Chapter 4 #4

ANNA 

The guard dragged me down the hallway, his rough grip digging into my forearm until he forcefully shoved me into the Alpha’s office. I stumbled, barely catching my balance on the rug.

My breathing hitched. Standing right there in the center of the room was the massive scout from yesterday. My eyes locked onto his harsh features, and a chill ran straight down my spine. He was staring back at me with a cold gaze. 

Alpha Lucas sat behind his desk, his brow furrowed with deep frustration. He looked up, his gaze pinning me to the floor. "Is it true, Anna? Did you actually say those words to this man?"

I swallowed hard, my hands clenching into fists at my sides to hide their trembling. "I didn't mean it, Alpha," I whispered, my voice sounding incredibly small in the quiet room. "It... it just came out."

"You didn't mean what?" Luna Maya broke in, stepping forward with her arms tightly crossed over her chest. Her eyes flashed with pure venom as she glared down her nose at me. "You didn't mean to put this entire territory in danger? Because that is exactly what you’ve done by letting your insolent mouth run wild."

I opened my mouth to defend myself, but Alpha Lucas held up a single  finger. The silent command cut me off instantly.

"I really cannot help you in this situation, Anna," Lucas said, letting out a defeated sigh as he leaned back in his chair. "This situation right now is far too big. Even I cannot risk the lives of my pack members to challenge Alpha Duncan. His wrath would destroy us."

My entire body stiffened. The reality of his words began to press down on my chest. They were giving me up. Without a second thought, they were tossing me to a monster.

Desperate, my gaze began to roam across the room, searching for any hope, until my eyes landed on Cade. 

He was standing near the window. Sasha was clinging tightly to his arm, a smug smile plastered completely across her face as she watched my downfall.

I looked Cade dead in the eyes, refusing to let him look away. "What about you?" I demanded. "Won't you try to help me?"

The room went completely still. Every head turned, their eyes darting back and forth between the two of us.

Alpha Lucas frowned, his gaze shifting from me to his son. "What is going on here?"

Cade’s jaw tightened. "Nothing, father," he muttered softly.

"It’s actually far from nothing," I spoke up, a bitter laugh bubbling up in my throat. If I was going down, I was taking his comfortable lie with me. "It's everything. I am the rightful mate of Cade. But he has been forcing me to keep it a secret, all because he doesn't want to choose an omega."

A collective gasp echoed through the room.

Even Aria, who had been standing quietly near the back door after following the guards inside, let out a gasp, her eyes widening in complete shock.

"He forcefully made me hide the bond," I continued, staring at the coward who wouldn't look at me. "He made me keep us a secret so he could pretend I didn't exist."

Alpha Lucas turned fully toward his son, his expression darkening with a mixture of disbelief and anger. "Cade. Explain this."

Cade finally lifted his chin, "I cannot bear to choose an omega as my mate," he confessed, his voice devoid of any warmth. "Besides, Sasha is the one I love. She is the one I want."

Sasha, who had gone pale as a ghost the moment the truth spilled from my lips, instantly straightened up at his words. The color rushed back to her cheeks.

Alpha Lucas let out a long sigh, rubbing his temples before looking back across the desk at me. "Even with this revelation, Anna, it is already too late to make any adjustments. The decree has been set. You will be taken away to the Black Moon territory tonight."

The finality of his words struck me like a blow. Before I could fall apart, Aria broke away from the wall and ran straight to my side. She grabbed my hands, her fingers digging into my skin. "Anna... why would you keep something like that a secret from me?" she whispered, her eyes shining with hurt.

I offered her a weak chuckle, a tear finally spilling down my cheek. "I couldn't bring myself to say it out loud, Aria. It's incredibly embarrassing when your own mate doesn't want to choose you because of what you are."

Aria’s face twisted in fury. She snapped her head around, throwing Sasha a burning glare.

"Slut," she muttered under her breath, the word dripping with pure disgust.

"Silence," Alpha Lucas bellowed. He focused his cold stare back on me. "Go pack your things, Anna. The men will take you with them now."

"Please," I begged, taking a step toward his desk, my composure completely fracturing. "Please, Alpha, do something. Don't let them take me."

"There is nothing to be done," Lucas replied flatly, turning his attention to a stack of papers on his desk, effectively dismissing me.

Luna Maya scoffed, stepping closer to ensure her words cut deep. "We cannot risk a single life by defying Alpha Duncan for your sake. It is best that you go. Besides," she added, "no one is likely to miss or even remember you here anyway. You're just an orphan."

The words pierced straight through my chest, a brutal reminder of how truly alone I was in this pack. I swallowed down the sob rising in my throat, forcing my spine to straighten.

I shifted my gaze, locking eyes with Cade one last time. For a fraction of a second, a strange  longing flared in the depths of his dark eyes, a quiet torment that showed he felt the pull of the bond tearing at his soul. But just as quickly as it appeared, he masked it off as he looked away from me.

Aria stepped forward, her voice breaking as she muttered my name. "Anna..."

"Be strong, Aria," I whispered, squeezing her hand one last time before turning my back on the people who had raised me, only to discard me.

I began to walk out of the office, the footsteps of Alpha Duncan’s men falling into step right behind me.

As I reached the threshold, Aria’s fierce, desperate voice rang out through the hallway behind me, a promise cutting through the dark. "I'll find a way to come see you, Anna! I will!"

“I wonder what’s in store for this omega” one of the men said and my breath hitched.