Chapter 3

The sun rose on a new day, casting a cold, indifferent light across the pack grounds. The morning's silence was suffocating, as though the world itself was holding its breath.

Kieran's voice thundered through the clearing outside of the mansion, commanding the attention of every pack member gathered there. His posture was tall, but the emptiness in his eyes told a different story, one of calculated malice. Beside him stood Izzy, her face a mask of feigned concern.

“I called you all here,” Kieran began, his voice low but firm, “To explain what happened last night. To let you all know the truth.” 

The pack members fell silent, their attention now fixed solely in their Alpha, the leader.

“The rogues that attacked us last night didn't come by accident,” Kieran continued, his eyes sweeping across the crowd, “They were sent. They were all sent by Kara”.

The words hit like a slap. The room froze. Kara? The Luna? The woman who had fought alongside Kieran for years?

Kieran's lips curled into a smile, but it was hollow, lacking the warmth it should have had. “Yes. Kara is the one who orchestrated this attack. She arranged everything. She sent the rogues to destroy us.”

A gasp echoed through the crowd. Murmurs, whispers, confusion. The pack members couldn’t believe what they were hearing. How could Kieran say this about his own Luna? The woman who had stood by his side, who had been there when others had turned their backs?

But Kieran didn’t pause. He was feeding them lies.

“I have known about this for some time,” Kieran went on, his voice rising slightly as he spoke. “I allowed it to continue. I gave her the chance to prove herself, but she chose betrayal. Kara orchestrated the attack to weaken us, to destroy everything we’ve built. She was never fit to be Luna.”

A collective gasp swept through the gathered pack members. Whispers spread like wildfire, their faces a mix of confusion and shock. Some of them, loyal to Kieran, struggled to comprehend what they were hearing. How could he accuse her of this? The very woman who had fought alongside him through thick and thin?

Kieran’s eyes darkened as he surveyed the pack, watching the chaos unfold. “She has betrayed me, and she has betrayed all of you. She put every life in this pack in danger for her own selfish desires. That is not something I can ignore.”

He let the words settle for a moment before continuing, his tone now as cold as the winter wind that howled around them.

“Kara will no longer be part of this pack. She will be banned. Forever, I reject her as my Luna.”

The silence that followed was suffocating. A tension unlike any the pack had felt before hung in the air. The members exchanged uncertain glances, still reeling from the shock of the accusation. But no one dared speak against Kieran. He was their Alpha. He had to be right, didn’t he?

Then, a voice broke through the silence, uncertain but full of raw emotion.

“Alpha, please,” one of the pack members called out. “This can’t be true. Kara has always been loyal. She has always been by your side. We owe her everything, she was a good Luna, she had fought alongside you in every battle, she has proven herself to be a true Luna.”

The voice was soft, hesitant, but it spoke the truth that so many others in the crowd were too afraid to say. The pack had trusted Kara. She had been there, always working for the good of the pack. How could she have orchestrated such an attack?

But Kieran’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “Loyalty? She’s the one who allowed the rogues in! She has been planning this from the start, and she will be punished accordingly.”

Another voice rose, another pack member, a woman who had been with the pack for as long as anyone could remember. “Alpha, please, don’t be so hasty. Mercy. We should show mercy. Banish her, yes, but don’t—don’t do this. Don’t make her an enemy of the pack.”

Izzy stepped forward at that moment, her voice a low, silky murmur, a whisper meant only for Kieran. “Don’t listen to them,” she said, her tone laced with venom. “She doesn’t deserve mercy. Forever is the best decision. Banish her forever. Let her live with the consequences of her actions. She doesn’t deserve the pack.”

Kieran’s eyes flicked to Izzy, and for a moment, there was a subtle shift in his expression. His lips tightened, and he nodded almost imperceptibly, taking in her words.

The pack members watched in silence, their fate now tied to the decision Kieran would make. Their faith in him, their trust in his leadership, was slipping away with every word. They could feel it. The cracks were starting to show.

Finally, Kieran spoke again, his voice cutting through the murmurs like a knife. “I’ve made my decision. Kara will be banned from the pack for fifteen years. That is the punishment for her betrayal. I will not let her threaten this pack any longer.”

The words hung in the air, final and damning. Fifteen years. The weight of that sentence was enough to crush anyone, to rip away everything that had once mattered. Fifteen years of exile, of being cast out, cut off from everything she had known.

The pack members stood in stunned silence. The murmurs of dissent died down, replaced by a growing sense of unease. Some were too afraid to speak up. Others were too loyal to Kieran to question him. But there were some whose eyes flickered with doubt, a glimmer of realization starting to form. Kara was innocent. She had been loyal. And Kieran, their Alpha, was a liar.

Izzy was smiling now, a thin, almost predatory smile. Her eyes gleamed with triumph as she leaned in closer to Kieran, her voice a soft purr. “You did the right thing, Alpha. The pack will respect you more for it. Kara was weak, and now she is no longer a threat.”

Kieran didn’t respond at first. His gaze swept over the crowd, watching as the pack members exchanged uneasy glances. He wanted their respect. He needed it. And he would have it, even if it meant sacrificing everything he once held dear.

Finally, he gave a slight nod, acknowledging Izzy’s words. “You’re right, Izzy. The pack will understand.”