Page 2

Ivy

Briggs had called Ruby's name.

Definitive.

Resolute.

Confident as he extended his hand towards the stunning she-wolf. "Ruby, come forward and greet your pack as Luna."

Gasps echoed throughout the clearing, followed by a stream of murmurs and whispers.

A hole had been carved into my chest. The world spun and I struggled to remain standing, my legs weak beneath me.

Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision as I stared at him in disbelief.

“Oh, look! The runt’s gonna cry!” a catty voice cackled.

Scarlett , Rieka confirmed peevishly. Ruby’s bestie.

“Shut your mouth,” Colten snapped with all the authority of his Beta status.

No. It wasn't supposed to happen this way.

Hadn’t I suffered enough?

First losing my parents and now my mate?

Emboldened by my wolf, I approached the front.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Quiet," Briggs commanded without bothering to look my way.

"You will accept my decision."

He was too busy clasping a jade necklace around his mate’s neck.

Jade .

My favorite stone.

"But why?" My voice cracked with emotion.

"Why are you rejecting me? Rejecting your fated mate?"

His expression narrowed into a merciless glare.

"I am your Alpha, Ivy, and you will respect my choice."

His words sliced through me like a knife, leaving a trail of devastation and humiliation in their wake.

I could hardly believe what was happening.

Why would he choose Ruby?

She was conceited and mean.

Was it her beauty?

Her confidence?

Her sexual prowess?

I was his fated mate, damn it!

I wasn't glamorous or outgoing, but I was an honorable being. I healed people. Treated our wolves with what I'd learned in the shifter world's version of medical school.

I guessed being honorable wasn't good enough.

Apparently I needed to be a shrew with giant tits who helped no one unless they could help me.

As the tears streamed down my cheeks, I struggled to make sense of it all.

The bond between us had been so strong for a few short, precious moments.

My head shook in disgust.

" How could you? "

The Alpha stare punched out, trying to send me to my knees.

I was able to avoid its demand because of my tie to him, damaged as it was.

The tie he'd just desecrated.

Wolves all around me lowered to the ground. Several yelped.

Cracks formed inside my soul. I would never kneel for this male. And fuck him for trying to make me!

Briggs’s face was stone aside from the jaw muscle ticking. When his hands fisted, I flinched, thinking he might actually hit me.

"Not one more fucking word, Ivy. Question your Alpha again and you'll find yourself banished," he threatened, his tone cold and unyielding.

A loud swishing filled my ears. It was all I could hear. My wolf bayed in grief and rage.

Gold rolled across his eyes, gone as fast as it came.

Heartless bastard!

I stood frozen, watching as he turned away to attend to his chosen mate, leaving me shattered and broken in front of the entire pack.

Briggs literally turned his back on me, so I did the same. I couldn’t watch.

My wolf whimpered, her pain matching mine. Our world crumbled and all I could do was stand there like a fool.

Both Caleb and Emery reached for my trembling arms, their faces etched with concern. I tried to blink away the tears, but they continued to fall, leaving me feeling more vulnerable than ever.

"Hey, sis," Caleb murmured softly, filled with worry. "Come on, look at me. Please?"

I shrugged off his touch, retreating into myself. Being consoled after the egregious humiliation I just suffered was the last thing I wanted.

Emery's eyes flashed with anger. Her wolf’s enraged energy heated the air between us.

"This is total bullshit!" she fumed. "Briggs has no reason to treat you like this! Not when we all know that bitch would sell her soul to get what she wants. She probably did exactly that."

Emery threw her shoulders back, glaring daggers at the Alpha. Twitching, claws shot out of her fingers.

"I'll fucking kill that dickweed and that bleach-blonde bimbo, too!" she hissed, taking a step to get around me.

"Emery!" Colten barked, moving quickly to restrain her, carrying her away from the crowd towards the trees.

Emery fought to get out of his hold, her long red ponytail flinging about as he easily overpowered her.

"Let me go, asshole!" she shouted. "Ivy deserves better than this!"

Caleb jumped into their argument. Their voices faded into background noise the further away they got. A chill crept across my chest, mixing with the fire of my shame.

As much as I appreciated Emery, I couldn't help her right now. I was too overwhelmed.

The pack had already distanced themselves from me, as though I were some pariah to be shunned. Not one of them would look me in the eye.

Like it had been me who had done something wrong.

Rieka forced me to turn my eyes to the happy couple who were continuing the ceremony. The buzzing in my ears drowned out their voices.

