2. Kaylee
2
Kaylee
“Kaylee Kingsley, you stand accused of attacking my future daughter-in-law, Marilyn Cross. For that, you will be demoted to an omega,” Alpha Ramos calls out. My eyes widen and my body flinches as I feel my title being ripped from me, my status as a beta she-wolf being thrown to the wolves as I feel the new title of omega settle onto me. He had literally walked in to see me fighting off Ruby and Prism.
“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” he continues, his grey eyes stone cold. This was not the alpha I grew up respecting.
“If I tell you the truth, will you even believe me?” I ask skeptically. My mind link to the pack has been blocked, and clearly, he is protecting Marilyn. Something does not feel right.
“Of course,” he agrees readily. I stare at him for a moment, scenting the lie in his words. Whether he believes me or not does not matter. It’s whether the pack will listen and come to my defense.
“I did not attack Marilyn,” I shoot back, glaring at Alpha Ramos and realizing that something is not right. I search the crowd for Lucas, hoping he will come to my defense, even trying to mind-link him images of what happened, but the block remains. I manage to find him, our eyes meeting for a brief moment before he looks away with guilt. Shocked, I turn back to face Alpha Ramos, while trying to hide the hurt and disappointment I feel. I know Lucas and Marilyn were a couple, but as his mate, he should be protecting and defending me.
“I was waking up and getting ready to find Lucas when Marilyn and her goons attacked me. You can see how badly I am wounded, smell the wolfsbane in the blood that drips from the claw marks they left.” Those that sneered at me sniff the air, their eyes widening. I can even see some turning to look at Lucas. They finally scented my mate’s scent on me underneath the blood and the wolfsbane.
“Why would she attack you?” the alpha asks with a scoff, as if not believing me. Shocked, I look at him in disbelief. Could he not scent his son all over me?
“Because your son is my mate,” I deadpan, looking to Lucas, waiting to see what he would do. His head whips in my direction, his fingers clenching into fists. I stare at him, watching to see if he will say anything, but instead, his eyes turn into a hard glare—a glare that is thrown my way.
“We found out the moment I turned eighteen yesterday, and he and I spent the day in his room. The pack can smell him on me,” I continue, my own stare hardening as I look away from my mate. Why isn’t he protecting me?
“You’re lying. We are not mates!” Lucas shouts, marching down the steps. Two wolves rush forward and hold him back, stopping him from doing anything he might regret. I wince from the anger in his voice. Last night, he was so sweet to me, promising to love me. Now, he stands across from me, glaring at me.
“I am not lying, and you know it,” I yell back, allowing the hurt I feel from his words to seep into my voice as I stare back at him.
“Son, Kaylee turned eighteen last night, and the both of you vanished an hour into her party. She smells like you, and wears your clothes,” Alpha Ramos states, giving his son a look of pity before he turns back to glare at me. Taken aback by the hostility in his eyes, I back away from my alpha and ready myself for a fight. The vibes I have been feeling since the alpha appeared in front of Lucas’ room while I was being attacked have made me wary of trusting the man who should be my father-in-law.
“Unfortunately, Kaylee, Lucas and Marilyn were arranged to be married years ago,” he continues, his grey eyes so cold and uncaring that I suppress a shiver.
“You cannot be with my son, as I made a deal with Alpha Nathaniel Cross. Our packs will be united in marriage, and he will not attack us for our land.” Shocked by this revelation, the pack begins to whisper amongst themselves. My mind replays the night I just had with Lucas. How I gave myself to him, thinking we would be together as intended, and we would lead Oak Fur together one day.
“What do you mean I can’t be with my mate? He is the only one the goddess paired me with, I won’t have another mate?!” I question, my voice raising until I am screaming at the man that demoted me to an omega just moments ago, over an accusation that that bitch Pearl made.
“You heard me. Now either reject my son, or let him reject you.” Shaking with rage at his words, I turn to face Lucas, who stares at me with his own seething rage.
“No,” I snap back. I will not reject my mate.
