

After a long pause,my father reached for the quill.My mother finally spoke,voice thin.

Fine,she said.In seven days,the funds will be transferred.The ceremony will happen.

My fathers gaze sharpened.But you will not reveal the exchange.Not to the Council.Not to outsiders.Not to anyone.

As if silence could keep the Pack clean.

They signed.Then they pressed their thumbs into the ink bowl mixed with a drop of Alpha blood,leaving fingerprints beside the Wyatt crest.The agreement accepted.The transaction complete.

I grabbed the parchment and turned to leave.

Only then did my chest ache,deep and tearing,as if something inside me finally snapped loose from its last thread of hope.

They had never loved me.

The only child they protected was Adeline,their adopted daughter who didnt even share our blood,yet wore our name like a crown.

Since that was the truth,I no longer wanted a Pack.Or a family.Or a mate.

I would give them exactly what they wanted.

Outside the study,I pulled out my phone and called a friend with eyes in places the Council pretended didnt exist.

Find every piece of footage that proves Adelines involvement in my kidnapping,I said.

Then,after a brief pause,I added,Also spread the news about the new cross-territory project.Get Brian to invest.Then cut access to the core technology and supply lines for both Herbert and Wyatt operations.

In seven days,I would give them a gift they would never forget.

Back in my room,I gathered every photo of me and Brian.Every smile Id trusted.Every moment that had once made my wolf settle.

One by one,I tossed them onto the floor and set them on fire.

The flames climbed fast,eating paper,devouring faces,turning my past into ash.

Watching the fire rise,I whispered,cold and steady,like a vow spoken under a moon that no longer belonged to me.

This timewell never meet again.

Lilians POV

I packed in silence.

Not the kind of silence that comes from peace,but the kind wolves learn when they realize no one in the den is listening anyway.I folded clothes into my travel bag,tucked my documents into the inner lining,and slid the contract from last night between two pieces of stiff leather so it wouldnt crease.Even my wolf stayed quiet,pressed low in my ribs like it was conserving strength.

When I stepped out of my room,the corridor smelled faintly of incense and old cedar.The Wyatt manor was awake,but it pretended it wasnt.Doors stayed closed.Servants avoided my eyes.In this Pack,your value decided whether you were seen.

Then I spotted her.

Adeline leaned casually against the second-floor railing,as if shed been waiting for me the way a predator waits for prey to step into open ground.Her hair fell in soft waves.Her robe was pale,delicate,innocent.Her scent was sweetened with jasmine to hide the sharper note beneath it,the one that always made my wolf tense.

In her palm,she held my engagement ring.

Brians ring.

The band caught the light with a cold gleam as she rolled it over her fingers,her smile smug and unhurried.

Lilian,she drawled,voice bright as honey,was that kidnapping game fun last time?

My grip tightened on my bag strap.I could still feel the darkness of that room.The walls too close.The air too thin.My ribs ached as if the bones remembered being broken.

Adeline tilted her head,eyes glittering.You still havent learned your lesson,have you?No one will believe you.Theyll only believe me.She smiled wider.Youre nothing but a liar.

I forced my voice into steadiness.Give it back.

Oh,right.She laughed softly,as if Id said something amusing.I forgot to tell you.She lifted the ring higher,letting it swing between her fingertips like a charm.The men who beat you were sent by Brian himself.

My breath hitched before I could stop it.

Adeline watched my face with hungry satisfaction.It was his punishment,she continued,savoring every word,for making me sick with your little self-made drama.

My stomach turned.Even knowing what Id overheard in the infirmary,hearing it spoken so openly,so casually,still felt like a claw raking down my chest.Like Brians hands were on my throat again,squeezing until I couldnt breathe.

Adeline laughed louder,rubbing the ring as if polishing a trophy.Then her fingers loosened.

The ring slipped.

It clattered down the stairs with a sharp,metallic sound,striking step after step like a countdown.

What did you just do?The words ripped out of me before I could swallow them back.

My body moved on instinct.That ring wasnt just metal.It was three years of a lie,and the last proof that I hadnt imagined everything.I lunged forward.

But as I rushed past her,Adeline shifted.

She leaned into my path,blocking me with her body.Her lips curled into something colder than a smile.In one smooth motion,she grabbed my wrist,then guided my hand upward as if I were the one reaching for her.

She pressed my palm against her shoulder.

Then she screamed.

A piercing,theatrical sound that split the quiet of the manor like a blade.

Adeline threw herself backward,twisting as she fell,letting her body tumble down the stairs.Her robe flared like a wounded doves wings.She hit the floor hard,half-kneeling in a heap,hair scattered,tears already spilling as if shed been rehearsing them all morning.

Ah!she wailed.It hurts!

Footsteps thundered from below.Heavy.Furious.Familiar.

Brians scent hit first,all sharp pine and dominance,the kind of Alpha presence that used to make my wolf lift its head with hope.My parents followed,their auras tight with righteous outrage.

From where they stood,they saw only what Adeline wanted them to see.

Me at the top of the staircase.

Adeline curled on the floor below,sobbing like a victim carved from porcelain.

Brian stormed up the last few steps,seized my arm,and yanked me forward.His grip bruised instantly,like his body remembered how to hurt me better than how to hold me.

Lilian!he shouted.How could you push Adeline?

I didnt push her.My voice came out rough,controlled by teeth clenched so hard my jaw ached.She fell on her own.

My fathers face flushed red,his Alpha temper flaring hot.Are you still lying?he bellowed.You know Adelines health isnt good.How could you be so cruel?

