Wolfless or not, You're Mine

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Declan's POV

I stood in the middle of the banquet hall as pack members approached me one after another, shaking my hand, patting me on the shoulder or bowing slightly in respect.

Most of them had something flattering to say about my leadership, my bloodline or the responsibility I was about to take on as Alpha of the Blackthorn Pack.

The elders were the worst out of the bunch.

They couldn't stop talking about how proud they were that I was carrying on the pack's legacy and ensuring another generation of strong Alphas.

According to them, tonight was proof that the Blackthorn Pack would remain powerful for generations to come.

By the seventh person, I had started tuning them out.

When the crowd around me finally thinned, I took the opportunity to retreat to a quiet corner of the hall, where I could observe the celebrations without being forced into another conversation about duty and tradition.

I accepted a fresh cup of wine from a passing server and swirled the liquid around before taking a sip.

My Beta, Joshua, appeared beside me a moment later, looking just as exhausted by the festivities as I did.

"They're all very pretentious," I muttered.

"That, they are, but this is one of the festivals where they can get away with it, so let them run wild." He smirked, glancing toward a group of elders who were laughing a little too loudly at something one of them had said.

I chuckled at his response, although the amusement didn't last long.

"One rises and another one suffers," I muttered.

Joshua turned toward me, his expression shifting from amusement to confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I'm crowning another woman as Luna tonight. What happens when my true mate finally shows up?" I asked, staring into my wine. "She becomes another name on the long list of women who were either tortured or died horrible deaths because they happened to be the mate of an Alpha who had already chosen someone else."

Joshua fell silent for a moment before nodding.

"It's a cruel tradition but it has ensured our pack remained the strongest for generations."

I looked away from him, taking another sip of my wine.

Power.

That was all the Blackthorn Pack had ever cared about. Power, bloodlines, and the preservation of traditions that most of us had never been allowed to question.

Tonight was just another example.

I could tolerate the politics.

What I couldn't tolerate was the thought of an innocent woman paying for a decision she had never made.

My gaze wandered across the banquet hall, searching the faces for a particular person.

Cora.

She had a habit of staying close to the edges of crowded rooms, usually finding some excuse to occupy herself whenever the pack gathered for a celebration. She never seemed comfortable accepting attention, even when she had done nothing wrong and I had lost count of the number of times I had found her apologizing for things that weren't her fault.

I hated that about this pack.

They had made a girl who deserved nothing but kindness feel as though she had to earn the right to receive it.

"Who are you looking for?" Joshua asked.

"Cora. Have you seen her?"

"No, but it would take a lot of audacity for her to show up here anyway."

I turned toward him.

"She's a pack member just like everyone else. She has the right to watch her new Luna be crowned."

Joshua stared at me in disbelief.

"Her new Luna? The woman who happens to be her little sister who hates her guts?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Must you always make everything sound worse than it is?"

"Am I wrong?"

I didn't answer.

Because he wasn't.

I had seen enough of the way Victoria treated Cora to know that their relationship was far from ordinary sibling rivalry. There had been times when I wanted to confront her directly but Cora always found a way to convince me that she could handle it. She would insist she was fine, even when she could barely stand straight, and I had learned that pushing her to talk about what happened only made her retreat further into herself.

It frustrated me more than I cared to admit.

I wanted her to understand that she didn't have to pretend with me.

I wanted her to stop looking over her shoulder every time someone raised their voice.

And, selfishly, I wanted her to look at me the way she used to when we were younger, before the elders and my responsibilities as Alpha had begun to put distance between us.

I couldn't remember the last time she had smiled at me without looking as though she expected someone to punish her for it.

The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

Victoria walked through the double doors at that moment, drawing the attention of several pack members as she made her way into the banquet hall.

She wore a floor-length mermaid gown that hugged her figure, the fabric appearing soft and plain until the moonlight caught it and sent silver sparkles dancing across its surface. The cut of the dress was intentional, leaving the scars on her arms and shoulders visible for everyone to admire.

In the Blackthorn Pack, scars were symbols of strength and status. The more impressive the injuries a warrior survived, the more respect they earned.

When she reached me, she bowed her head slightly.

"Good evening, Alpha." She said, making a show of her boobs spilling out.

"Hello, Victoria," I replied, making no effort to hide my lack of enthusiasm.

She either didn't notice or chose to ignore it.

Instead, she stepped closer and linked her arm through mine, pressing herself against my side as though we were a couple celebrating our engagement.

I pulled away from her and shoved her hand aside.

"Don't."

Her smile faltered.

"I don't need to remind you that this bond is out of duty, not love," I told her, keeping my voice low enough that the nearby guests wouldn't hear us. "Outside the mandated mating days, it's best that you keep your distance."

Her jaw tightened but she quickly forced her expression back into a pleasant smile.

"Whatever you say, Alpha."

I scrunched my eyebrows confused what underlying meaning could be there before a fait sickenly sweet smell hit me.

I staggered back a bit, I grabbed Victoria pulling her back with so much force she bumped into me.

“Changed your mind so fast?”

“Where's cora?” Not bothering to beat about the bush.

“She's packing.” She said simply.

Packing?

Why would cora be packing?

"Why the hell would she be packing?"

Victoria gave me a careless look.

"How should I know? Perhaps she's finally learned that she doesn't belong here."

Something cold settled in my stomach.

Cora wouldn't leave without telling me.

Would she?

I left the banquet hall, following the scent that had begun to consume every thought in my head. My wolf pushed against my control, urging me forward with an urgency I had never experienced before, as I made my way through the corridor.

The closer I got to the staff quarters, the stronger the scent became.

It was intoxicating, leaving me feeling almost drunk with every breath I took.

When I finally reached Cora's room, I didn't bother knocking.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Victoria had been telling the truth.

Cora was packing.

She stood beside her bed, frozen midway through folding a piece of clothing into a worn-out bag.

For a moment, I couldn't move. Something tightened painfully in my chest.

I took a step toward her.

She froze.

Slowly, she straightened her spine and lifted her chin, raising her nose slightly as though she were testing the air.

My breath caught.

Could she smell it too?

She turned around and our eyes met.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

I stared at her, searching her face for some sign that she understood what was happening but all I found was fear. Her eyes widened, and the color seemed to drain from her face as the realization settled over her.

Then she whispered a single word.

"No."