After My Mate Stole My Rogue Kill, I Defied Him Chapter 05

After My Mate Stole My Rogue Kill, I Defied Him Chapter 05

The applause died down as Colin raised his hand for silence. His expression shifted from triumphant to somber, a look he’d clearly practiced in the mirror. I knew that expression—it was the same one he’d used when telling me our dog had died. A performance of pain that never reached his eyes.

“Before I take my oath as Beta,” Colin announced, his voice carrying across the hushed room, “there’s a personal matter I need to address.”

The crowd leaned forward, eager for drama. Nothing wolves loved more than a public spectacle.

“Freya,” he called out, his eyes finding mine in the crowd. “Join me on stage.”

A ripple of whispers spread through the room. Some wolves smirked, already knowing what was coming. Others looked confused, not yet privy to the gossip. I felt their eyes on me—pitying, amused, expectant.

“Go on,” someone whispered behind me. “He’s waiting.”

I took a deep breath and stepped forward. The crowd parted before me, creating a path to the stage. As I walked, I felt something shift inside me—a final thread snapping, a last restraint falling away.

I didn’t shuffle like an Omega. I didn’t lower my gaze or hunch my shoulders. Instead, I moved with the fluid grace of a predator closing in on trapped prey. Each step was measured, deliberate. My back straight, my eyes forward.

“Look at her,” I heard someone murmur. “She actually thinks she belongs up there.”

The stairs to the stage stretched before me like a challenge. I took them slowly, savoring the moment. When I reached the top, Colin was waiting, his practiced smile faltering slightly at my demeanor.

“Freya,” he said, towering over me in his expensive suit. He leaned in close, his breath hot against my ear. “Don’t make a scene. Just accept it and go.”

I met his gaze steadily, noting the fear that flashed behind his eyes. He’d never seen me look at him this way before.

“I wouldn’t dream of making a scene,” I replied softly.

Colin straightened, addressing the crowd again. “As many of you know, a Beta’s mate should reflect his strength and position.”

The room was deadly quiet now. Even the servers had stopped moving, glasses frozen halfway to lips.

“Freya has been… kind to me,” Colin continued, his voice taking on a theatrical tremor. “But we all know that a wolfless mate cannot support a Beta’s duties.”

I watched the faces in the crowd—some shocked, others nodding in agreement. Mrs. Phillips stood at the front, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

“For the good of the Silvermoon Pack,” Colin declared, turning to face me fully, “I must make a hard choice.”

He reached for the microphone, his fingers wrapping around it like he was strangling it. Then he spoke the words he’d been dying to say:

“Freya, you have been a burden on my potential for too long.” His voice echoed through the hall. “A Beta needs a strong mate, not a wolfless charity case.”

The crowd gasped collectively. Some wolves looked uncomfortable, but none intervened. This was pack politics at its cruelest.

Colin turned to the audience, playing to them like an actor on stage. “For the good of the Silvermoon Pack, I must make this sacrifice.”

Then he faced me again, his eyes hard with determination. He drew himself up to his full height, attempting to intimidate me with his presence.

“I, Colin Phillips,” he began, his voice shifting into what he thought was an Alpha tone, “Beta of Silvermoon Pack…”

The words hung in the air between us. I felt something stirring inside me—not pain or humiliation, but a cold, clear fury.

“…reject you, Freya Wright, as my mate.”

He paused, clearly expecting me to crumble. When I didn’t, he continued with growing confidence.

“I reject your weakness.” His voice grew stronger, feeding off the crowd’s attention. “I reject your poverty.”

Then he delivered the final blow, the words that would sever our bond forever:

“I reject you.”

The room held its breath, waiting for my reaction.