My mother stepped forward,her eyes like winter ice.She didnt ask.She didnt hesitate.She shoved me hard.

My lower back slammed into the railing.Pain shot up my spine and stole my breath.My wolf snarled inside me,not in rage,but in humiliation.A daughter shoved by her own Luna,like I was nothing more than a rogue dragged into their home by mistake.

On the floor,Adeline lifted her head slightly and clung to Brians shirt with trembling fingers,tears glistening in her lashes.

Brian,she whispered,voice weak and sweet,dont blame Lilian.Maybe I bumped into her and made her angry.Justpretend I fell on my own.Dont make things difficult for my parents.

Her performance was flawless.It painted her as kind,and me as monstrous.

Brians expression darkened further.He looked at Adeline like she was fragile moonlight.Then he turned on me as if I were dirt under his boot.

He snatched up the ring where it had landed near the bottom step.For a heartbeat,it flashed in his hand,the stone catching firelight like a star.

Then he hurled it to the floor.

The ring shattered.The gemstone split.Fragments scattered like tiny,cruel teeth across the marble.

Something inside me twisted so hard it felt like my ribs cracked again.

Brians eyes burned with fury.Why do you always hurt Adeline and then blame her?he demanded.Do you know intentionally harming someone can land you in prison for years?

I stared at the broken pieces,at the ruin of something I once guarded like a vow.The man I had loved most was standing firmly at Adelines side again,defending her without a single question.

Slowly,a bitter smile spread across my mouth.

You want to send me to the Pack enforcers because of this?I said,voice shaking with cold anger.Fine.Let them check the corridor runes.Let them pull the house footage.Let them see who staged this performance.

I shoved Brians chest hard enough to make him take a half step back.

Then I raised my hand.

The slap cracked across Adelines face,sharp and undeniable,echoing through the stairwell like a verdict.

Adeline froze.Her fingers flew to her cheek.For a moment,she forgot to cry.

I leaned slightly forward,my voice low and viciously clear.See that?This time,I really hit you.Now you can scream with proof.

Brians shock lasted half a breath.

Then his palm struck my face with full force.

My head snapped to the side.Heat bloomed across my cheek.My vision flashed.

His eyes were cold when I looked back at him,colder than the night I was dragged into darkness.

I havent even dealt with what happened last time,he said,voice flat with contempt.Youve barely left the infirmary and youre already targeting Adeline again.

His gaze pinned me like prey.Ill send you to prison.You can stay there until youve reflected.When you finally understand what youve done,Ill come get you.

Before I could speak,his guards seized my arms.

Their hands were iron.Their auras pressed down,suppressing my wolf.They dragged me toward the doors of the manor as if I were a criminal.

Brian didnt even look at me again.

He turned instead,gathered Adeline into his arms,and held her close.His expression softened with heartbreak as he murmured comfort into her hair.

It was almost impressive,how quickly he could become tender for the right woman.

At the Pack station,the cold stone and silver-lined bars smelled of disinfectant and old fear.The moment I was seated across the table,Brian arrived behind me like a storm that didnt care who it soaked.

He tossed a confession document onto the table.

Sign it,he ordered,voice cold.

I picked up the pen.

My hand didnt tremble.

I didnt sign.

I ripped the paper into pieces instead,tearing slowly,deliberately,letting the sound of it fill the room like a warning.

Then I lifted my eyes to him and laughed under my breath,low and mocking.

Brian,I said quietly,why should I sign something when Ive done nothing wrong?

My throat tightened,but I forced the words out anyway.If you really want to put me in a cell,dont hide behind excuses.I want to see how far youll go for Adeline.I want to see what you become when you decide Im disposable.

For a split second,his face lookedstrained.Like something inside him tried to rise.

Then it vanished.He turned away sharply,jaw clenched.

Lock her up,he told the enforcers coldly.Release her tonight.Let her reflect.

He walked out without looking back.

I watched him leave,my eyes burning,my throat tight with tears I refused to shed in front of anyone who didnt deserve them.

Between Adeline and me,he never hesitated.

Even when I was innocent,he always chose her.

And every choice he made pushed me deeper into the abyss,as if he wanted to see whether I would crawl back outor finally stop trying.

In the cells dim light,my wolf stirred,not afraid this time.

Angry.

And awake.

Lilians POV

Brian had barely left when my parents arrived.

The iron-barred corridor seemed to shrink the moment they stepped into view,their Alpha and Luna pressure filling the space like suffocating fog.They didnt rush to me.They didnt ask how I was.They stood a few steps away,looking at me as if I were a stain that had finally refused to scrub out.

My mother spoke first,her tone clipped and cold,stripped of any maternal warmth.

Lilian,admit your mistakes.As long as you confess properly,Brian will let you go.

My father nodded beside her,eyes sharp,voice edged like a blade forged by Pack law.

Youve embarrassed the Wyatt Pack enough.Stop resisting.

I couldnt help it.A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

Ever since the day they brought me back into the Pack,I had been trained to lower my head.If I scored higher than Adeline in Pack academy exams,that was my fault.If I outperformed her in combat drills or strategy trials,that was my fault too.If I didnt smile sweetly,didnt act spoiled,didnt play the obedient adopted sister she wanted me to beevery difference became another sin.

I had admitted fault for years.Until the words themselves had lost all meaning.

This time,I didnt bow.

Swallowing the bitterness clawing at my throat,I asked calmly,Whats the point of admitting anything now?

I lifted my eyes to meet theirs,my voice steady despite the ache spreading through my chest.

Should I admit that I didnt push Adeline hard enough?

The slap came before the echo of my words faded.

