Chapter 4


    An all-out fight broke loose causing mass panic to ensue inside the meeting room.


    Everyone quickly jumped to their feet to make as much distance as possible between themselves and


    the fight, but there wasn’t much space to work with. Before long, snarling and snapping were the only


    noises hearding from my father’s wolf as Aleric fought him off in his human form.


    “Brayden!” Aleric yelled finally, huffing from the exertion of the fight.


    My father was strong, almost as strong as Aleric. It was true that Aleric would win in the end during a


    one-on-one fight, but my father would give him severe wounds on the way out. He would not be taken


    down easily.


    Brayden didn’t hesitate even for a second before he grabbed at my father from behind and pushed him


    to the ground. Together with Aleric, they used their weight to pin therge wolf down.


    “Get me silver cuffs and have him taken down to the cells immediately!” Aleric ordered furiously to


    everyone in the room.


    They all scattered quickly to obey the Alpha, not wanting to upset him any further.


    “And you,” he said, turning his cold eyes to me with disgust. “Get the fuck out of my sight and stay in


    your room until I say you can leave. You will remain there and conduct all of your business from within


    those walls. Do I make myself clear, Ariadne?”


    I couldn’t talk. Words wouldn’te to me as I stared in fear at this man. I was sure he would send me


    down after my father or kill me if I misspoke at that moment. And so, I did the only thing I could do.


    I mutely nodded my head, hastily returning to my room in a daze.


    The days passed quickly after that as I organised the final touches of my escape. And soon,


    everything was ready. I had packed my bag, noted instructions for my Luna duties over the following


    few weeks, and had even left a letter for my father. I wasn’t sure if he would receive it given his current


    incarceration, but I needed to tell him that I was thankful for what he had done for me. It was nice to


    know he had loved me after spending all these years believing otherwise.


    It pained me to even think of leaving him behind, but there was nothing I could do to save him now.


    The cells were the most heavily guarded ce in the whole territory. Even attempting to break him out


    would lead to me being instantly caught.


    The night of the escape I was having a final dinner with Sophie. We had decided to leave once dark so


    it would hopefully hide our presence better. Tonight, there would be arge celebration happening in


    the main square so the guard patrols would be at their lowest.


    So far, there hadn’t been any issues or even any visitors since Aleric had banished me to my room. I


    was grateful for the peace and quiet, and happy I didn’t have to see the stares of my pack members as


    I walked by. I was sure their opinions of me had only gotten worse now my father hadmitted one of


    the highest offences possible; attempted murder of the Alpha.


    “It’s time to go,” I said nervously to Sophie.


    I was scared. I was scared that we would be caught, that I would be dragged back to this hell and


    possibly executed. But if we could pull this off, leave and finally be free, it would be worth everything.


    Sophie nodded her head as I grabbed my backpack, getting ready to leave.


    “Where did you put your bag?” I asked, noticing she hadn’t put anything by the front door yet.


    But before Sophie could answer, the door then suddenly crashed open and several pack warriors


    stormed in.


    They grabbed my arms and pushed me up against the wall, stripping me of my backpack before


    restraining me in silver handcuffs. Immediately, a few of them started searching the house and began


    sifting through all my belongings, as if looking for something in particr.


    I wanted to call out to Sophie to make sure she was okay, but then, out of the corner of my eyes, I was


    just able to witness as they forced Sophie outside. It happened so quickly there was nothing I could do.


    “What is the meaning of this?!” I screamed, my face still pressed against the wall. “I am your Luna and


    I demand that you stand down and exin yourself.”


    I could tell the weight of my authority washed over them, making them hesitate… but only for a


    moment. The one holding me loosened his grip slightly but they didn’tpletely let go. This meant the


    order had to havee from Aleric himself. He was the only one who would have had enough


    authority to allow them to ignore me.


    Another minute passed before Brayden finally walked in the door, ncing only quickly towards me.


    “You can ease your grip and turn her around,” he said to the one holding me.


    They spun me to face him but his face was unreadable. Were they doing all of this because they


    discovered my ns to escape? It seemed a little over the top for something like that. No, this felt like


    something bigger was happening.


    One of the warriors then suddenly walked up to Brayden, a few items in hand.


    “We found these, Gamma,” he said, presenting them to Brayden. “It also looks as though she was


    nning to run away before we caught her. She was wearing a backpack full of clothes and supplies


    when we arrived.”


    I couldn’t see what the second item was but the first one was the letter to my father I’d left on the bed.


    And instantly, a sinking feeling hit my stomach. I knew that letter could be misconstrued as


    sympathising and thanking the man who had almost killed the Alpha. I had nned to leave before


    anyone read it.


