On the night of the pack’s grand full-moon celebration, Alaric was practically vibrating with excitement. He had ordered a feast that could rival any royal gathering and commanded his second-in-command to hand out double rations of the pack’s bounty to every loyal member.
Lilith, all sweetness and smiles, went from wolf to wolf, presenting neatly wrapped bundles of meat and silver charms. Everyone accepted their gifts with gratitude—except me. When she reached my spot, she shoved me back with surprising force.
“Step aside! Strays like you don’t deserve a place among us,” she spat.
I blinked, stunned. “What… what are you talking about?” I asked.
Her lips curled into a cruel grin as she flung a banishment scroll at me. It hit my chest, rustling as it fluttered to the ground. “A lowborn runt like you has no claim to the pack’s rewards. Leave before you make the rest of us sick!”
As she ranted, the massive enchanted moon-crystal overhead lit up with a series of images—me, entwined in what looked like intimate moments with a high-ranking alpha from another pack.
Finally, the ledger of rewards appeared. Every wolf had been granted generous shares—ornaments, meat, and silver—but my column glowed a harsh, unforgiving red zero.
I clenched my fists, staring up at Alaric as he lingered nearby, silent and watchful.
“You’re really going to exile me… tonight?” I asked, voice tight with controlled anger.
The crystal continued cycling through the compromising images: me walking beside other pack leaders, sharing a toast, and in one humiliating shot, held at the waist as I stepped into a secluded lodge with one of them.
Alaric finally tore his eyes away from the screen and gave me a cold, unreadable look. He said nothing.
“I asked you a question,” I pressed again, my voice sharper this time. “Are you sure?”
The pack had gone quiet. Every wolf’s gaze was on him now, a mixture of pity and awe. Alaric ignored it all, stepping forward until he loomed over me. His voice was like ice scraping stone.
“Raven,” he began, each word deliberate, “what right do you have to stay among us? Every ounce of this pack’s prosperity comes from effort… except yours.”
“Is it not enough that I provide? That I’ve been loyal to you? That I’ve given my heart?” I shot back, trembling with fury. “Is that why you humiliate me in front of the whole pack? Don’t tell me these wolves are the reason you keep your distance instead of claiming the mate I offered you!”
He pulled a stack of papers from his cloak and slammed them against my chest. The edges cut into my skin, and when I touched my cheek, warm blood stained my fingers.
“They say it was noble to raise the pack’s renown under the full moon,” he growled, voice low and dangerous. “But I will not allow a disgrace like you to tarnish it—even if you are meant to be my mate.”
I looked up at him, steadying my shaking limbs. Surely he could see the truth if he just looked past the pictures. “Alaric, you know me. My achievements come from my own claws and fangs. Nothing in those images—nothing—changes that.”
Lilith’s laugh cut through the tension, dripping with venom. “Your own hard work?” she mocked. “And what kind of work would that be? Pleasing alpha clients? Everyone knows exactly how ‘deep’ your… collaborations go.”
Snickers and outright laughter spread through the pack. Some wolves murmured their agreement, pointing at me like I was a trapped prey.
I ground my teeth together, forcing myself to remain composed. “Those images mean nothing. My dealings with them were entirely about pack politics and alliances—nothing else.”
“Pack politics, you say?” Lilith scoffed, picking up the image from the floor—the one showing a wolf’s arm around my waist as we entered the lodge. “Then explain this one. How do you justify it?”
She leaned closer, lips twisted in cruel amusement. “This comes from a crystal vid. Shall I show everyone the full sequence?”
I studied the image for a heartbeat, then suddenly laughed, low and relieved. The wolf in the picture wasn’t an alpha or a client—it was my older brother, testing me during training.
That night, I stumbled back to my den drunk with frustration and humiliation. I meant to call Alaric to fetch me—but instead, I ended up calling my brother.