My fathers hand struck my face with a sharp crack,the force snapping my head to the side.Pain flared hot across my cheek,bright enough to blur my vision for a second.I tasted blood.

But I didnt cry.

I straightened slowly,lifting my chin in stubborn defiance,and let out a cold,humorless snort.

I was kidnapped,I said hoarsely.Locked up.Beaten.Nearly broken.And all you cared about was whether Adeline caught a cold.

My wolf growled low in my chest,furious and wounded.

Now she stages a fake fall,I continued,voice shaking but unbroken,and you force me to confess again.Tell meam I just some stray you dragged off the street?Something disposable you can blame whenever she cries?

Neither of them flinched.

They looked at me the way one looks at an enemy,not a daughter.A threat to the fragile balance theyd built around Adeline.

My mothers lips pressed into a thin line.

Ungrateful,she snapped.If you refuse to admit fault,then stay here.

My father turned away first.

They left without another glance,their footsteps echoing down the corridor like a verdict already passed.

Before I could protest,the guards seized me.Their hands were rough,impatient,suppressing my wolf with iron collars laced faintly with silver runes.I was shoved forward,stumbling,dragged into a narrow holding cell deep within the Pack station.

The door slammed shut.

Darkness swallowed me whole.

Only a thin blade of light slipped through a narrow window near the ceiling,barely enough to remind me the world still existed outside these walls.The air was stale,heavy,pressing against my lungs.

My body began to tremble.

The walls felt too close.The ceiling too low.My chest tightened as if invisible hands were squeezing my ribs inward.Claustrophobia surged,violent and merciless,dragging memories of that dark room back to the surface.

BrianI whispered instinctively,my voice cracking.Brian

No answer came.

Only silence.Only darkness.

Time lost all meaning.

When the cell door finally creaked open,I flinched so hard my back slammed against the wall.Shapes filled the doorwaytall,broad-shouldered women with hardened expressions and the unmistakable scent of Pack enforcers who no longer cared about rules.

One of them smirked.

Is that her?Miss Wyatt said to teach her a lesson.

My heart dropped.

A short-haired woman stepped forward,cracking her knuckles with deliberate slowness.Panic surged through me.I backed away,but another fist tangled in my hair and yanked me down.

The floor rushed up to meet me.

Fists and boots followed.

Each blow exploded through my body,sharp and unforgiving.Pain radiated through my ribs,my back,my legs.Old injuries screamed as they were torn open again.I tried to fight back,but my wolf was weak,suppressed,my body still healing from the last beating.

I was no match for them.

I curled in on myself,arms shielding my head,biting down on my screams as they vented their cruelty without restraint.The world narrowed to pain and breath and the metallic taste of blood.

Enough!a guard shouted from outside the bars.Stop it!

Reluctantly,they stepped back.

I lay sprawled on the cold floor,barely conscious,blood soaking into the stone beneath me.My vision dimmed.My back burned where old wounds split anew,each movement sending agony through my bones.

Laughter echoed faintly as the door opened again.

Hands grabbed me.I was dragged out,my body scraping against the ground.Their mocking voices followed me like ghosts,but I didnt have the strength to respond.

A full day and night passed.

Then,without ceremony,I was thrown out of the station.

Sunlight hit my eyes like a blade.I raised a trembling hand to shield my face,swaying as I forced myself upright.Step by step,limping and dizzy,I made my way to the hospital.

After my wounds were cleaned and hastily bandaged,I turned to leave.

That was when I saw them.

Brian froze the moment his eyes landed on me.Shock flickered across his face,genuine this time.He stared as if seeing me for the first time.

HowHis brow furrowed.How did you end up like this?

For a heartbeat,something like heartache crossed his eyes.His hand lifted,as if he meant to help me.

I stepped back.

Before I could speak,Adeline rushed to his side,clinging to his arm like she belonged there.She looked at me with wide,worried eyes,perfectly rehearsed.

Lilian,she said softly,Brian released you yesterday.Why didnt you come home last night?And how did you hurt yourself so badly?

She turned to Brian,voice gentle as venom.

Dont blame her.She probably just wants attention.Look at hershes really hurt.Lets treat her first,okay?

Her words worked instantly.

The concern vanished from Brians eyes,replaced by cold fury.He glared at me as if I were something repulsive.

Youre doing this again,he snapped.Lilian,your lies are obvious now.No one believes you anymore.

This time,I didnt argue.

I simply looked at him,memorizing the face I had once loved with everything I had.His eyes were still beautifulbut empty of me.

He turned to Adeline,gently taking her hand.Without looking back,he ordered,If she has the strength to hurt herself,she has the strength to walk home.

Then,colder still,Watch her.Dont let her take a single shortcut.

They walked away together.

I stood there alone for a long moment before forcing my legs to move.Each step burned.Each breath hurt.

And with every painful stride,one thought carved itself deeper into my mind,sharper than any blade.

I will make them pay.

All of them.

Lilians POV

When I finally reached home and pushed the front door open,Adelines sobs poured out of the living room like a blade dragged across my nerves.

She was curled up on the sofa,trembling,her face buried against Brians chest.His arms wrapped around her instinctively,protectively,as if she were something fragile that might shatter if he loosened his grip even slightly.The air was thick with her scentsweet,pitiful,carefully controlledso different from the sharp bitterness clinging to my own clothes.

BrianAdeline cried hoarsely.I dont want to go through with the arranged mating.I dont want to marry that mad Alpha.Hes cruel.Brutal.The females from his previous pack alliancesthey all died.Her fingers clenched in his shirt.Why does it have to be me?Why cant it be Lilian instead?

