Elara POV
Kael grabbed my arm and dragged me into the back of his massive, bulletproof SUV. The doors locked with a heavy, final thud.
I stared blankly out the tinted window, my eyes red and swollen.
Kael reached over and pinched my chin, forcing me to look at him.
"Your brother's debt is due tomorrow," he said softly, his thumb rubbing my jaw. It was a clear, terrifying threat.
He pushed his heavy Alpha aura against my weakened Omega senses. The mate suppression forced my body to submit, my muscles locking into place.
"You will smile at the banquet," he commanded. "You will stand by my side and appear contented."
I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth and gave a stiff, mechanical nod.
The Pack Manor was a sprawling estate, currently filled with luxury cars and hundreds of wolves. As we walked into the grand hall, the noise was deafening. High-ranking Alphas and Betas from allied packs stood in circles, laughing and drinking.
I walked beside Kael, but I felt entirely invisible. They greeted him with deep bows, but their eyes slid right past me. I was just the low-born Omega who got lucky.
At the front of the hall sat the Elder Madam, Kael's mother and the former Luna. She sat on a velvet chair like a queen on a throne.
Kael nudged me forward.
My knees hit the hard marble floor. I held up a delicate porcelain teacup, bowing my head.
"Happy birthday, Elder Madam," I said, my voice tight.
She didn't take the cup. She let me kneel there for five agonizing minutes while she chatted with a Gamma warrior. My arms trembled. The hot tea spilled over the edge, burning my fingers.
Finally, she snatched the cup, her long nails scratching my skin.
"Go away. Your cheap scent is ruining my appetite," she sneered.
I stood up, my face burning with humiliation, and fled toward the kitchens.
The kitchen was a chaotic mess of steam and shouting Omega servants. I spotted my mother in the corner, aggressively chopping vegetables. I rushed over, desperate for a familiar face.
"Mom, let me help you," I said, reaching for a knife.
She slapped my hand away so hard it stung.
"Are you crazy?" she hissed, looking around nervously. "You smell like fear and cheap Omega weakness! If the elders smell you in here, they will punish me!"
She shoved me backward. "Get out! Go back to your Alpha!"
I stumbled out of the kitchen doors, completely utterly alone in a house full of my own kind.
I walked back into the blinding lights of the banquet hall.
"Elara! Come here!"
The Elder Madam's voice echoed through the room, silencing the crowd.
I slowly walked toward her table. Standing right beside Kael was a tall, stunning woman in a tight red dress. It was Selene.
My wolf senses flared. I could smell it instantly. The sharp, distinct scent of a pregnant Beta, heavily mixed with Kael's dark pine Alpha scent. They had been close. Very close.
The Elder Madam grabbed Selene's hand, holding it up for everyone to see. A massive diamond ring sparkled on Selene's finger. The Elder Madam then placed her hand on Selene's flat stomach.
"Finally," the Elder Madam announced loudly, making sure every wolf heard. "Our pack will have a strong, pure-blooded heir. Not some weak, barren Omega mistake."
A low murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd. Every word was a heavy boulder crushing my dignity.
"Elara," the Elder Madam barked. "Bow and thank Selene for doing the duty you failed to do."
I stood frozen, the blood rushing to my ears.
Selene stepped forward, a sweet, fake smile plastered on her face. She cast a quick, calculated glance at the Elder Madam before turning to me.
"Oh, please, Elder Madam, don't be too hard on her," Selene cooed. She reached out and forcefully grabbed my wrist. "The pup is innocent. Here, Elara, feel the life inside me."
She yanked my hand toward her stomach.
It was the ultimate psychological torture. My Omega instincts violently rejected the threat to my mate bond. Before I could think, my arm jerked backward in a fierce, defensive motion. I yanked my hand out of her grip.
Selene gasped loudly. She threw her arms up and threw herself backward. She crashed directly into the Elder Madam's table. Glass shattered. Plates crashed to the floor. The Elder Madam screamed as hot soup spilled onto her lap.
The entire hall erupted into chaotic shouting.
"My baby!" Selene wailed, clutching her stomach on the floor.
A dark shadow loomed over me. Kael stood there, his eyes glowing with a terrifying, furious green light.
To maintain his absolute rule and appease his mother, he didn't hesitate.
His large hand swung through the air.
Smack!
The Alpha's unnatural strength connected with my cheek. The force lifted me off my feet and slammed me hard onto the marble floor. A high-pitched ringing pierced my ear. Warm blood trickled out of my ear canal and down my neck.
Kael stood over me, his face twisted in cold rage. But as he lowered his arm, his large hand trembled violently. His jaw clenched so hard a muscle ticked, a fleeting flash of horror in his amber eyes before he forced the mask of the ruthless Alpha back into place.
"Apologize to her," he commanded, his voice echoing like thunder. "Now."
I lay there on the cold marble, blood pooling beneath my cheek, and looked up at the man I had loved for seven years. Something inside me—a desperate, hopeful filament that had survived every surgery, every humiliation, every cold night alone—finally burned out.
I did not apologize.
Instead, I reached up with shaking fingers and unclasped the heavy leather submission collar from my neck.
