Chapter 3

The slap hit hard, sharper than I expected, and the sting of it spread across my face like fire.

The pain from the impact was intense, but what hurt more was the humiliation—the laughter of the guests around me, the cruel whispers filling the air.

"Look at this, the mistress getting slapped by the legitimate mate," one voice sneered, its tone full of contempt.

"She seems so well-mannered. Who would think she’d sink so low?" another voice mocked, though I could hear the smug satisfaction beneath it.

I gritted my teeth, my wolf howling inside me, ready to tear through the room and silence them all.

But I held back.

I had to hold back.

The last thing I wanted was to give them the satisfaction of seeing me lose control.

"Lyanna, you misunderstood," I managed to say, my voice shaking with the effort to keep calm. "I’m not—"

But I didn’t get a chance to finish.

Lyanna, her wolf clearly in control now, grabbed a handful of my hair and jerked me down to the ground, her claws digging into my scalp.

Her packmates surged forward, joining her in their aggression.

I could feel their strength, their loyalty to her fueling their violence, each blow like a dagger aimed not just at my body, but at my spirit.

The pain blurred my vision.

I could barely breathe, the strikes coming from every direction, my body trembling as it fought to withstand the onslaught.

"You slut!" Lyanna spat, her voice venomous, laced with the harsh growl of her wolf. "How dare you seduce my mate? If you’re not his mistress, then why do you know my name, huh? Tell me that!"

The words cut through me like ice. Her mate?

I didn’t know how to answer.

The bond between Darius and Lyanna was... complex, confusing.

But in this moment, it didn’t matter.

"I told you, I’m not his mistress!" I cried out, my voice raw. "Ask Darius yourself. He knows the truth."

But she didn’t care.

Lyanna wasn’t listening.

She pulled me by my hair again, forcing me to the ground as her packmates punched and kicked me.

"You really think you have a chance?" Lyanna sneered, her eyes wild with fury. "A lowly woman like you? Don’t think for a second that Darius will ever choose you over me. I’ll make sure of it. When I marry into a rich family, I’ll make you regret ever crossing me. I’ll sell you to a brothel, let you serve hundreds of men—let everyone have their turn with you!"

Her words were cruel, meant to break me, and for a moment, I felt my spirit falter.

But my wolf refused to let her win.

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to focus.

I wasn’t just some weak woman she could trample on.

I tried again. "Lyanna—Lyanna, please... I’m telling you the truth. I’m not his mistress. Darius—"

"Shut up!" she yelled, her voice rising with each word, the fury of her inner wolf palpable. "You filthy slut. You’ll never admit what you really are, will you? You're nothing to Darius. You’re just some woman who thinks she can play in a world she doesn’t belong in."

I didn’t know what to say.

Was it really over?

Had Darius already chosen her? T

he doubt gnawed at me, but I refused to let it show.

I couldn’t.

"Later," Lyanna said with a sneer, "I’ll take you to the engagement banquet. We’ll see who Darius chooses. You, or me. You’ll never belong in his world."

The words hit me harder than the blows.

She was right.

I would never belong in his world.

Lyanna’s pack had claimed their place, and my presence, my bond with Darius, meant nothing to them.

But the worst part was hearing the vicious laughter around me.

The crowd had gathered, eager to witness the spectacle.

"Take her clothes off," Lyanna’s friend shouted. "Let’s see if she has any shame left."

I was overwhelmed.

They tore at my clothes, pulling at the fabric until my dress was ripped apart, exposing my skin.

Blood mixed with the tears on my face as I struggled to cover myself, my dignity slipping further from my grasp.

The pain was unbearable, but it wasn’t the physical pain that broke me—it was the way they gawked at me.

They were enjoying this. The guests, the packmates, all of them.

My suffering was entertainment for them.

I cried out in desperation, clutching what remained of my dress around me. But I was too weak to fight them off.

Too small. There were too many of them.

The pain blurred my senses.

I could feel my wolf pushing against the restraints, desperate to break free.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

I couldn’t let them win.

But just as I was losing myself to the darkness, I saw something.

My mind was clouded, my vision spinning, but I saw her—Lyanna.

She was pulling out her phone, capturing every moment.

"Your reputation is ruined," she said, her words filled with malice, her wolf’s growl low and threatening. "No one will ever believe you now."

But just as the last shred of my dignity was being ripped away, I gathered my strength. "Lyanna," I cried, "I am Darius’s mother!"

The room went silent for a moment.

I could see the shock in Lyanna’s eyes as she looked down at me, the confusion and uncertainty flickering behind her cold gaze.

"His... what?" she whispered, a flicker of doubt flashing across her face.

For the first time since this nightmare began, I saw a crack in her armor.

My wolf growled softly, and I could feel Darius’s presence, faint but there, his bond with me pulsing in the back of my mind.

But Lyanna wasn’t going to let go so easily.

"Don’t lie," she spat, but there was hesitation now in her voice.

I could see it now.

She was afraid. She had believed she had everything under control, but I wasn’t just a mere woman.

I was the Alpha’s mate. Darius’s mother.

"I swear," I said, my voice shaky but firm. "I am Darius’s mother. And I will not let you tear our family apart."

Lyanna’s expression darkened.

"We’ll see about that," she said, her tone low and threatening.

But I didn’t care anymore.

This wasn’t just about us anymore—it was about Darius.

And whatever happened next, I was going to fight.

I would not let her break me.