Her words landed with surgical precision.

Brians hand moved slowly,soothing her back in steady circles,the way one calmed a frightened wolf.His voice dropped into that gentle register he only ever used for her.

Dont be afraid.With me here,no one will force you.He paused,then added with quiet certainty,No matter who has to go through with the arranged mating,it wont be you.

My parents immediately echoed him,their Alpha and Luna authority wrapping around Adeline like armor.

Dont worry,sweetheart,my mother said softly.We would never let you go to that pack.

Well protect you,my father added.No matter what.

I stood in the doorway,half in shadow.

No one looked at me.

Not Brian.Not my parents.Not even Adeline,who cried so convincingly in his arms.It was as if I were already invisiblealready chosen as the unspoken alternative.

Without saying a word,I walked past them and went straight to my room.

The door clicked shut behind me,and the silence cracked something open inside my chest.

Memories flooded in without mercy.

I remembered the night I had casually mentioned wanting to see the sunrise from above the clouds.That very evening,Brian had ordered a private jet prepared.By dawn,we were standing on a remote island cliff,an observation platform built overnight just so I wouldnt have to stand in the cold sea wind.

He had once spent hundreds of millions without blinking just to make me smile.

He took me skiing through the Alps,held my hand while we chased the aurora across frozen plains,cooked for me when I was too tired to eat,traveled with me to places even wandering wolves rarely reached.He documented every journey,every laugh,every quiet moment,as if he were afraid time would steal them away.

Back then,I truly believed he was my mate.

Now I understood the truth.

I wasnt irreplaceable.I was just new.

A novelty.A distraction that had lasted longer than expected.

I wiped my tears away quickly,not allowing myself the luxury of breaking down.My hands moved with practiced calm as I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small recorder.I removed the memory card,then slid it into an envelope along with a copy of the detention centers CCTV footage.

I sent everything to my friend with a single tap.

As the progress bar filled,a bitter taste rose in my throat.

At first,I had only meant to record Adelines pitiful performance in front of Brian and my parents.Evidence,just in case.But fate had been cruelly efficientI had also captured her ordering the inmates toteach me a lesson.

When the files finally sent,my screen dimmed.

Footsteps sounded outside my door.

My heart tightened.

The door opened quietly,and Brian stepped inside.His tall frame filled the doorway,his presence as familiar as it was unbearable.Before I could react,he crossed the room in long strides and pulled me into his arms.

The scent of cedar and night air clung to himthe same scent that once made me feel safe.Now,it only made me feel trapped.

He rested his chin against the top of my head,his grip firm,almost desperate.

Forgive me,Lilian,he whispered weakly.

I froze in his embrace.

My lips pressed together,every word lodged painfully in my throat.I didnt respondbut he didnt seem to need me to.

Dont be so hard on Adeline,he continued softly,as if soothing a child.Shes different from you.Youre the Wyatt Packs biological daughter.You already have everything.

He hesitated,then added,Ill marry you one day.

My fingers curled slowly.

But AdelineHis voice gentled further.She has nothing.Its normal for her to be sensitive.You should try to understand her.Be patient with her.

I have everything

The words slipped out of me in a whisper so bitter it made my stomach churn.

So this was his apology.

He hadnt come to admit fault.He hadnt come to acknowledge what had been done to me.He had come to excuse Adelineand to remind me of my place.

Brian truly believed that a hug and a few soft words could erase everything.That no matter how deeply he hurt me,I would forgive him as I always had.Even if just yesterday,he had sent me home bruised,broken,and bleeding.

In his eyes,he could strike me ninety-nine times

and then toss me a single bone and expect me to crawl back,tail wagging.

I lifted my head and looked at his face.

My heart ached so fiercely it felt like it might splinter apart.

Slowly,I realized something crucial.

Brian was wrong.

And this time,I would not come back.

Lilians POV

The next morning,I was dragged out of sleep by a burst of noise from the courtyard below.

Laughter.Drums.Shouts layered with excitement.

My head was still heavy when I forced myself upright.Before I could fully wake,a servant knocked sharply on my door,her voice carefully neutral.

Miss Lilian,Sir Brian has invited a troupe to perform in the courtyard.He asked that you come downstairs to watch.

A troupe.

I let out a breath that tasted faintly of irony.

In the Wyatt Pack,performances were never just entertainment.They were displays.Declarations.Proof of status meant to be witnessed by the entire pack.Brian knew this better than anyone.

And he also knew I hated crowds.Hated noise.Hated spectacle.

Those things had always belonged to Adeline.

I pushed myself out of bed,my injuries protesting beneath my skin.The faint ache along my ribs reminded me that I was still healing,that my wolf had not yet recovered from confinement,fear,and betrayal.

I wontI began.

But before the words left my mouth,the door opened again.

Adeline walked in first.

She was dressed in a pale dress that flowed like mist,her hair loose over her shoulders.Brian stood beside her,his arm wrapped around her waist with unconscious familiarity.They lookedharmonious.Like a pair meant to be seen together.

Adelines smile bloomed the moment she spotted me.

Lilian,she said brightly,crossing the room in quick,light steps.She grabbed my hand,her grip warm and intimate,as though we had never been enemies.Come on,dont sulk.Brian prepared all of this just for you.

Her fingers tightened slightly,nails pressing into my skin.

If you dont go,she added softly,hell be disappointed.

Brian stood behind her,his gaze fixed on my face.There was something in his eyesexpectation,perhaps even hopeas if he truly believed this display could erase everything that had happened.

