"Mis Hallows," he began, his voice firm yet somehow compassionate. "The decision has been made. By supernatural law, the Alpha heir Liam Anderson has a right of ownership through the fated mate bond, and you are to stay with the Silver Stone pack." His words echoed in my ears like a death knell, and I felt as if the ground had been ripped out from beneath me. Anger, betrayal, and despair swirled within me like a hurricane, threatening to rip me apart. This couldn't be happening. I wouldn't let it. Deep down, I knew there was nothing I could do. I was trapped, bound to a man and a pack I barely knew, and every ounce of freedom I'd fought so hard for had just been snatched away.
Chapter 15
Erica
Theairintheroom felt heavy, suffocating me as I tried to wrap my head around what had just happened. My heart pounded in my chest, a mixture of fear and rage threatening to burst from within me. This couldn't be happening. It wasn't fair. They were taking me away from my birth pack, tearing me from the only connection I had left to my parents.
"You can't do this. You can't just rip me away from my family like this." I said, my voice shaking with emotion. My green eyes locked onto Coleman Browning's stony gaze. He was the mouthpiece of The Conclave, the one delivering this heart-wrenching decree.
His tone was solemn but firm. "This is the final decision of The Conclave. You must adhere to it or suffer the consequences." The threat in his voice echoed through the room, chilling me to the bone. It was a reminder of how powerless I truly was in this situation. He turned to Alpha Declan and declared, "The matter is resolved. There is no more need for The Conclave to be here." With one last look of compassion, he excused himself and the other Conclave members from the room, leaving me to face my new reality.
I glanced over at Alpha Declan, my emotions boiling beneath the surface. His dark, almost black eyes bore into mine, unwavering. He was the one who would now hold power over me; the thought made me sick to my stomach. How could I trust him when I knew so little about him? And why was he so insistent on taking me from my family?
"Please," I begged, unable to keep the desperation from my voice. "There has to be another way. Let me stay with my pack." Alpha Declan remained silent, his expression unreadable.
The silence that followed the Conclave's departure was deafening, pressing down on me like a suffocating weight. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, each beat a reminder of the life I was about to leave behind. My entire world had crumbled around me, and I couldn't find the strength to pick up the pieces. Alpha Declan cleared his throat, drawing all eyes to him.
"I think it's time," he announced, turning to Marshall with a nod.
"Please, don't do this!" I cried out, desperation clawing at my throat. I turned to Marshall and Becca, pleading with them to intervene.
"You can't let this happen. You can't just give me away like I'm some... some object!" Becca's blue eyes filled with tears as she reached for my hand.
"Erica, you have to trust us," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "We're doing this for your own good. We all want what's best for you." But I couldn't listen, wouldn't listen. How could they possibly know what was best for me when they were ripping me from the only family I'd ever known?
"You're taking me from my pack and stripping me of my Gamma rank! This is barbaric!" I spat, glaring at Alpha Declan.
"Rank?" Alpha Declan scoffed, his dark gaze unyielding. "As a rogue, you don't technically hold a Gamma rank, Erica."
"Rogue?!" I bristled, anger flaring within me. "You have no right to discredit my pack like that!"
"Your 'pack' holds no territory, has no Alpha or alpha heir, and of the two werewolves left, one can't even shift due to deep-rooted trauma," he replied coldly, his words an icy dagger to my heart. My hands clenched into fists, and I fought back a fresh wave of tears. It felt like the world was crushing me, pushing me under with each cruel revelation. My heart pounded as I stared at Alpha Declan, the betrayal digging its claws into my chest. How could he know my secret? That I couldn't shift? My gaze darted towards Marshall, who shook his head, silently denying any involvement. Liam's shocked expression confirmed that even he hadn't known.
"How did you know?" I whispered, my voice trembling with fury and hurt. He met my eyes without flinching, his own dark orbs full of a cold calculation.
"I figured it out at the funeral when you didn't take part in the last run. The pain in your eyes that you couldn't shift was clear." His words hit me like a blow to the stomach. He had been watching me during one of my most vulnerable moments. And now, he held the power to rip away my last remaining connection to my pack.
"Please don't do this," I begged, unable to keep the despair from my voice. But it was no use. Alpha Declan turned back to Marshall and nodded.
"I, Declan Anderson, Alpha of the Silver Stone pack, request that you, Beta Marshall Hayes, acting Alpha of the Moon Key pack, relinquish control of pack member Erica Hallows to my pack." The formality of his words only heightened the raw emotion coursing through me.
With a scream, I lunged at him, desperate to make him feel even a fraction of the pain he was causing me. But before I could reach him, powerful arms snatched me from the air and held me tight.
"Let me go!" I thrashed against the iron grip, my vision blurred by angry tears. But there was no escaping the vice-like hold.
“Erica," Liam's voice cut through my rage, filled with concern and helplessness. The grip of Beta Gregg's powerful arms threatened to crush the breath from my lungs. Panic and fury coursed through me, granting me a surge of strength that I used to thrash against his hold. But my efforts were futile; he was an immovable force.
"Stop," Beta Gregg whispered into my ear, his breath hot against my skin. The command carried with it an icy wave of calm that washed over my body, extinguishing my rage like water dousing a flame. My legs buckled beneath me, and I crumpled to the floor in a heap of despair, tears streaming down my face. I barely registered Marshall's presence as he knelt beside me, his voice thick with regret.
"I'm so sorry, Erica," he said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I wish there was another way."
"Please, Marshall," I choked out between sobs, clutching at his shirt. "Don't do this to me. Don't let them take me away from our family." Marshall looked pained, but he slowly stood up and faced Alpha Declan, his expression steely.
"I, Beta Marshall Hayes, accept your request and relinquish control of Erica Hallows to the Silver Stone pack."
A scream tore itself from my throat as the bond to my pack stretched taut, then snapped like a frayed rope. It felt as though my heart had shattered along with it, leaving me hollow and broken. With venomous hatred burning in my eyes, I glared at Marshall, feeling betrayed by the man I'd once considered family. My gaze shifted to Liam, who watched me intently, his face etched with concern and sorrow. In my heart, I knew that joining the Silver Stone pack would only bring more pain and suffering. I'd rather be completely alone than part of a pack that didn't value loyalty and family.
"Never," I whispered, steeling myself for the consequences of my decision. "I'd rather be a rogue than submit to any of you." I spat, the anger and betrayal fuelling my defiance.
