Chapter 4
Beta Mike slammed his goblet of moonsteel down, the thunderous crash silencing the grand hall of the Beta estate.
His golden eyes blazed with fury, and the faint growl of his wolf rumbled deep within his chest. “Break the bond?” he snarled.
“I merely wanted to bring your sister into the den as a mate, not cast you aside! And yet your temper flares like this? Do you still think you’re the sought-after Luna every Alpha dreamed of? With your broad build and tarnished name, if I hadn’t claimed you, what other wolf would have?”
Dariya, draped in silken robes dyed in moonlit hues, leaned forward with a simpering smile.
“Sister,” she cooed, her voice oozing false sympathy, “are you upset that Mike wants me as his luna? You can’t blame him. Your reputation precedes you in every pack. Remaining as his mate only drags the Beta lineage through the mud. If you’re resentful, perhaps it’s better for everyone if Mike casts you out.”
Mike’s lips twisted into a cruel grin, his fangs glinting under the chandelier’s light. “That’s right, Jade. I’ll cast you out today. And don’t think you’ll walk away with your dowry. Every single werewolf coin, every silver-bonded heirloom your family brought to this pack, will remain here. You’ll leave with nothing but disgrace. That’s our law.”
The werewolf laws were as unyielding as the full moon. If a mate was cast out under the Seven Grounds of Dismissal, her dowry stayed with the pack.
I tilted my head, letting a cold smile curl my lips. “Cast me out? I am known across the territories for my loyalty, generosity, and strength. Tell me, Mike, on what grounds do you plan to justify such a decree?”
Dariya’s keen eyes darted to my wrist as I adjusted my sleeve. Her wolf’s instincts caught the faint shimmer of a bonding mark hidden beneath the fabric. She leapt to her feet, pointing with an accusing claw.
“She’s marked!” she screeched, her voice echoing off the walls.
“Mike, she deceived you! You’ve never claimed her. That mark belongs to another male—she’s a faithless adulteress!”
A collective gasp swept through the room.
Mike’s face contorted with rage, his claws unsheathing as his wolf surged forward. He lunged at me, his hand raised high to strike. “You treacherous wench! Adulteress!”
Before his claws could land, a dark figure stepped from the shadows—a shadow guard, cloaked in the sigil of the Silverfang Alpha.
The guard’s glowing eyes held the unmistakable dominance of an Alpha’s decree. Mike froze. He wrenched his arm free, his sneer bitter and venomous. “So this is your lover, huh? Take them both to the river and drown them. You want the bond broken? Over my dead body!”
A deep, resonant howl tore through the night, silencing the room.
It was a howl that demanded submission. The guards at the gates parted, and the herald strode into the hall, a scroll bound in silver and sealed with the Alpha’s mark clutched in his hands.
Mike smirked, leaning back as though victory were assured. “Alpha Jason’s herald? He must be here to commend me for my contributions during the famine relief. Perfect timing. I’ll make my case and restore my honor.”
The herald unrolled the decree, his voice booming with authority.
“By order of Alpha Jason of the Silverfang Pack: Beta Mike, who sought Jade’s bond under the sacred oath that he would not claim another unless she bore no heirs, has broken his vow. The mate bond is hereby severed. All dowry, including the werewolf coins and silver heirlooms bestowed by Jade’s family, will be returned in full.”
The air seemed to crackle with the weight of the decree.
Mike’s smirk evaporated, his face pale as his voice stammered, “H-how does Alpha Jason know the details of my household affairs?”
The herald’s words sliced through his disbelief.
“Furthermore, Beta Mike is charged with misappropriating famine relief funds, using Jade’s dowry to cover his theft. For this crime, he is stripped of his rank, his accolades nullified, and he will endure thirty lashes with the silver whip. The royal decree of his bonds with Jade is nullified, and she is free to claim her rightful place.”
The room erupted into chaos. Mike dropped to his knees, his voice trembling as he muttered, “Alpha Jason knows… everything…”
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