Just take a look,he said.Alright?

They were perfectly aligned.

I felt like prey cornered by two wolves who had already decided the outcome.

With Adeline pulling me forward and Brian watching closely,I had no room to refuse.I was escorted downstairs,step by step,my feet heavy,my chest tight.

The courtyard had been transformed.

A circular stage stood at its center,pack members gathered around it in excited clusters.A fire-breather stood atop the platform,flames bursting from his mouth in violent arcs that lit the morning air in blazing orange and red.

The heat washed over me in suffocating waves.

My wolf stirred uneasily beneath my skin.

Adeline clung to Brians arm as though frightened,whispering into his ear.Brian leaned down,listening,brushing a stray lock of hair from her face,wiping sweat from her brow with practiced tenderness.

They looked like mates.

I stood off to the side.

Invisible.

Unnecessary.

Brians phone rang suddenly.He murmured something to Adeline and stepped away to answer it,his back turning to the stage.

That was when the unease sharpened into something lethal.

I stared at the flames,my instincts screaming.Fire was sacred to werewolvessymbol of purification,of judgment,of destruction.No pack ritual involved flame without meaning.

Then I felt it.

Adelines gaze.

I turned.

The sweet smile she had worn moments ago was gone.In its place was a twisted,chilling expression that made my blood run cold.

Before I could step back,she lunged.

Her hand clamped around my arm with shocking strengthfar stronger than she ever pretended to be.She shoved me forward,straight toward the safety line that separated spectators from the roaring fire.

Ah!

I screamed as the heat slammed into my face,my skin burning instantly.I struggled,claws threatening to break free,but her grip was merciless.

Then,in a single smooth motion,she released me.

And threw herself even closer to the flames.

Brian!she screamed,voice tearing through the courtyard.Help me!

Chaos erupted.

Brian spun around,his phone hitting the ground as he charged forward without hesitation.He broke through the cordon,scooped Adeline into his arms,and staggered back,shielding her body with his own.

Gasps rippled through the pack.

The moment Brian steadied himself,his expression hardened.He turned toward me,eyes blazing with fury.

Before I could speak,pain exploded across my face.

His palm struck my cheek with brutal force.

Why did you push her?he roared.Are you trying to kill her?!

My ears rang.The world tilted.

I didntI tried to say.

He didnt listen.

Brian shoved me hard.

I stumbled backward and fell,my shoulder grazing the edge of the spreading flames.Searing pain tore through me,ripping a cry from my throat.

That sound made him freeze.

For a fraction of a second,something like hesitation flickered in his eyes.

But then Adeline clutched his chest weakly.

BrianLilian looks worse than I do,she whispered.Take her to the hospital first

The hesitation vanished.

Brian looked at me with open disgust,then turned back to Adeline as if I were nothing more than an inconvenience.

Take her too,he ordered the guards coldly.Were going to the hospital.

He carried Adeline away like she was made of glass.

I lay on the ground,firelight flickering above me.The pain in my shoulder deepened,spreading through my body.My vision blurred as the guards rushed toward me.

The last thing I saw before darkness claimed me

Was the flames still burning.

Lilians POV

Because my body had been injured again and again,my wolf never had the chance to properly heal.The backlash came fast and merciless.

I burned with fever.

For three full days,I drifted in and out of consciousness,trapped between pain and dreams.My human body lay helpless on the hospital bed,but my wolf was dragged somewhere far deeperinto memories I had long tried to bury.

The dream was warm.

Too warm.

Golden light spilled everywhere,gentle and forgiving.In it,I was never abandoned.

My parents had never brought Adeline home.In this world,there was only metheir daughter,their pride,the future Luna of the Wyatt Pack.My mother smiled at me the way she used to when I was little,brushing my hair and telling me I was precious.My fathers hand rested on my shoulder,steady and protective,as if no harm in the world could ever touch me.

And Brian

Brian was still the boy who used to crouch outside my door every morning,waiting patiently to walk me to the academy.His wolf had always stayed close to mine back then,instinctively guarding me even before we understood what a mate bond truly meant.

In the dream,he confessed beneath an ancient rose arborthe kind reserved for pack vows.He said he would make me his mate,his Luna,his forever.Our wedding was held in the sacred garden,moonlight pouring down as the elders blessed us.

Later,we had a child.

A small,warm bundle with Brians eyes and my wolfs scent.

We were happy.Whole.

Then the light went out.

Without warning,the warmth shattered.The smiles on my parentsfaces twisted into something cold and unfamiliar.Brians handonce so warmturned icy,slipping from mine as though I had never mattered.

They stood together at the edge of a cliff.

Laughing.

And then they pushed me.

I fell into endless darkness,my wolf howling in terror as the bond snapped,the pain ripping through me like claws tearing flesh.

I woke with a sharp gasp,my chest heaving violently.

My eyes flew open to an empty hospital room.

White walls.Beeping monitors.No familiar scent.No guardian wolf watching over me.

My body felt unbearably heavy,as though my bones had been filled with lead.Pain throbbed through my shoulder,deep and relentless.When I tried to sit up,my arm trembled violently,numb and uncooperative.

Gritting my teeth,I tore the IV needle from my hand and slid off the bed.

The floor felt cold beneath my bare feet.

As I stepped into the hallway,faint voices drifted toward me from the nursesstation.

Did you see the two young women from the Wyatt Pack?

Of course.Their situations couldnt be more different.

Adeline barely had surface injuries,but her parents stayed with her day and night.And Sir Brian never left her side.

There was a pause.

Meanwhile,Lilian was seriously injured.Three days unconscious.No visitors at all.

