The Alpha's Lie

Chapter 2-Broken Bonds

Selene's POV

Selene Duskborne stood her ground, her heart racing as Alpha Ramos’s accusation pierced the tense air. “Selene Duskborne, you are accused of attacking my future daughter-in-law, Marilyn Cross. For that, you will be demoted to an omega.”

Those words hit her like a lightning bolt. The title of beta was everything to her, a symbol of her hard-fought place in the pack. She had come to confront her accusers, but suddenly, the very ground beneath her feet felt shaky and uncertain. Would everything she had worked for slip away just like that?

Alpha Ramos's eyes were like shards of ice, and there was no warmth in his voice as he commanded, “Do you have anything to say for yourself?” There was a palpable weight to his authority, and doubt clung to her throat like a tight knot. Did he even want to hear the truth, or was this all a well-orchestrated charade to protect his precious Marilyn?

“If I tell you the truth, will you believe me?” she shot back, her voice shaking with emotion. The truth churned in her mind, but even the thought of it sent a chill through her. It was becoming painfully clear—Ramos was ready to defend Marilyn, not her.

“Of course,” he replied too quickly, devoid of any compassion. Panic swelled inside her. She desperately scanned the crowd for familiar faces, for signs of support, but all she saw were indifferent stares. Where were her pack members, the ones she believed would stand by her in this critical moment?

“I did not attack Marilyn!” Selene insisted, her voice wavering yet filled with determination as she locked eyes with Marcus. For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw understanding flicker across his face, but then he turned away, guilt shadowing his features. A fresh wave of disappointment crashed over her.

Marcus and Marilyn were a couple now, but Selene needed him more than ever. “I was just waking up and trying to find Marcus when Marilyn and her friends attacked me! Look at my wounds! Smell the wolfsbane in my blood!” she pleaded, desperation lacing each word, hoping they would sense the truth in her voice.

A murmur ran through the crowd, their expressions shifting as they caught the scent of her wounds. Dread curled in her stomach. Did they notice Marcus’s essence lingering on her skin?

“Why would she attack you?” Alpha Ramos scoffed, his disbelief cutting through the already heavy atmosphere. Anger surged within Selene. Surely, he could sense their bond! “Because your son is my mate!” she declared, urgency flooding her heart.

Shock registered on Marcus’s face as her words hung in the air. For an instant, confusion darted through his features, followed by an unmistakable flicker of hurt—quickly masked by something sharper, something cold. “We found out the moment I turned eighteen yesterday, and we spent the day together,” she urged, her resolve hardening. “The pack can smell him on me!”

“You're lying. We are not mates!” Marcus shouted, his voice a furious storm that shattered her remaining resolve. He surged forward, but two wolves quickly restrained him, their strength undeniable. Each word he threw at her sliced through her like glass. Just the night before, he had held her close, and now he looked like a stranger.

“I am not lying! You know it!” she yelled back, her heart aching. “Son, Selene turned eighteen last night, and you both vanished an hour into her party,” Alpha Ramos interjected unexpectedly, a flicker of something softer crossing his face.

Selene took a step back, tension tightening her chest. This man should be her ally, yet he was a wall of ice. “Unfortunately, Selene, Marcus and Marilyn were arranged to be married years ago,” he continued, his words like daggers piercing her heart. “You cannot be with my son. I struck a deal with Alpha Nathaniel Cross. Our packs will be united through this marriage.”

A gasp escaped her lips, reality crashing down like an unrelenting wave. The dream of a future with Marcus splintered into a million pieces as confusion and despair surged within her. “What do you mean I can’t be with my mate?” she cried, her voice breaking. “He is the one the goddess chose for me! I can’t—I won’t accept another mate!”

“You heard me. Now, either reject my son or let him reject you.” Alpha Ramos's wintry demeanor sealed her fate, leaving her feeling utterly hopeless.

Fury ignited inside her as she turned to face Marcus, clinging to the fragile strand of hope that he would stand with her. “No,” she whispered, her heart racing. “I will not reject my mate.”

“Then Marcus will do it, for the good of the pack.” The Alpha dismissed her words, cold and uncaring, like she was asking for something trivial.

Selene’s heart plummeted, torn apart by grief and disbelief. “Marcus, please,” she begged, desperation spilling over. “You have to stand with me—”

But Marcus’s face hardened like stone, his fists clenched at his sides. “I can’t,” he said flatly. “I can’t go against what my father wants.”

Her world crumbled into chaos. She held his gaze, searching for even a flicker of the warmth they had shared. “You don’t mean that,” she whispered, tears stinging her eyes. “We belong together.”

Silence enveloped the crowd, tension thick in the air. The moon hung high above, a silent witness to her agony. She could feel their judgment on her, heavy and suffocating, but she refused to surrender. This was a battle worth fighting. She would fight for the love she knew was destined to be, for the mate the goddess had chosen for her.

With a deep breath, determination flooded her. Whether Marcus stood with her or not, she would not allow her heart to be silenced. The future she envisioned might be crumbling, but she would not give up without a fight. She was Selene Duskborne, and she would reclaim her destiny, no matter the cost.