Banished to the dark forest
655 Words
The word reject echoed through the high stone arches of the grand hall, striking Elena with the force of a physical blow.
A sharp, searing pain burst in her chest as the delicate mate bond, which had bloomed into existence only moments before, snapped like a brittle twig. The phantom bond frayed, leaving behind a cold, hollow ache that made her knees buckle. She clutched her chest, letting out a soft, involuntary gasp, her fingers digging into the thin fabric of her servant-grade dress.
Around her, the silence of the ballroom dissolved into a sea of hushed whispers and malicious giggles.
"Did he really reject her on the spot?"
"Look at her... as if an Alpha would ever take a nameless servant as his Luna."
"She should have known her place."
Elena lifted her head slowly, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, looking for even a flicker of regret on Damian’s face. But the young Alpha stood tall, his jaw set in a rigid line, his cold amber eyes completely devoid of warmth. Behind him, Chloe—the wealthy, pureblood daughter of the Beta—stepped forward, a triumphant smirk playing on her painted lips. She slipped her arm possessively around Damian’s bicep, pressing her side against his as if marking her claim.
Damian didn’t push her away. Instead, he looked down at Elena as though she were a stain on his polished marble floor.
"You are an embarrassment to this pack, Elena," Damian said, his voice carrying the terrifying weight of his Alpha aura. The sheer pressure forced several low-ranking wolves in the crowd to lower their heads, and Elena felt her own spine strain under the physical force of his command. "Your presence here is a distraction. I will not have my reign questioned because the Moon Goddess made a mistake."
"A mistake?" Elena whispered, her voice trembling, though she fought with every ounce of her strength to keep her tears from falling. "The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes, Damian."
"Do not speak my name!" Damian growled, his golden eyes flashing dangerously as his inner wolf surfaced. "You are nothing in this pack. A fatherless, motherless outcast who scrubs floors. Effective immediately, you are banished from the Nightfall Pack territory. You have until midnight to clear out, or my enforcers will hunt you down as a rogue."
A collective gasp rippled through the hall. Banishing an unmated, weak wolf into the wild was practically a death sentence. Beyond the borders lay the Dark Forest—an untamed territory infested with monstrous rogues, lethal beasts, and dark forces that even full packs feared to cross.
"Damian, please..." Elena started, taking an instinctive step forward.
"Guards," Damian cut her off coldly, turning his back on her entirely to face Chloe. "Escort her out of the packhouse."
Two heavily built enforcers stepped forward, their massive hands grabbing Elena by her arms. They dragged her backward out of the grand hall as the crowd parted, throwing cruel laughter and mocking glances at her. Elena kept her head high, refusing to let them see her break completely, but inside, her soul was shattering.
Twenty minutes later, Elena found herself standing outside the heavy wooden gates of the Nightfall estate. The heavy oak doors slammed shut behind her, the iron lock clicking into place with a definitive, heart-wrenching thud. The night air was biting cold, and dark storm clouds gathered overhead, swallowing the light of the full moon.
With nowhere else to turn and no belongings to her name, Elena turned toward the dark tree line of the forbidden forest. The wind howled through the towering pines like a chorus of warning spirits, but staying near the border meant risking death by her own former pack.
Taking a deep breath, Elena stepped across the border line and plunged into the pitch-black woods.
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