Their words were quietbut painfully clear.

Each syllable cut into my chest like a blade.

My knees weakened,but I braced myself against the wall.My wolf stirred faintly,wounded but awake,as if reminding me not to collapse here.

Without hesitation,I walked to the nursesstation,signed my own discharge papers,and left.

No one tried to stop me.

When I returned to the Wyatt mansion,the silence was unnatural.The house that once smelled of pack bonds and shared blood felt hollow,empty of warmth.

I went straight to my room and began packing.

There wasnt much.

Just one small suitcase.

That was everything I owned in this house.

After finishing,I went downstairs for water.Before I reached the living room,laughter drifted in from outside.

They were back.

My parents entered first,carefully supporting Adeline as she limped inside like a fragile porcelain doll.Brian followed closely,his eyes filled with unmistakable tenderness as he watched her every step.

They talked and laughed,their voices light,as if nothing had happened.

As if I hadnt almost died.

When they saw me,Brian froze.For a brief moment,something like heartache flickered in his eyes when he noticed my pale face and weakened stance.

But before he could speak,my mother rushed toward me,her expression sharp and accusing.

Lilian,whats wrong with you?she snapped.Why didnt you tell us you were being discharged?Do you have any idea how worried we were?

My father immediately joined in.Adeline already explained everything.She said she lost her balance and accidentally dragged you toward the fire.Out of guilt,she pushed you away to save you!

And youleaving the hospital on your own like this?Acting out again?

Adeline lowered her head,looking weak and pitiful.

But I saw it.

The faint,triumphant curve of her lips.

She was looking at me like a victor surveying the battlefield.

Something inside me finally broke.

I laughed.Soft at first.Then bitter.

Worried about me?I asked quietly.So worried that during my three-day coma,none of you came to see me even once?

My gaze shifted to Adeline,cold and unblinking.

Lost your balance again?I said flatly.You really do come up with new excuses quickly.

For the first time,I didnt lower my head.

I looked at them like strangers.

Watch your precious daughter carefully,I warned,my voice calm but sharp.If she lays a hand on me again,I wont hold back.If Im unhappyshe wont be happy either.

Their faces twisted with shock and fury.I didnt care.

I turned and walked upstairs without looking back.

This house.This pack.These people.

They were no longer worth even a single heartbeat of my life.

Lilians POV

I had already said everything that needed to be said.

The suitcase was closed at my feet,my room stripped bare of anything that still carried my scent.I was ready to leave the Wyatt Packs territory for good when the door suddenly slammed open with a violent crack.

Adeline stepped inside.

She wore sharp heels that clicked arrogantly against the floor,her posture straight and confident,as if this room already belonged to her.Her wolf aura pressed outward without restraint,full of provocation and triumph.She looked at me the way a victor looks at prey that has already been cornered.

Lilian,she said slowly,her lips curling,do you really think youre special just because youre our parentsbiological daughter?

She took another step closer,eyes glittering.

They love me now.Not you.

Her words were deliberate,meant to sink in like poisoned fangs.

Ive known it from the start,she continued,voice dripping with mockery.Youre marrying that madman for me,arent you?The Alpha of the Lloyd Pack.Isnt the bride price just one billion?

She laughed softly.

After I become Brians Luna,do you know how much wealth therell be?Far more than that.The Herbert Pack and the Wyatt Pack are already leagues ahead in technology and territory.Once we unite,no other pack will be able to challenge us.

She leaned close,her breath brushing my ear,her tone dropping into something vicious and intimate.

And you?she whispered.Youre just trading one hell for another.The Lloyd Pack is infamous.Brutal.Ancient.Once you step into their den,you might not survive three days.

Her eyes shone with cruel delight.

If you live,you get the money.If you dieshe shrugged lightly,it stays untouched.

Something inside me snapped.

The rage I had been suppressingmy wolfs fury,my own humiliationfinally burst free.

My hand rose before I even realized it.

Smack.

The sound echoed sharply through the room,like a gunshot.Adelines head snapped to the side as she staggered back,shock flashing across her face.

I smiled.

Not bitterly.

Coldly.

Really?I said,staring straight at her.Then I hope you get exactly what you deserve.

She covered her cheek,disbelief written all over her face.

Youyou dare hit me?she screamed.Lilian,how dare you

I didnt let her finish.

My hand came down again,harder than before.

This time,blood bloomed instantly at the corner of her mouth,a thin crimson line sliding down her pale chin.Her wolf howled faintly,startled and enraged.

At that exact moment,hurried footsteps thundered outside.

The door burst open.

Brian stormed in.

The instant his eyes landed on the blood at Adelines lips,the temperature in the room dropped sharply.His Alpha aura surged violently,thick with murderous fury.

Lilian!he roared.Have you lost your mind?Who gave you the right to hit her?

He rushed past me without a second glance,pulling Adeline into his arms as if she were something precious and fragile.His fingers trembled slightly as he wiped the blood from her lips.

Then,without warning

Smack.

Pain exploded across my face.

My head snapped to the side,the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth.My wolf whimpered,retreating deeper into my chest.

I swallowed hard and slowly lifted my head.

I wasnt angry.

I smiled.

Brian,I said quietly,I hope you wont regret this.

My parents arrived right after,their footsteps quick,their expressions full of outrage.

But not for me.

Lilian,you ungrateful wretch!my father shouted.How could you hurt Adeline like this?What has she ever done to you?

Adeline clung tightly to Brian,crying softly.Her voice trembled as she spoke,gentle and pitiful.

