Alpha's betrayed mate

Chapter2

Alpha Darius happened to glance my way at that exact moment, and our eyes locked.

His reaction was minimal—his eyes widened slightly before an expressionless mask quickly took over.

“Darius, what’s going on here?” My voice rang out clearly, loud enough for everyone to hear. Instantly, the room fell silent.

I caught the surprised looks and the murmured “Who is she?” from the crowd, but I didn’t flinch. My gaze remained fixed on the man who owed me an explanation—my mate.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m getting married,” he replied coolly, with a level of detachment I had never seen in him before. My chest felt like it caved in, and my breathing turned shallow. Memories of the past few months—the moments that had made me fall deeply in love—flashed through my mind. One thought echoed painfully: *Was any of it ever real?*

I refused to face the answer. I couldn’t. Not after what I had given up just yesterday.

“Darius, I…” I began, my voice trembling—but he interrupted sharply.

“It’s Alpha Darius,” he said coldly. The same grey eyes that once made my heart flutter were now distant and void of emotion.

I gulped unconsciously in fear as everything began to piece together. “I left my pack for you. My father disowned me… I was made to choose between my pack and you, and I chose you. I was coming here to you to be your mate,” I said in a low but audible voice with my face deep in confusion and out of reality.

There was a brief silence before everybody burst into mocking laughter around me.

“Is she crazy? A girl from another pack wants to become our Alpha? That's the craziest thing I have ever heard”

“Indeed. I doubt she is someone of importance at all because no one would act so foolishly”

“Yes, she must be out of her mind”

Their words were like piercing knives to my heart. I had thought I was doing the right thing by sacrificing my position as Luna heir, but it turned out I was truly blinded by love.

“I was banished from my pack, my parents disowned me, I lost my identity as the alpha's daughter and future Luna… all because I wanted to be with you. Is this all I get for my sacrifices?” My voice was strained and cracked with tears. All my world was crumbling right before my eyes and it still felt like a dream. One minute I was running, eager to tell him I had been banished from my pack and the next minute I was watching him declare another as Luna.

“And who told you to do all that? I never demanded that of you so what's all the fuss about? The fact that you chose a man over your pack shows you are going to be a terrible leader, I will never make you my Luna. It's against the rules and you are not worth breaking the rules for” Darius spat out venomously.

My heart shrank at his words. I would have never believed that the mate who had promised me and assured me of our future together was standing before me and spouting these hateful words.

We had both spoken a few days before that if our packs refused to let us be mates, then we would elope together, leaving our titles behind. It was because of his encouragement and support that I had the mind to accept my banishment, but here he was denying it all in front of all these people.

“Please, resume the ceremony and send her out!” The other woman who was standing in my place beside Alpha Darius said, She was a brunette with brown eyes, who used to sneer at me like I was insignificant in her eyes.

I felt something roll down my cheeks, and I felt it with my fingers. That was when I realised I was crying. I couldn't stay there anymore, especially with the mocking gazes thrown at me and the ceremony that just resumed like I didn't exist.

I thought about the pack and my parents. Will they accept me back? The shame of returning after only about three hours of banishment was going to be worse than this humiliation, but I didn't care. I have nowhere to go now. I would have to grovel at their feet begging for forgiveness and accept whatever punishment they give me. It was my fault, after all, for not listening to them.

I turned with a slumped posture, ready to take my walk of shame when I heard the voice of the person I hated most at the moment.

“And where do you think you're going?” Darius asked the most ridiculous question which made me growl irritatedly. I was planning to return home to beg them to forgive me for my reckless act and accept whatever punishment they would give me. Was I supposed to stand and watch him get married?

Alpha Darius smirked regardless. “Oh naive Lyra, do you know what it means for a pack to be without an heir? It means they have no leader or future; it means they are vulnerable to attacks, and that is the situation of your beloved diamond pack. "Now do you think I will actually let you leave and go back to them?” his eyes twinkled evilly. Now I could see that this was his true nature; the nature I thought I knew was all a lie.

My eyes widened in shock as my brain pieced everything together and connected the dots. “You had planned this all along, to separate me from my pack. You asshole! You think you are attacking my pack and winning. You and what army? "You are clearly delusional,” I retorted fearlessly, but deep down, I was worried. For things to have gotten to this stage meant he had mapped out everything already. He wouldn't miss such an important detail of my pack having some upper hand over his.

Just as I feared, Alpha Darius burst into laughter, looking gleeful like he was expecting my reply. “Don’t worry about love, I made plans for that already, and you will be helping finalize it” His voice was giddy in excitement, and it only added to my fear.

“How? "What do you mean?” I blurted out as I unconsciously took a step back.

Alpha Darius looked to his side and made some hand movements. I was suddenly held by two bulky men from behind. I thrashed and struggled to get out of their grip, but it proved abortive; they were just too strong.

“Darius, what is this all about? Are you not satisfied? Tell your men to let go of me at this instant”, I told him in a stern voice that only made him chuckle.

“You are still stubborn even in the face of defeat. Impressive. "I wonder how long you'll keep on the act once you are taken to the Lycan of death as his property,” he assumed a posture of thinking aloud as he spoke, clearly mocking me. The crowd murmured among themselves, too; their faces reflected a general fear just from hearing the name.

I staggered at his words. What does he mean by taken and to whom? I shook my head unconsciously. I couldn't believe my ears. He wouldn't do that to me. I was and still am his mate.

“Oh yes, love. "I'm sure you know the infamous Lycan of death. "He agreed to help in the attack after I offered you for sale” Darius paused and chuckled, “That beast, I didn't know he loved women despite his condition. "I guess I never heard of any woman in his life because their lives were short-lived, but oh well”, he shrugged casually and indirectly took a jab at me.

Of course, I knew about the Lycan of death; who didn't? The cursed King couldn't control his wolf due to an animalistic curse, and succeeded in wiping out his entire pack, family included. He was now an outcast, and it was said that wherever he passed, death followed. I had heard the story ever since I was a child, but I had never seen this ‘beast’. I even began to think they were just scary moonlight tales to stop children from wandering out of the pack. Turned out this person was actually real and cursed my fate. Was I being sold to the devil by my own mate?