"Tanya," Alpha Marcus spoke, his voice low and filled with betrayal. "Is this true?"
I met his gaze, unable to form the words to explain. The truth lingered on my lips, but I remained silent, paralyzed by my stepsister's accusation.
I wanted to defend myself, but I have no idea why no word is coming out of my mouth. Maybe it's because I was too shocked.
Isabella's voice rang out again, her tone calculated and cold. "I cannot stand idly by as Tanya deceives you, Alpha Marcus. I have always admired your strength and leadership. I offer myself as a worthy mate, free from the burden of secrets and deceit."
The shock on Alpha Marcus's face twisted into a conflicted expression. The room buzzed with tension as the pack members exchanged glances.
I felt a pang of disbelief and betrayal as my sister, my confidante, played her hand in a way I had never anticipated.
"Alpha Marcus, listen to me please." I finally found my voice. "Believe me, this is your child."
"Then why hide it from me?" His voice was frigid and demanding.
My hands began to tremble as I saw his glare. "I just got to know today...And I was so scared of how you or the pack would react to the news before the engagement."
"Really, Tanya?! That is your excuse?"
"B-Believe me Alpha Marcus," I stuttered while trying to hold onto his hands.
He suddenly yanked my hands away and turned to the crowd. "I... I cannot proceed with this engagement," Alpha Marcus declared, his voice echoing through the hall. "Tanya, you have betrayed the trust of our pack. Isabella has shown herself to be honorable and forthright. She will be my mate."
His words stung my chest. A cruel echo of despair filled the hall from his declaration. The pack members shifted uncomfortably, their eyes darting between Marcus, Isabella, and me.
"No...No!" I cried out, trying to protest against what he had just said, but no one listened to my wails. Nobody is willing to confront Alpha Marcus.
I felt the weight of judgment and pity, and I couldn't bear to meet the accusing gazes around me as well.
"I, Marcus Anderson IV, reject you, Tanya Morrison, as my mate." He declared out loud, waiting for me to accept his rejection.
I stood still for a couple of minutes, figuring out what to do. If I should accept the rejection, then I would have no chosen mate for eternity. That is the rule of the pack and the wish of the moon goddess.
I can't believe I would be going through such a phase starting tonight.
As Alpha Marcus saw how I was hesitating to talk, he moved a bit closer to where I stood. "Accept my rejection now, or you will have yourself beheaded tonight!" With a harsh tone, he uttered.
I scoffed as I stared at him. This is 21st century and beheading is not allowed anymore. But after a second thought, I muster up the courage to say something.
"I, Tanya Morrison accept your rejection, Alpha Marcus Anderson IV."
With a heavy heart, Tears welled in my eyes as Alpha Marcus and Isabella stepped forward to complete the engagement rites. The exchange of blood, once a symbol of unity and love, now felt like a dagger in my heart.
The bond that was meant to tie Alpha Marcus and me together was shattered, replaced by the painful knowledge that I had lost not only my love but also the trust and respect of my pack.
My chest tightens at the sight of Alpha Marcus raising Isabella's hand into the air, proclaiming her as his new chosen mate.
What I feared the most has now shown itself. REJECTION! What disturbs me is not that I was rejected by him, but the repercussion of that rejection. I was filled with a want to run, escape, and conceal myself at that moment.
I was unable to exit the hall due to the embarrassment, so I buried my face in my hands, fearful of raising my head at all.
As soon as everyone quickly shifted their gazes away from me, I decided to leave.
Immediately I took a step forward, a familiar voice behind me made me halt in my tracks. "Were you surprised by how things turned out?" Isabella walks up to my face, her voice brimming with enthusiasm.
I gently lifted my head to meet her gaze. "How could you do such a thing to me? Why is----" I was at a loss for words as she grinned and glowed with delight.
She scoffed at my statements and pushed an inch closer to me. "Alpha Marcus can never get engaged to you! He has always been mine!"
"Yours?" I let out a disgust low scream as my eyes continued to flicker incessantly.
"Of course, he is mine!" Isabella responded emphatically and with a feeling of ownership. "I just made him choose you from the start."
This is the first time in our years of being sisters, that I've felt this way about Isabella. This experience makes me feel really uneasy.
I was unable to control my rage any longer, so I clutched my right fist even closer. "How is he yours in the first place? And why made him choose me if he was truly yours?"
"Because I met him first!" She burst out laughing as soon as she completed her sentence. "We've been secretly dating behind your back as well."
I froze when I heard her say that. They were dating behind my back? Attempting to digest everything at this point was difficult for me.
Even though Isabella is completely aware of the consequences of rejection in our pack, she actively wishes for my rejection. Putting me through this suffering is a cruel act on her part. "So... So you want me sent out of the pack?" I asked.
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I was able to contain them and keep them from streaming down my cheeks. Whatever happens, I must maintain my composure in front of her.
"Yes... And I will not allow your presence in our life no matter what." Isabella replied with a tiny forward tilt of her head toward my ear.
"Do you think you'll ever have a shot at Alpha Marcus? Of course not, Tanya! You don't have any! I had a game plan in place to get rid of you from the beginning!" She speaks gently into my ear, her face lit up with a little grin.
I was perplexed as tears streamed down my face as I listened to her demeaning statements.
I felt like I was about to pass out. Not only that, but when I got a glimpse of her grin as she shifted her head away from my ear, I thought my chest would catch fire.
She chuckles slightly as she wraps her arms around each other and looks at me. "Oh my goodness! I can't believe this! You are crying?" She mocks me. "Put an end to this madness, Tanya! You should hold back your tears for now, as this is only the beginning of your agony!"
"You are my sister, how could you be so evil to this extent?"
Without giving a response to my question, Isabella walks away with a brightened face. Alpha Marcus also left the hall without giving me a second look.
As the ceremony came to an end, I stood alone in the center of the hall, the echoes of Alpha Marcus's rejection reverberating in my ears.
The packhouse, once a place of warmth and belonging, felt cold and unfamiliar. My heartache was accompanied by the realization that the path ahead would be one of solitude.
I wiped away my tears, vowing to carry the weight of my choices with the strength that had always defined me and make sure I clear my name...