    Brayden scanned the letter, his face stillpletely emotionless, before he sniffed at whatever else he


    had been given. His immediate reaction was to grimace and turn his face away.


    “Is this yours?” he asked, showing me a small bunch of herbs. I didn’t recognise them, but then again,


    I’d never been great at herbalism.


    “I’ve never seen that before in my life,” I replied, spitting the words back at him. “I don’t even know


    what it is.”


    “They were found in her bedroom, Gamma. Hidden under the bed,” the warrior interjected.


    “What?! You’re insane! I don’t keep herbs in here. I don’t even know the first thing about identifying the


    different types!”


    “It’s Mortwert,” Brayden answered calmly, his dark brown eyes piercing mine. “It induces miscarriages


    during pregnancy.”


    “What?” I gasped.


    Why would something like that be in my room? Who could have even put it there?


    “Ariadne Chrysalis, I hereby ce you under arrest for the murder of the unborn Alpha heir, and for the


    harm inflicted to another pack member, Thea Woods. You will be detained immediately pending trial in


    a week’s time.”


    “What? Thea lost the baby?” I asked horrified, my body feeling paralysed.


    Of course, they would all think I had something to do with it. Why would anyone believe the Luna who


    had publicly made a scene about her pregnancy?


    “Take her down to the cells,” Brayden said, his face finally showing the disgust I knew he had been


    trying to hide this whole time.


    They began to push me out of the door but I kicked and fought against them.


    “You’re insane! You’re all insane!” I screamed. “Where is Aleric?! Let me see Aleric and clear this


    whole thing up! I am your Luna! I demand you take me to the Alpha immediately!”


    “That won’t be necessary,” a deep, chilly voice then said behind me in the hall.


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    I craned my neck as much as possible to see the familiar eyes I dreaded so much. The hatred filled in


    them was more than I had ever seen before in another person.


    Fear quickly gripped me, my legs almost giving out from just the sight of him in such anger. Because


    whilst themon expression was ‘if looks could kill’, it wasn’t remotely required here. He looked


    plenty ready to snap my neck with his bare hands himself.


    “Aleric…,” I cried. “I didn’t do this, I swear. I didn’t kill your baby. I didn’t even want to be here anymore.


    I was giving up, letting you have Thea just like you always wanted.”


    “So, you admit to trying to run away then,” he growled in a low voice. “Your motive seems clear here.


    Don’t worry though, you’ll be getting your wish.”


    Several of the elders now made themselves present and a chill ran down my spine. I had a feeling I


    could guess what he was about to do. Even the admittance of wanting to escape was punishable,


    putting aside the false charges against me for Thea’s miscarriage.


    “I, Aleric Dumont, Alpha of the Winter Mist Pack, along with the majority agreement of the elders


    present, reject you, Ariadne Chrysalis, as my mate and Luna to this pack.”


    The bond snapped and the pain blinded me instantly, falling to my knees in the process. I had never


    experienced anything so excruciating before. I couldn’t see, my vision was blurred, but I could faintly


    hear my own scream filling the air. Everything inside me burned as if it were purging something from


    deep inside my soul.


    Itsted for longer than I couldprehend, the seconds feeling like hours. Even once the burning


    faded and the worst of the pain was over, aplete hollow void was left pulsing inside my chest.


    There was nothing there anymore. No love, no desire, no lust. Arge part of my world had been Aleric.


    Without him and the influence of the mate bond, half of me now just felt… empty.


    …And the other half of me felt scared.


    My love for him had been the only thing blinding me to my true fear. Without it, his very presence felt


    like death itself was looming over me.


    The type of rejection he had done was rare; one where the majority vote of elders was required for


    completing the process. I’d only read this happening in history a handful of times and it was virtually


    unheard of. It was only ever used for ranked members and was a rejection that needed no consent or


    agreement from the second party. The process was reserved for when crimes had beenmitted or


    for when there was a greater purpose as to why a forced bond-breaking must ur.


    When I finally regained some of my strength, I looked up to Aleric, expecting him to have felt what I


    had… but he only stoodpletely emotionless as if nothing had happened.


    So, it was true then. He had never loved me. Not even a little bit. The rejection should have hurt him


    just as much, but instead he felt nothing. He just looked down at me with those icy cold eyes as if I’d


    never been anyone remotely special to him.


    And so, without even so much as a flinch, I watched as Aleric then turned his back on me… and


    walked away.


    “Take her down to the cells,” he ordered over his shoulder, not even bothering to check hismand


    was carried out.


    Immediately, Brayden hauled me to my feet and began to drag me to the stairs. But I didn’t fight back


    this time. There was no point anymore.


    I just let him move me towards the prison I would call home for the next seven days.