A Pack Divided
The courtyard was filled with tension so thick it was suffocating. Ayla stood at the center, her wrists bound in front of her, her head held high despite the humiliation burning in her chest. Pack members gathered around her in a tight circle, their whispers cutting like knives.
“She’s a traitor.”
“Caught with a rogue.”
“Did you hear? Rowan saw it with his own eyes.”
Rowan stood near the Alpha, a triumphant smirk plastered across his face. His story had been carefully crafted, dripping with enough falsehoods and half-truths to convince the Alpha.
“Enough!” The Alpha’s voice rang out, silencing the murmurs. He stood tall, his sharp eyes locking onto Ayla. “You’ve not only broken pack law but betrayed the trust of this pack. Aid to a rogue is treason.”
Ayla’s chest tightened, but she forced herself to meet his gaze. “I didn’t betray the pack,” she said firmly. “Rowan twisted the truth. He doesn’t care about what’s right—he only cares about power.”
The Alpha’s lips curled into a sneer. “Are you accusing my son of lying?”
“I’m accusing him of setting me up,” Ayla snapped, her voice unwavering.
The crowd gasped, but Rowan’s smirk didn’t falter. “Why would I bother with someone like you?” he sneered. “You’re nothing to this pack. You’ve always been nothing.”
Ayla’s fists clenched, but she kept her voice steady. “I’ve done more for this pack than you ever will. You hide behind your father’s title, but you’re a coward.”
The slap came so fast she barely saw it coming. The Alpha’s hand struck her cheek, and the sting radiated across her face.
“You dare speak to me this way?” he growled. “You are nothing but a disgrace to your bloodline.”
“Then why are you so afraid of me?” Ayla shot back, her voice louder. “What are you hiding?”
The Alpha’s face darkened, but instead of answering, he turned to the crowd. “Effective immediately, Ayla is stripped of her status. She is no longer to be trusted or associated with.”
The crowd erupted in whispers, some shocked, others gleeful at the downfall of the pack’s outcast. Ayla’s heart sank, but she refused to let the tears rise.
“You can strip my status,” she said, her voice cold, “but you’ll never silence me.”
Later that evening, Ayla sat alone in the woods, her back against a tree as she stared at the bruises forming on her wrists. The pack had turned against her completely now, thanks to Rowan. But she wouldn’t break—not yet.
“Ayla.”
She looked up to see Zion emerging from the shadows, his face tight with worry.
“You shouldn’t be here,” she said.
“And leave you to face this alone?” Zion crouched in front of her, his hands reaching for hers. “I heard what they did. Ayla, this isn’t going to stop. They’ll keep coming after you. You need to leave.”
Ayla pulled her hands away, shaking her head. “I’m not running.”
“They’ll kill you,” Zion said, his voice rising. “Do you understand that? If Rowan doesn’t finish you, the Alpha will.”
“Good,” Ayla snapped. “Let them try. I’m not leaving until I know the truth.”
Zion’s expression softened, frustration etched into his features. “What truth?”
“About my mother,” Ayla said. Her voice faltered for a moment, but she steadied it. “About what really happened to her. The Alpha knows something, Zion. I can feel it. And I’m not leaving until I find out.”
Zion sighed, his hand brushing against hers again. “Then I’m staying too. Whatever happens, you won’t face it alone.”
For a moment, the weight of everything lifted, and Ayla felt the flicker of hope.
Inside the packhouse, Cian sat across from his father, tension crackling between them.
“You should have let me handle her,” Cian said, his tone sharp.
The Alpha’s gaze was cold. “You’re too soft. That girl is a threat, and you’ve failed to see it.”
“She’s not a threat,” Cian argued. “Rowan’s lying, and you know it. This isn’t justice—it’s politics.”
The Alpha slammed his hand against the desk. “It doesn’t matter what you think, Cian. You are my heir, and you will obey me. If she steps out of line again, you will eliminate her. Do I make myself clear?”
Cian’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond.
“I said, do I make myself clear?” the Alpha barked.
“Yes,” Cian said through gritted teeth, but the anger in his eyes betrayed him.
That night, Ayla couldn’t sleep. The packhouse felt colder than ever, the walls closing in around her. Unable to shake the feeling of unease, she wandered the halls, her footsteps quiet.
As she passed the Alpha’s office, something caught her attention. The faint glint of light coming from the edge of the bookshelf. Curious, she pushed the shelf aside, revealing a narrow staircase that led downward.
Her heart pounded as she descended into the darkness, the air growing colder with each step. At the bottom, she found a hidden chamber, its walls lined with documents and artifacts.
She approached a table in the center of the room, her eyes scanning the contents. A faded photograph of her mother caught her attention, and beside it, a file labeled with her mother’s name.
Ayla’s hands trembled as she opened it, her eyes skimming the pages. Her breath caught as she read the words:
“Executed for treason.”
Her mother hadn’t died in an accident. She had been killed—by the Alpha.
