Exiled By My Mate

The Alpha's Court

CHAPTER 8

BELLA'S POV

I slowly opened my eyes, and a blinding light flooded my vision, making me squint. My eyes scanned around, slowly taking in my surroundings. I was lying on a narrow bed in a small room, and sunlight from the window beside me lit up the cream-colored walls.

Where was I?

I tried to sit up and a sharp pain pierced through me. I looked down at my hands. I hadn't noticed before, but I was covered in bandages. I fell back onto the bed and rolled to my side. Something caught my eye, a figure standing in the shadows of the corner of the room.

I jerked, panic coursing through my veins as I forced myself up. I was so scared the pain from earlier was almost nonexistent.

The figure stepped forward into the light, revealing a face I remembered. He was the Alpha of the pack that attacked the buyer, the one that had threatened to kill me.

My hands instinctively moved to my neck where his claw had been, but the skin felt smooth and unharmed.

"You...you didn't kill me?" The question surprised even me. It wasn't like I was anxious to die. I just didn't expect a stranger to let me live and even tend to my wounds.

"Would you rather I did?" His voice was husky and smooth.

"No," I said under my breath.

My eyes swept and scanned him. He wasn't bloodied like before, making him even more pleasant to the eyes. I gulped as I remembered the feeling I had gotten before, the strange attraction I had felt.

I forced myself out of my thoughts, my eyes meeting his. According to the buyer, he was the Alpha of the Blood Moon pack, which meant one thing.

"You're...Kubala, aren't you?" I asked.

He nodded, a frown on his face. "So you've heard of me."

I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. Of course, I had heard of him. At least, I had heard the rumors. None of which were pleasant. I couldn't even remember exactly what they were, but the message behind each rumor was the same. The Alpha of the Blood Moon was not to be trifled with.

He seemed to fit the rumors. The cold look in his eyes, yet his face looked relaxed. The way his words were articulated made it seem like he thought over everything like a mastermind. It was eerie, yet intriguing.

"Unfortunately, all I recall is your name," I said.

His eyes squinted like he didn't believe me. "And who are you, Bella?"

I froze. I had forgotten the fact that I told him my name before I fainted. I wasn't sure if the truth was the best answer in this situation, but he had already saved my life once. If he wanted to kill me, wouldn't he have done it already?

"I'm a servant of the Claw Pack..." I stopped talking when I noticed him flinch at the mention of the pack.

"Why did they send a servant into our territory?" he asked.

Each question seemed to be more difficult than the last. How was I supposed to tell him that I was framed for having an affair and wrongfully exiled? Would he believe me? Or would he just cast me away like Kaden?

"I was exiled," I confessed.

His expression changed, curiosity etched on his face. "What was your offense?"

I swallowed hard. "I was wrongfully accused of being..." The words caught in my throat. "A shameless lying whore."

I quoted Kayden's words, my fists clenching.

I searched his face for a hint of judgment, but it was blank.

"Who made that accusation?" he asked.

"The Alpha. Kayden," I answered.

He nodded like he was having a conversation with himself.

"What are you going to do to me?" I asked.

"That is up to you." He stepped closer. "You can leave, even though I assure you that your safety would be hanging on a very thin thread. The Claw Pack isn't liked in these parts."

So that was why he flinched. He had a problem with the Claw. If the Alpha had a problem, that probably meant the entire pack felt the same way.

"And what's the other option?" I asked.

He sighed. "You stay."

Was he offering me shelter? But why? He knew nothing about me, and to make it worse, I happened to come from a pack he didn't like.

"I thought the Blood Moon didn't like the Claw," I said.

"From what you just said, you're no longer a member of the Claw. Being exiled is equal to being stripped of all titles." A hint of softness flashed through his eyes as he spoke.

He was right. That was a loophole, but would it really change things?

"Are you being serious?" I asked. I didn't want to get excited only to be disappointed.

"I don't joke. I'm a man of my word. If you choose to stay, you won't be considered as one of them," he said.

My eyes widened in surprise. For the first time in a while, a spark of hope lit up in me. This was good. A way out of the suffering I had been thrown into.

"But..." I stared into his eyes. "Why?"

He seemed surprised by my question.

"There is a condition, though," he said, ignoring my question. "To be accepted by the Blood Moon, you have to pledge your loyalty to me as a servant and then be presented before the pack."

I was familiar with that. Like an acceptance ritual.

"When?" I said.

"Tonight. Do you agree?" he said.

I nodded in response and swore my loyalty to him. This was the only reasonable option I had. If I chose to leave, there was nowhere to go.

"Good. I'll send for you tonight," he said and turned to leave.

He stopped at the door, a weird silence building in the air. "As for why I'm helping you... you remind me of someone."

I stayed silent as the door closed shut. Someone he knew? Who?

I sank back into the sheets and hugged my knees.

Was this a chance to get my life back together? But what was the assurance that out here wouldn't be just as bad as back home?

I shut my eyelids.

***

A hand tapping my shoulder woke me and I opened my eyes to see a lady standing over me.

"The Alpha said to wake you," she said softly.

I sat up. The pain from before had significantly improved.

"He called for me?"

She nodded in response before stepping back and giving a short bow. It was strange.

"Where are we going?"

"The court," she answered.

I threw off the covers and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I was a bit unsteady on my feet, but she caught me by the elbow, holding me upright.

Together, we walked out of the dark stone-walled room and into a courtyard lit by torches. I looked around the room, taking in the sight of Kubala's elite court. They were all staring at me, their faces cold and unyielding.

She led me to the center of the courtyard where a large stone throne sat. My eyes spotted Kubala seated on a throne, his expressionless eyes on me as he gestured for me to kneel. I hesitated for a moment before dropping to my knees, the dread I felt at Kayden's court slowly resurfacing.

"This is Bella, a former servant of the Claw Pack," Kubala announced, his voice ringing out across the courtyard. "She has sworn her loyalty to me and I accept her into our pack."

There was a wave of murmurs among the elite court, their faces skeptical, but Kubala raised a hand which brought silence down the room.

I noticed a woman among them, her eyes fixed on me with a fierce gaze. Her wrinkled lips formed a deep frown that sent a shiver down my spine. Why did she look like she hated me when I didn't even know her?

"She will be treated as one of our own and I expect my wishes to be respected," Kubala said.

The elite nodded, seeming reluctant but obedient.

As I stood up, Kubala gestured to the lady who had brought me. She led me away to the servants' quarters. I followed, feeling a bit dazed and overwhelmed.

As I walked, I couldn't help but wonder what I'd gotten myself into. Why would an alpha make a decision his court clearly wasn't happy about? Why do that for an absolute stranger? What did Kubala want from me really? And were there secrets he was hiding?

The servant led me to a small, cramped room deep in the servants' quarters. I looked around, taking in the narrow bed and the small, barred window.

The servant gestured for me to sit and I dropped onto the bed, feeling a bit exhausted.

"You'll be serving the pack from now on," her tone suddenly cold. "You'll do as you're told and you'll keep your head down."

I nodded, feeling a bit intimidated. But as I looked around the small room, I couldn't help but feel a spark of determination. I would do my best to make the most of my situation. Thanks to Kayden and Glade, I was used to hardship after all.

And as I sat on the bed, I couldn't help but wonder what the future held. Would certain death have been a better option?

Seth's dying face flashed through my mind. He died to protect me. I couldn't let his sacrifice go to waste.