BrianMumDadplease dont scold Lilian anymore.Its my fault.I shouldnt have upset her.

She sniffed,then added,voice thick with false sorrow,

Im leaving tomorrow.I wont trouble this family again.I just dont want her to be unhappy because of me

Her performance was flawless.

Brians expression darkened further,his rage boiling over.

He turned sharply toward the doorway.

Two black-clad pack enforcers appeared instantly.

Drag her outside,Brian ordered coldly.Hang her upside down from the judgment tree in the yard.

He paused,then added,his words slicing into me like claws,

Let the sun cleanse her filthy heart.The Herbert Pack does not tolerate women this vile.

Before I could react,the enforcers seized my arms.

Brian!Let me go!I struggled.You cant do this to me!

No one listened.

They dragged me into the yard,my resistance meaningless against their strength.Rough rope bit into my ankles as they bound me tightly.With a hard yank,they hoisted me upside down from the tall,ancient oakthe tree once used for pack punishment.

Blood rushed to my head,dizziness crashing over me in waves.

The midday sun was merciless.

It burned my skin,scorched my lungs,and made my vision swim.My heartbeat thundered painfully in my ears as my chest tightened,breath coming in ragged gasps.

Through the haze,I tilted my head and looked toward the living room window.

Inside,Brian was carefully applying medicine to Adelines wounds.My parents sat beside her,speaking softly,their faces full of concern.

They looked like a perfect family.

Tears streamed from my eyes,falling uselessly to the ground below,drying the moment they touched the scorching earth.

I clenched my teeth.

Just one day.

I only need to endure one day.

When I get free,every single one of them will pay for what theyve done!

Lilians POV

The sun climbed higher.

The heat became unbearable.

My vision blurred.The world spun violently around me.

And thenEverything went black.

When consciousness returned,it came slowly,like wading up from dark water.

I was lying in my own room.

A soft quilt covered me,its familiar scent failing to bring any comfort.My shoulder throbbed faintly beneath fresh bandages,the gauze clean and carefully wrapped.Someone had tended to my wounds with professional care,almost reverently.

Footsteps sounded near the door.

Missyoure awake?the servant whispered in relief when she noticed my eyes open.Alpha Herbert was very distressed yesterday after he ordered you taken down from the judgment tree.He told us to take special care of you.

Her words washed over me without leaving a ripple.

She gestured toward a large box placed beside the bed.It was sealed with silver clasps,engraved with the Herbert Packs crest.

Alpha Herbert had this delivered early this morning,she continued cautiously.Its a wedding dress.Its already been altered to fit you.He saidhe wants you to try it on.The mating ceremony is the day after tomorrow.

I turned my head.

The dress lay there quietly,pure white fabric folded with care,as sacred as a ritual offering.Once,I had imagined wearing it beneath the full moon,binding my fate to Brians as Luna of the Herbert Pack.

Now,my heart felt like a dead plain.

Without answering,I pushed the quilt aside and swung my legs over the bed.The sudden movement made my vision sway,but I steadied myself and stood.I didnt spare the dress another glance as I walked straight for the door.

The hallway was quiet.

Halfway down the corridor,Adeline appeared.

She stopped when she saw me,her eyes flickering with surprise before settling into contempt.Her wolf aura flared subtly,sharp and invasive.

Well,well,she said,lips curving cruelly.Youre impressive,Lilian.Hung from the judgment tree yesterday,and now youve somehow made Brian feel sorry for you again?

She took a step closer,voice lowering.

Whats your plan this time?Wear the wedding dress and seduce him?Ruin my marriage before it even begins?

I didnt slow.

I dont care about the dress,I said calmly.Ill give it to you.Im not fighting you for Brian.

She froze.

Youll be the one marrying him,I continued,my tone flat and final.Not me.

For the first time,Adeline looked genuinely shaken.

I brushed past her without another word.Each step down the stairs sent a dull ache through my body,but I forced myself onward and pushed open the mansions front doors.

Cool air rushed over my face.

The wind carried the faint scent of pine and distant wolves,clearing my head far more effectively than any medicine.Brians guilt,his hollow gestures of concern,meant nothing now.

I didnt need his pity.

I needed time.

Two days.

Two days to leave.

Two days to prepare.

And two days to ensure that everyone who had torn me apart paid the price.

I pulled out my phone with steady fingers and sent a message to the few people I still trusted.

[In two days,release all evidence to every major media outlet.

Immediately sever all critical technology access to the Wyatt and Herbert Packs.]

I stared at the screen as the message sent.

To the Wyatt Pack.To the Herbert Pack.

I will make you pay.

I had barely lowered my phone when a hand suddenly clamped over my mouth and nose from behind.A sharp,chemical scent flooded my senses.My wolf surged instinctively,but my weakened body betrayed me.

The world tilted.

Darkness swallowed everything.

When I woke again,cold iron pressed against my spine.

My wrists were bound.My ankles chained.I was tied to a heavy iron chair in a damp,lightless room.The air reeked of rust and stagnant water.

In the corner,Adeline was there too.

She was tied up,her head bowed as she sobbed softly,shoulders shaking.The sight didnt bring relief.It made my stomach twist.

Footsteps approached.

A tall man emerged from the shadows,a jagged scar cutting across his face.His wolf aura was savage and uncontrolled,the kind that thrived on bloodshed.

He picked up a phone,dialed a number,and turned on the speaker.

Alpha Herbert,he said lazily.Come quickly if you want to save your woman.

Ten minutes later,the door burst open.