“Then Lucas will do it, for the good of the pack.” Alpha Ramos shrugs, stepping back and motioning to his son. Before I can say anything, Lucas shakes off the two wolves holding him back. His mouth opens and the words I did not want to hear are uttered.
“I, Lucas Rider, reject you, Kaylee Kingsley, as my mate. May the goddess find mercy on you.” The pain rips through me like a blade heated in hell’s fire. It tears at my heart, causing an ear-piercing scream to wrench from my throat as I fall to my knees. My one and only mate chose a pack whore over me. Chose his duty over me.
Suddenly, Lucas starts screaming as he clutches his neck. I watch through tear-filled eyes as a betrayal mark appears on Lucas’ neck, the burgundy-red design of a heart with three jagged lines slashed through them. The pack watches on, some in horror, some in shock, and others with amusement. Pain courses through me as the mate bond burns. We had initiated it last night when Lucas made love to me. Had strengthened it with each hour we spent in each other’s arms.
Every part of me burns, making me cry and gasp as I wait for the fire to consume me. When it finally dies down, I notice Lucas standing there, the pain he felt from the mark burning into his skin gone.
“We are no longer mates, Kaylee,” he growls out, his words harsh. Anger pushes down the pain caused by the rejection, and without thinking I lunge at my now ex-mate, my fingers turning into claws as I slash them along his face. He screams in pain, his warm blood coating my fingers. He knew he was engaged to Marilyn for years. Knew that he and I could never be together, and yet he still took my virginity last night.
Strong arms pull me off of Lucas, and I allow them as I recognize the scent of David, Lucas’ uncle by marriage and my father’s friend—the man who was made my godfather the moment I was born. He whispers to me that I need to calm down. That Lucas will now have a scar marring his face for the rest of his life. I nod, deciding to listen to David, and take a deep breath.
“Kaylee, you have disgraced this pack!” Alpha Ramos screams as he steps towards me. The wolves that had held Lucas back now grab onto the alpha and prevent him from attacking me. I glare at him, not caring anymore. He took away my status as beta, knowing it was the last thing I had left of my parents after their death a year ago. Made me an omega without hearing my side of the story, then told me I can’t be with my mate and had Lucas reject me. He can go to hell for all I care.
“No. You and your son are the ones to disgrace Oak Fur! My parents gave their lives for you and your family, and this is how you treat me?” I scream back, the pack whispering their disapproval at the father and son pair.
“It’s exactly because of what your parents did that I am allowing this,” he snarls, spittle flying from his mouth as he seethes with rage.
“Kaylee Kingsley, you are henceforth no longer a member of the Oak Fur pack. You have until midnight tonight to pack your things and leave my pack, or else you will be hunted and killed as a rogue.” I feel the pack bond break, feel my heart stop beating for a moment from all the pain I have faced in the last five minutes. The status of omega is ripped from me, its shackles that bound my beta blood gone, and I take a deep breath. To think in just thirty minutes, I would go from beta, to omega, and back to beta again. All it took was for me to become a rogue.
“Ramos, this is going too far!” David shouts back.
“No, David, this is exactly what needs to be done!” Alpha Ramos replies, his glare turning from me to David.
“And if you think I went too far in banishing Kaylee, then you can leave with her,” he adds. David opens his mouth to say something, but someone else speaks first.
“Fine. We will leave then, as clearly Oak Fur is made of liars and snakes.” I turn to the sound of the new voice and find Miss Amelia walking towards us. Her image is blurry, as the pain from the rejection and the banishment course through me.
“David, take Kaylee home while I deal with my younger brother,” Miss Amelia orders. I move to protest, to stop her from breaking ties with her family, but my steps falter and I begin to fall. Arms catch me before I hit the ground, and David’s scent surrounds me.
“Hang in there, Kaylee. If Amelia says we are leaving, we are leaving,” he mutters, as he scoops me into his arms. I try to fight him, try to push myself away, but the pain and the wolfsbane have finally taken their toll on me and as I try to fight to stay awake, darkness takes me, and I pass out while Miss Amelia argues with Alpha Ramos.