Bound by Lies

chapter 4

Isla

I was shaking while seated in the small, dark room where I had been locked up. The cold walls felt like they were closing in on me, my chest tight, my heart racing. I had been waiting for hours in a state of uncertainty about what was going to happen tomorrow, the fact remaining that the day of the mating ceremony was the only hope I had.

It felt like a dream, or rather, a nightmare. The ceremony would be held in the grand hall, and the whole pack would be gathered to witness the union of their Alpha and his chosen mate. However, I was excluded from it, until it was decided what should be done with me.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and my father appeared. I scampered up to my feet as I looked at him. His face was pale, eyes cold, and for a brief moment, I thought I saw hesitation in his gaze. But it was gone in an instant.

"You're to come with me," he said curtly. There was no warmth in his voice.

I didn’t argue. What use was it? I got up and went with him into the hallway. As soon as I left, I saw the ceremony preparations starting with chants, drumming, and pack voices filling the air as they coalesced, and my stomach suddenly tightened in fear. I didn’t know what was coming, but it couldn’t be good.

I hurried to wash myself up, swiping away any dirt and grime from the surface of my body by any means possible in order to be presentable. I put on a simple white dress, nothing flashy, nothing that would draw attention. But no matter what I did, I couldn’t calm the storm brewing inside me.

By the time I reached the ceremony grounds, the throng had already been rounded up into a circle. At the center of it all stood Zane, his powerful frame commanding attention. My heart raced at the sight of him. This was supposed to be the moment we came together, our bond, our union, our future. But as I approached, my breath hitched in my chest. Something felt wrong.

Zane stood tall, his face cold, his eyes narrowed. His usual warmth was gone, replaced by something dark, something unfamiliar. My stomach dropped as I reached him. His eyes momentarily met mine, but there was no intimacy, no empathy, only unfeeling distance.

He moved into the crowd and raised his arm to stop them from crying out. The murmurs faded, and all eyes turned to us.

“My pack," Zane said, his voice filling the empty air. “Today, we stand at the threshold of a new chapter. It is time for the bond between myself and my mate to be sealed."

I could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on me, my heart thumping as I tried to catch my breath. This was it—the moment I had been waiting for. But when Zane looked at me, his eyes were void of any emotion. My heart sank.

He took a deep breath and continued, his words slicing through me like a blade.

“I speak with nothing but pain and hatred for Isla. The mate which the Moon Goddess has given to me is found guilty of treason,” he said.

I froze, my body going numb. I couldn’t breathe. What was he saying? What was happening?

The murmur of the crowds filled the air—anger, hatred, pity, death—but it was the following words that crushed me beyond any measure.

“Isla Stone is no longer welcome in this pack. I reject her as my mate.”

I staggered backward, my world spinning. The weight of his words crushed me, but it wasn’t just the rejection, it was the accusation. Treason? I had no idea what was going on. Why would he say that?

Tears welled up in both of my eyes; however, I held them at bay, keeping them contained from being seen as I could not help but feel as if the earth was becoming unstable beneath me. “Zane… what are you talking about?” I gasped, trying to meet his eyes, trying to understand where this profound accusation was coming from.

His face remained hard, emotionless, as he turned away from me. “You have caused nothing but harm to this pack and will continue to do that if we let you stay,” he said coldly. “You betrayed us.”

My legs weakened, and I felt myself losing control. My father then took a step forward, his expression contorted with anger and embarrassment.

“She sold information to the enemy pack,” he spat, his voice hoarse. Without Lena, Zane would have been killed by the rogue ambush; she had tried to kill me too.”

My stomach twisted with dread as I felt a wave of nausea rush over me. “No! That’s not true!” I cried out desperately, but my voice trembled, and my hands shook with fear.

How could they say that? Why would I do something like that? My mind raced, but I couldn’t understand it.

However, when my stepmother, Celeste, took to the floor, her voice rang like an ice pick. “It's all true, Isla," she said with a smile full of malice. “You’re nothing but a traitor. You wanted to see this pack fall.”

I shook my head, my breath coming in short gasps. “I didn’t do anything wrong!" I shouted, desperate for someone to believe me, for someone to see the truth. “I swear! I didn’t sell any information! I don’t even know what you are talking about! Please, someone—anyone—believe me, please!”

But no one listened. My pack members, who were once my family, were turning on me. Their eyes were full of hate, and before I knew it, the first stone was hurled toward me, striking my shoulder.

“Arghhh!” I exclaimed, in shock, pain, and maybe betrayal, but it didn't change anything. More stones came, hitting me with full force.

I ran… the fastest I could, pushing through the crowd, the stones hitting me from every angle, the voices screaming out behind me. My heart was in pieces, the pain of treachery stinging me like a match stuck in a well. The forest was the only place I could go.

Somehow, I fell into the debris—little sticks and stones finding their way into my skin, the woods engulfing me completely. My whole body was bruised and cut by the stones, but I didn’t stop, I couldn’t stop. My brain was in a daze from shock, and my heart throbbed at the weight of the deception.

I ran until I could no longer hear the voices behind me. I ran until I couldn’t breathe anymore. My legs buckled, and I crashed to the ground. My back ached with pain, and I tilted up, trying to concentrate.

Right there, in front of me, stood another pack. Their leader, a tall muscular Alpha with eyes that seemed to see straight through me, stepped forward. His gaze narrowed when he saw my injuries.

“What happened to you?” he asked, his voice low and concerned.

I opened my mouth to explain, but everything in me felt broken. I just couldn't speak, because I was too worn out, too disoriented, too pained to let go. I shut my eyes closed and felt the black enshroud me.

"Get her to the healing chambers. She’s one of us now."

And then everything went black.