Diana's POV
I could see the elders looking at me in condemnation, but I raised my head high above their disdain, refusing to allow them to see how nervous and confused I really was.
Norman, the eldest and most arrogant of them all, sat before me with a look of complacency spread over his face.
"I would advise you to make a wise choice, Diana. Confess your crime while we still allow you to do that," he said.
My chest burned with rage at his audacity. Who were they to talk to me this way? I was their Alpha, the leader of this pack! How dare they speak to me like this?
With my head high, I spoke with the authority I refused to give up, "Don't give me your ultimatums, Norman. I am your Alpha, and you will respect me."
Before my words could be fully absorbed, Gina's shrill and mocking laughter came out of nowhere. She had never once hidden her contempt for me, even when I became Alpha.
"Watch your tongue, Diana," she sneered with spiteful malice. "Your life is in our hands, and we're giving you a chance to redeem yourself because it pleases us. Don't start getting too cocky; just accept it."
I clenched my fists and willed myself to stay calm. My wolf, Myra, was quite ready to leap into action to defend our dignity, and it took all I had to restrain her.
I could hardly believe this was even happening—my own people had the right to drag me here to question me like I was some kind of criminal.
"Why am I still being interrogated, Norman? Why was I summoned here against my will?" I questioned angrily.
"You are alleged to have associated yourself with another forbidden bloodline and undermined the core beliefs of our pack," Norman responded calmly. "In simpler terms, you're mated to a witch's daughter, and you know very well that witches or their descendants are utterly forbidden in this pack."
I scoffed. "I will not apologize for whom I am mated to," I said as firmly as I could to dismiss all doubts. "Norman, Gina, all of you know very well that the bond between mates is sacred. I didn't choose to be mated to her, and neither did she, but since the Goddess sent her to me, she is mine, and you have no right to condemn it."
Norman's eyes darkened with anger. "The laws of our pack expressly forbid any contact with witches or their descendants," he spat. "You're putting us all in danger with her. Are you ready to risk the safety of our kind for your selfish desires?"
"My mate is not a threat," I argued, raising my voice as I tried to gain control. "She has proven her loyalty and trustworthiness time and time again. I will not abandon her for the crime of her bloodline."
One of the elders, Conan, snorted derisively. "You're blinded by lust, Diana. Open your eyes and admit your mistake before it is too late. The witch's daughter will bring only destruction to this pack, and you have to choose between her or your people."
I let out a frustrated sigh, knowing that they had the power to strip me of my title as Alpha, and they would since they had never liked me.
Yet to betray Ophelia, the one person who had stood by me after everything in my life fell apart, was just something I couldn't bring myself to do.
"I will not forsake my mate," I said firmly. "But neither do I want to relinquish my title of Alpha. I will not choose between her and the pack. Both are mine."
From their sneering faces, I could already tell that they believed they had won.
Norman leaned forward, an expression of triumph lighting up his face. "You have made your choice, Diana, and for that reason, we have no choice but to strip you of your position as Alpha and banish you from our lands."
His words felt like a slap to the face, but I managed to keep the pain from showing. I held my head high, even though I felt betrayed. I had given everything to this pack in the last three years of being their Alpha, and this was how they repaid me?
A subtle nod from Rio—whom I had once trusted—sent the guards out, my own guards, and they all rushed toward me, their hands grabbing me roughly.
Before I could put up a fight, the sharp prick of a needle pierced my skin, and a paralyzing cold coursed through my body. With my body beginning to feel paralyzed, I was dragged out of the hall, unable to fight back.
---
When I opened my eyes, it was already dark, and everything around me felt strange and blurry. As I tried to sit up, I realized I was lying in muddy water, and my clothes were completely drenched and dirty.
Taking a deep breath, I reminded myself I had to find Ophelia; since my pack had abandoned me, she was all I had to turn to now.
I walked for what felt like hours until finally arriving at Ophelia's place, but as soon as I got close, I was crushed.
There she was, Ophelia, holding hands with a woman—Brianna, the one she claimed was her roommate, but the smile they shared and the way they held hands seemed a little too friendly to me.
As if confirming what my head was suspecting, they shared a kiss, and my stomach dropped.
