CHAPTER 2

Amara.

Kael’s room was empty, I thought as I looked around in my anger. Nothing was amiss in the very familiar room; the sheets were organized, and everything was in place.

Except the scent.

Isa perked up in my head as we both sensed it. It was an unmistakable flowery scent. Isa growled and I clenched my fists. Who else was in here?

As my mind raced, a strong grip took my hand from behind. I swirled around quickly.

“Hey you aren’t allowed to be here!”

I looked the guard in the eye. “Who was here last night?” I asked coldly.

A bead of sweat appeared on his forehead and he turned back to his companion.

“Get the maids!”

The other guard scrambled away in a hurry.

The guard tried to drag me out in the meantime but I stood my ground. Tears welled up in my eyes but I held them in.

“Let her go!” Maya said as she slapped the hand of the guard. He released me with a frown.

“Take her out of here unless we will throw her out .”

The audacity of the guards shocked me. They never dared to speak to me like that before.

Maya pulled on my arm and I let her drag me out in a daze.

“My Lady, we have to get ready for the ceremony.” Maya pointed out.

My eyes sharpened and I looked down to Maya.

“She knows something.” Isa growled in my head.

I thought of confronting Maya but I shook my head. Now that I had time to cool off I could think more clearly.

If something really happened then I would have sensed it. It wasn’t possible for Kael to mate with another without me knowing. So there was definitely an explanation to this. I would simply ask Kael himself.

Maya stopped at a safe distance.

“What were you thinking my Lady?!”

“No, I just thought…”

“Your makeup is messed up and you’ll be late!”

“Someone was in Ares den.” Isa growled in my mind.

“No it wasn’t something serious.” I replied out loud.

“What?” Maya asked.

“Oh, no it’s nothing. I was just…”

“Forget it, we have plenty to do. Come, I will get you ready.” Maya said as she looked me up with a motherly eye.

I put the matter out of my mind and headed back with Maya.

…

I walked into the bright hall.

I looked forward, beyond the rows and rows of people. Kael, my mate, was standing at the podium.

He was a tall man with the bearing of an Alpha. He wore a dark suit and shone like the moon.

A nervous energy permeated my body as I took a single step at a time towards him.

Tonight was the night that I dreamt of for years. I tightly clenched the flowers in my hands.

As I reached the bottom steps of the podium, I looked up to see my Alpha.

Immediately I sensed that something was wrong.

Kael was standing besides our officiating elder and his face was a mask without emotions.

I kept my smile on my face as I took the first step to climb the podium.

“Stop.” Kael’s deep voice rang out.

I looked back up in confusion.

A hushed murmur ran through the crowd behind me. The elder beside Kael looked at him in confusion but Kael’s face remained fixed on mine.

“What?” I was sure he wasn’t talking to me but I couldn’t understand what he was talking about.

“I said stop there.” Kael repeated in the same voice.

This time the murmur from the crowd was more bold as everyone now heard it clearly.

“Alpha, she has to be up here to be crowned.” The elder besides Kael whispered into his ear but I still heard it.

“No, this woman is not my Luna. No longer.” Kael announced.

What? My mind immediately blanked. I felt like I fell into a bottomless pit and every second the light got farther away.

My mind ignored the voice of the crowd as I took a step forward without an outstretched hand.

“Kael, you’re confused, this is…”

Kael turned down and looked me in the eye. I immediately took a step back.

Isa whimpered inside my head. Kael’s eyes told me clearly what I wouldn’t hear.

“I reject this woman!” Kael announced in a loud booming voice.

I turned back and saw the crowd all stand up. They turned around and exchanged words with each other in a cacophony. All eyes were on me and I felt like vanishing.

“Guards take her away, she is no longer welcome in the Shadowfang pack.”

“What??” I turned back to Kael in absolute shock. Exile? Surely he wouldn’t go that far.

But as I looked into Kael’s eyes I saw nothing there at all.

I didn’t resist as two guards grabbed me from both sides.

The flowers in my hand fell to the floor as I was dragged out of the hall.

A flowery scent wafted to my nose while I was still in the hall.

I turned and saw her.

A woman in a black flowing gown made eye contact with me. Her eyes were as dark as her hair and she gave me a bone chilling smile and a little wave.

It's her.

Even as I realized it, I made no move at all. Even Isa whimpered in my mind as Kael had made sure we understood that we were not wanted.

I let my head down as I was tossed out of the hall.

…

I stumbled again as my feet got stuck in a protruding branch.

I took one step at a time. A simple mantra kept me going. One more step.

My tears had long since dried out and even Isa had not reared her head in a while.

A few days in the wilderness quickly broke everything down. It was very simple now. I just had to get away.

I had never been out of the packlands before so my navigation was horrible. And yet I needed to take just one more step.

I fell again but this time there was to be no getting back up.

“Do you still live?” A strange voice asked.

I looked up, knowing that I was just hallucinating.

A shadowy figure in an overflowing dark cloak stood over me. Even his face was completely concealed. He held a thick staff by his side and it was adorned with a giant gem.

I fainted.