Brian rushed in,his Alpha presence flaring violently as his gaze snapped to Adelineand then to me.Panic flickered across his face before the scarred man stepped forward,twirling a dagger between his fingers with a grin.

I heard one of them is your fiance,the man said.Lets play a game.Choose one.

Brian froze.

The silence stretched,thick and suffocating.

Ihis voice faltered.

Stop wasting time!the kidnapper barked.

He grabbed both of us by the neck,cutting off our air.My chest burned as my breath came in frantic gasps.

Brian!Adeline screamed,her voice shrill with terror.Im scared!It hurts!Pleasesave me!

Brians fists clenched until his knuckles whitened.His eyes darted between us,his jaw trembling.

Finally,he spoke.

I choose Adeline.

The words struck deeper than any blade.

The scarred man laughed.

He yanked me forward by my hair and shoved me toward a dark pool beside the room.The icy water swallowed me whole.My lungs screamed,my body convulsing as I fought desperately for air.

Once.

Twice.

I was dragged up only to be forced back under again.

When they finally pulled me out and dumped me onto the cold floor,I coughed violently,gasping like a dying animal.

Decisive choice,Alpha Herbert,the man mocked.

Before I could recover,rough hands seized us both.

They dragged Adeline and me toward two massive iron cages.

The doors slammed shut.

And the darkness closed in once more.

Lilians POV

The damp room echoed with the slow scrape of boots against concrete.

The scar-faced man stopped in front of the cages,twirling the dagger lazily between his fingers,as if this were nothing more than a game played to pass the time.His wolf aura pressed down heavily,thick with cruelty and bloodlust.

Alpha Herbert,he drawled,tilting his head.Its time to choose again.Who should we pick this time?

Brian stiffened.

His eyes flicked toward Adeline instinctively.

She was pale,trembling in the iron cage across from mine,her fingers gripping the bars as if they were her last lifeline.When she looked at him,her eyes shone with desperate hope,glossy with unshed tears.Her wolf cowered,weak and pitiful,deliberately exposed.

I choose Adeline!Brian shouted without hesitation.

His voice rang through the room,sharp and resolute.

The answer landed like a blade to my chest.

The scar-faced man chuckled,clearly entertained.He unlocked one of the cagesbut not hers.Instead,rough hands seized me and shoved me deeper into the other cage.The iron door slammed shut with a deafening clang,sealing me inside a narrow,suffocating space.

The darkness closed in instantly.

Cold metal pressed against my back,my knees drawn tightly to my chest as my breathing turned shallow and uneven.My wolf whimpered inside me,panic surging as the cramped space triggered the familiar terror clawing up my throat.

I curled into the corner,my entire body trembling.

BrianMy voice broke as I whispered his name,barely louder than a breath.

But outside,he didnt hear me.

All I could hear was Adelines sobbing,her soft cries filling the room as Brian murmured reassurances to her.His tone was gentle,soothing,nothing like the cold command he had used on me.

Time stretched.

Only after what felt like an eternity did he finally remember I existed.

Name your price,Brian said impatiently,his voice hardening.Dont hurt Lilian again.

The scar-faced man burst out laughing.

One hundred million,he said cheerfully.Thats enough to buy one life.So,Alpha Herbertwho do you want to save?

The question lingered for less than a second.

Redeem Adeline,Brian replied sharply.Dont touch her.

He almost barked the words,as if afraid even a moments delay might harm her.

I leaned weakly against the cold bars as Adelines cage was unlocked.The ropes fell away from her wrists,and she collapsed forward dramatically.Brian rushed to catch her,pulling her into his arms as though she were made of glass.

She clung to him,sobbing into his chest.

I was too exhausted even to laugh.

Brian lifted her carefully,then finally looked toward me.His expression was complicated,a mixture of guilt and obligation,as if he were granting me some kind of mercy.

Lilian,he said stiffly.Your sister is fragile.Ill take her first.Wait here.Ill transfer the money and come back for you.

Wait here.

As if this place werent already a grave.

He didnt wait for my response.Without another glance,he carried Adeline out of the room,her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

The sound of their footsteps faded.

The scar-faced man squatted in front of my cage and kicked my leg lightly through the bars,like testing a trapped animal.

Your mate is really devoted to her,he sneered.Guess blood doesnt mean much to him.

My chest burned as I coughed,the metallic taste of blood flooding my mouth.I wiped it away with the back of my hand and forced myself to sit straighter,meeting his gaze without flinching.

How much,I asked calmly,would it cost to save my life?

The man paused.

Ill pay double whatever she offered,I continued evenly.Name your price.

His eyes gleamed.

For a moment,the pretense dropped.The act was no longer worth maintaining.

Your sister wants you dead,he admitted bluntly.But we dont care about that.We care about money.

I already knew.

My hands trembled as I pulled out my cracked phone.The screen flickered,but it still worked.I dialed a number from memory and spoke quietly,every word steady despite the chaos raging inside me.

Transfer two hundred million.Now.

Minutes later,the kidnappers checked their accounts.Satisfied,they unlocked the cage and cut the restraints from my wrists.

I walked out without looking back.

Outside,night air filled my lungs,sharp and cold,grounding me.I hailed the first taxi I saw and gave the airport address without hesitation.

I didnt stop shaking until I reached the terminal.

Right before boarding,my phone buzzed.

One billion appeared in my account.

A message followed.

[Brian was fooled.Two days from now,their stocks will crash.All critical technologies will be severed.]

I stared at the screen for a long moment.

Then,slowly,a faint smile curved my lips.

Under the cold glow of the terminal lights,my wolf finally lifted her head.

My revenge had officially begun.