His Mate-Killer's Fate

*Rayan’s POV* Today should have been the best day of my life. I was in the center of our sacred circle. My entire pack watched as Marcus and I knelt together in their midst. My wolf moved restlessly under my skin. She was excited about what was coming. I had trained for years to become a pack warrior. I had dreamed of finding my mate. Now the Moon Goddess has blessed me. Marcus was everything I wanted. He was strong and kind. He loved me completely. "Are you ready, my love?" he whispered near my ear. His breath was warm. I nodded. I was too happy to speak. This was the moment. After this, we will be bound together forever. Marcus put his hands gently on my shoulders. He tilted my head to show my neck. The pack held their breath. Even the wind through the trees went quiet. His fangs grew longer. They gleamed white in the moonlight. I closed my eyes. I was ready to feel his mark. The mark that would make us truly mates. First came the sharp pain. His teeth sank into my neck. Fire spread through my body as our bond started to form. I gasped. I could feel his life connecting with mine. But then something went wrong. Terribly wrong. Marcus held my shoulders harder. His fingers dug into my skin like they were claws. A strange sound came from his throat. It wasn't the happy growl of a successful marking. It was desperate and full of pain. I opened my eyes fast. Marcus was shaking violently. His whole body trembled. His eyes had been full of love before. Now they were wide open with fear and confusion. "Marcus?" I whispered. Fear crept into my voice. He tried to speak. Only blood came from his mouth. His legs gave out. He started to fall, his body still shaking. "Marcus!" I caught him as he fell. His weight pulled us both down. "What's happening?" Blood began to flow from his lips. His eyes rolled back until I could only see white. His chest moved up and down once, twice. Then nothing. Silence. My wolf howled inside me. It was a sound of pure pain that had nowhere to go. The mate bond broke in my chest like shattered glass. "No." The word ripped from my throat. "No, no, no. Marcus, wake up. Please." But I could smell it. Death. Cold and final. Then the screaming started. "She killed him!" someone shouted. "The moment he marked her, he died!" "She's cursed!" "Witch!" "Mate-killer!" The words hit me like it was a punch. I looked up. Thousands of faces stared down at me. These were faces I had known my whole life. Pack members who watched me grow up, train, and dream of this day. All of them looked at me like I was a monster. "I didn't do anything!" My voice broke. "I don't know what happened!" But no one listened. The crowd grew angry and afraid. Their voices got louder. "She needs to die!" "Kill the cursed one before she destroys us all!" "Banish her!" "She's too dangerous to live!" My wolf cowered inside me. She was confused and scared. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Mates were sacred. The bond was a blessing from the Moon Goddess herself. So why was Marcus dead in my arms? Alpha Thompson stepped forward. The crowd moved aside to let him pass. His face was like stone as he looked down at me. I was still kneeling with Marcus's lifeless body. "Stand," he commanded. My legs shook as I got up. Marcus's blood had stained my white ceremony dress red. "Alpha Thompson, please. You know me. I've been training to serve this pack since I was sixteen. I would never—" "Silence." His voice cut through mine. "What I know is that Marcus Hartwell is dead. Killed by his mate's mark. This is not natural, Rayan. This is dark magic." "It's not!" The words exploded from me. "I don't know any magic. I loved Marcus. I would never hurt him!" But I could see in his eyes that it didn't matter. The damage was done. Within the blink of an eye, they took everything from me. My warrior trainee badge. My pack pendant. Everything. "You are cursed," Alpha Thompson said to the whole pack. "Too dangerous to stay with us. You will leave this land. Never to return." My foster parents stood at the edge of the crowd. Clara and Robert had raised me since I was a child. "Please," I whispered, reaching for Clara. "Tell them this isn't my fault. You know me. You raised me." But she stepped back. Her face was cold. "I don't want any part of this," she said. "Maybe this explains why your birth mother died after you were born. You are truly cursed." The words broke something deep inside my chest. My foster sister Emma stood beside them. She was silent. She said nothing to defend me. No one did. It became clear to me that I was completely alone. No one would listen to me or believe me or stand by me. The life I had built was gone. The family I thought I had was gone. The future I had dreamed of was gone. All of it was gone. The guards moved toward me. Their faces showed disgust and fear. This was it. They would throw me out into the wilderness. I would face the rogues and wild beasts alone. My wolf whimpered inside me. We would die out there. Slowly and painfully. But before the guards could reach me, a voice spoke. "I'll take her." The words carried such power that everyone froze. Heads turned toward the voice. Gasps flowed through the crowd. Standing at the edge of the sacred circle was a figure that made my blood run both cold and hot. Even in the darkness, I could see the power radiating from him. Alpha Kalen Drakov. The Silver Alpha. The most feared and powerful leader in all the territories. What could he possibly want with a cursed mate-killer like me?