The silence that followed was deafening. It was as if the entire courtyard had forgotten how to breathe.
I couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped my lips. Even I, who had been shunned and hated my entire life felt the claws of terror dig into my chest at the mention of that name.
The Night walker Pack.
A kingdom ruled by the Lycan King, a tyrant whose cruelty was legendary. It was said that the skulls of those who dared defy him lined the borders of his territory as a warning.
His warriors were monsters in both strength and spirit, and his slaves—well, those who were unfortunate enough to become his slaves rarely lasted long. The stories that escaped those borders were enough to make even the bravest warriors shudder.
Women were often forced into unspeakable roles like breeding, entertainment, sex slaves in cruel games. Men were worked to death, their bodies discarded like trash. There was no mercy within those borders, only endless suffering.
No one spoke of the Night Walker Pack lightly, and no one ever left its borders alive.
“No… no, please…” I whispered, my voice trembled as tears began to blur my vision.
One of the council members shook his head. “Alpha Owen, surely this is a cruel sentence, even for her crimes. Perhaps we should….”
“Let me remind you all,” Owen cut in smoothly, “that Ariana James is a murderer. She deserves no mercy, no kindness. And the Night Walker Pack… well, they know how to handle creatures like her.”
The council fell silent. Slowly, one by one the elders began nodding their heads in agreement. Even Alpha Marcus gave his reluctant approval, though I noticed his hands trembling slightly as he signed the decree.
And then, the crowd erupted in cheers. They were shouting, clapping, laughing and celebrating my fate as if it were some grand festival. Their voices of hatred seemed to pierce through my very soul.
"Send the murderer away!"
"Let the Night Walker Pack have her!"
"Justice for Mara!"
Owen turned back to me, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. His blue eyes shone with victory, and in them I saw not a trace of the man I had once loved.
I understood now what he said. Death would have been a kindness. This… this was something else entirely.
The guards pulled me up from the ground, pushing me backward while they brought a rusty metal cage into the open area. I tried to get away from them as I yelled, "No! Please someone should help me!"
But no one would save me.
They pushed me into the cage, and the heavy door closed behind me with a loud bang. The people watching started yelling again, their cruel voices all mixing together.
The cage was picked up and put on a wagon, and they pulled me through the open area. I held onto the metal bars so tight that my fingers became white.
But then—
“Wait!”
Owen stepped in front of the cart, holding up a hand. The procession stopped, and the sudden silence was more terrifying than the cheers had been.
“I think we’re forgetting something,” he said in a loud voice that everyone in the courtyard could hear. I felt cold fear run down my back. What else did he want from me?
Owen came closer to my cage and looked right into my eyes. "Rejection."
My heart stopped beating.
The bond, The sacred mate bond.
Rejection wasn’t just about breaking a connection—it was agony. A physical and emotional torment that could cripple even the strongest wolf.
I had seen it once before, when a warrior rejected his mate. She had screamed for three days straight before her wolf finally gave up and died within her.
Owen smirked. “You know, Ariana, I’ve saved this moment just for now. Because if I reject you here… the pain will stay with you until you reach the Night Walker Pack. In your weakened state, you'll be deemed useless to them. And we all know what happens to useless things in the Night Walker Pack, don't we?”
I knew what that meant. The Night Walker Pack discarded the weak, cast them into the wilderness to die slowly, or worse, they used them for sport.
“No, Owen… please, I’m begging you. We were supposed to be forever.”
But he straightened, his voice echoing loud and clear for everyone to hear.
“I, Alpha Owen, reject you, Ariana James, as my mate and future Luna.”
Pain. Blinding, soul-shattering pain ripped through me as though claws had torn into my chest and pulled my heart out. I screamed, my voice raw and broken as the bond between us broke apart with force.
The crowd watched in silence as I rolled around in agony, clutching my chest and gasping for air that wouldn’t come. Some turned away, unable to watch. Others leaned forward, fascinated by my suffering.
Through the haze of pain, I managed to whisper, “I… Ariana James… accept your rejection.”
And with those words, the bond was severed completely. The emptiness that followed after was indescribable. It was as though a part of me had been ripped away, leaving a gaping emptiness in its place.
Owen smiled in satisfaction as he brushed an imaginary dust from his alpha robes. “Take her away. And make sure she understands… she is never to set foot on our territory again.”
The guards pushed my wagon ahead, pushing me past the border lines. I almost fell but caught myself in time. I turned around to look at Owen and shouted across the open space.
“You think this is the end?"I felt my wolf strength surge dangerously."You think you've won? You're wrong, Owen. This is just the beginning. I swear to you, I will make you regret this. I will make you regret ever crossing me. You may think you have broken me, but you have only made me stronger. You will learn what true regret feels like. I promise you that."
Owen just smiled, a chillingly confident smile. "We'll see about that."
I turned and got dragged away but I didn't bother looking back anymore, because I knew this isn’t the end.
I will return. And when I do, Owen, you will regret ever crossing me.