Briggs had his hands on her hips as Ruby brought hers to his face. She shot me a triumphant smirk, pulling the Alpha down for a kiss.

The bastard had no concerns about making me watch. Would he mark her in front of me? Or wait until he was fucking her later?

I tasted bile in the back of my throat. A knife to the gut would have been easier to take.

I walked backwards, closer to where Caleb and Emery were still arguing with Colten. But I didn’t look away from Briggs and Ruby, entwined in each other's arms.

How kind of the pack to form an aisle directly from me to their Alpha and Luna.

I watched in morbid compulsion. The image of their embrace branded itself into my memory. If I continued watching their vows, I might break.

Irrevocably.

Through the heartache and pain, one emotion overtook the rest. Burned brighter than all others.

Anger.

Anger at Briggs for being so heartless and cruel. Anger at the pack for so easily turning their backs to me, so eager to please their new Luna they put physical space between us.

But most of all, I directed that anger inward. I was a naive fool. Of course, I was.

Did I really think the Alpha would want me, and only me, to warm his bed when I knew how many beautiful she-wolves he'd continuously screwed since I was old enough to notice?

I wanted to disappear. To run away from my reality.

"I need to leave," I said, my voice barely audible.

Emery stopped struggling in Colten's iron hold. "Let go, fuckface," she demanded.

Silently he released her, staying between us and Briggs. Colten was his Beta, after all. His concern wasn't for us, and especially not for me.

“Come on, Ivy, let’s go back to the cabin,” my brother coaxed.

Emery glanced at me and shook her head. “I don’t think that’s what she meant.”

Lines formed between Caleb’s eyes. "What did you mean, Ivy?"

"I can’t stay in this pack," I answered, throat tight with emotion. "If I do, my wolf will demand that I challenge Ruby. Rieka is already pushing for control."

In my peripheral, I saw Briggs turn. Maybe he heard me. Maybe he didn’t. It didn’t matter.

The Alpha remained silent, watching us, probably ready to kill me if I made a move on his precious female.

"Hell yeah, Ives!" Emery cheered darkly. "Let's take that cunt down."

"Do not threaten your Luna," Colten growled in warning.

Emery flipped him off without looking at him, her total focus on me. Colten didn't retaliate, but we were towing a line.

Tears pricked my eyes once more. I shook my head.

"No, Emery. I have no desire to kill her just to take her place. I don't want to be Briggs's mate. I can't love a man who would purposefully choose to humiliate me in front of the entire pack like this. If he knew he was going to choose Ruby from the start, after his countless hours meditating , he could have warned me. It would have hurt, but he'd have saved me from the shock. From this … total mortification, allowing me to grieve this in private. Instead, he let me believe that we had a chance. He's not stupid. He knew what this would do to me."

I looked around at the other wolves, motioning with my shaking hand. "They can't even look at me. I did nothing wrong and yet I'm already being shunned. Seconds was all it took for everyone to turn their back on me the second their Alpha did."

My words were met with silence. The pack had stopped celebrating. Goddess above, now they gave me their attention?

Good , Rieka insisted. Let them hear this . She pushed just enough to overtake my voice.

When she spoke, it came out throaty and aggressive. "I would rather die by my own hand than to spend one more second in that male's presence."

Briggs’s nostrils flared. The chill I'd felt earlier exploded into volcanic heat, coating our battered link in an instant.

Just as quick, it turned to ice, freezing what was left of the bond and making it so numb I could hardly tell it even existed.

My stiffened muscles loosened in relief. I didn't know how she did it, but my wolf was a badass. I owed her.

Neither of us perked up when Briggs's wolf made an awful sound. I hoped the Alpha choked on whatever he was feeling.

Ruby made some comment I didn’t catch and Emery jumped forward, not getting far as Colten bear-hugged her from behind. When Caleb tried to intervene, and the pack was distracted, I let my wolf guide my steps.

Without looking back at the face of the one who'd hurt me, I walked away. My walk turned into a jog, then a full-on sprint.

We’re going, Ivy. Going anywhere but here, Rieka assured.

A sizzle traveled through the weakened bond, as though Briggs was angry. Again Rieka iced it over.

The Alpha made his bed. Now he has to lie in it. He'll regret his actions soon enough , she smirked evilly despite the agony I knew she was feeling.

I couldn't believe what I was turning into. Ten minutes ago I'd been someone else. Now? Now I was …

Done.