I was paralyzed from shock, my mind unusually blank as I struggled to process it all. I gasped, uttering the words that burned in my throat, "Ophelia ... what is this? What's going on?"
She turned toward me, glaring at me with eyes I'd never seen before. There was panic in Brianna's face, but Ophelia held her hand tighter, just like she used to hold mine.
"I'm glad you're here, Diana," she said coldly. "This is my girlfriend, Brianna."
"I'm glad that you are here, Diana," she said coldly. "Let me introduce you to my girlfriend, Brianna."
The words sent me spiraling, and the world around me seemed to blur as her voice repeated the same thing again and again in my ears. Girlfriend? Brianna was her girlfriend?
I stared at her in disbelief, my heart racing. "What did you say?" I whispered.
Ophelia sighed, almost like she was being inconvenienced by me. "You heard me right, Diana. Brianna here is my girlfriend, and I think it's time you know about it."
"No," I stammered, shaking my head. "That's not possible. You told me she was your roommate! What does this even mean?"
"You really are slow, aren't you? I lied, Diana. Brianna and I have always been together, and before you even mention that you and I are mates, let me just tell you that I've never considered you my mate."
Her words hurt me like a knife to the chest, and I was unable to hold back my tears as she continued to speak. "You were simply a distraction, Diana. It was a fun little experiment. I was just curious why the moon goddess would pair me with an Alpha, so I played along. To me, you were just some passing amusement."
I could hardly breathe. The woman I loved the most, the one I risked everything for, was never real.
"How could you?" I asked, my voice trembling. "Why didn't you just tell me the truth? Why did you let me believe we shared something real?"
Ophelia shrugged, and her face showed a cold, detached attitude. "Because this was easy, my dear, and, honestly, it was rather amusing to see you waste your life for me."
I couldn't help but sigh. "Ophelia, please," I begged, barely managing to suppress a choke in my voice. "I gave up everything for you. My title, my pack; I chose you over them."
She tilted her head, her lips curling into a cruel smile. "And that was your mistake. You should have known better, Diana. What kind of fool chooses love over power?"
Her next words were the final blow. "To end this once and for all, with the moon as our witness, I, Ophelia Hart, reject you, Diana Storm, as my fated mate. Leave, and don't ever show your face to me again."
The bond between us snapped immediately, and a sharp pain shot through me as my wolf howled in pain, the rejection ripping through both of us. I collapsed to the ground, clutching my chest as tears blurred my vision.
"Please, Ophelia," I pleaded, reaching for her, my voice hoarse and desperate. "Don't do this. Don't leave me like this."
She looked down at me, her face full of disgust. Then, without hesitation, she kicked my hand away. "Don't touch me."
With that, she turned and walked away, Brianna following close behind. I remained on the ground, tears streaming down my face as my body ached.
After what felt like forever, I forced myself to stand. My limbs heavy as I stumbled away from Ophelia's house, unsure of where to go or what to do.
As I walked in darkness, a strange feeling crept over me. It felt like someone was following me. At first, I thought it was just my imagination—my broken mind playing tricks on me, but the sensation intensified, and the hairs on the back of my neck began to stand up in panic.
With a lurch, I quickened my pace. My heart was pounding inside my ears, but the feeling refused to leave me.
Suddenly, two figures came out from the shadows, their faces hidden behind masks, and they moved toward me with clear intent.
Fear gripped me as I demanded, "Who are you? What do you want?"
They didn't answer. Instead, they moved closer, their predatory intent obvious. I tried to summon my wolf, Myra, but she was silent—unresponsive, and panic surged through me as I realized I was vulnerable.
I wasn't strong enough to fight them off in my current state.
The figures came at me, and I fought back with everything I had, but it wasn't enough. Another figure appeared from the darkness, and before I could react, a silver blade plunged into my back.
Pain exploded through me, and my legs gave out as I crumpled to the ground, gasping as the taste of blood filled my mouth. The world spun around me, and darkness began to close in.
As my vision faded, I thought of everything I had lost—my pack, my mate, my life. A single tear slipped down my cheek as my body went limp, and everything went dark.