Cast Aside by My Mate, Crowned by the Lycan King Chapter 02

Cast Aside by My Mate, Crowned by the Lycan King Chapter 02

The next day, I went to a jewelry store to pick out a gift to thank Adam for the diamond bracelet.

I’d heard that his beast form was a black wolf with green eyes, so I chose a pair of cufflinks shaped like wolves, inlaid with emeralds for the eyes.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. At least he was the Lycan King, the royals. He had wealth and power. What more could I ask for?

Even if he was brutal, would he really go as far as killing me?

Just as I finished paying and turned to leave, a shrill voice pierced the air behind me.

“Well, isn’t Alexis full of contradictions? She claims she’d never stoop to being Brody’s slave, but here she is secretly dropping serious cash to buy him a birthday gift. I could never be that manipulative, even if I tried.”

Chelsea was curled up in Brody’s arms, flashing a triumphant smile.

That was when I remembered it was Brody’s birthday.

They actually thought I bought the gift to please him.

Brody gave the cufflinks in my hand a look of contempt.

“So much for your pride. All that talk about not wanting to be matched to a rogue, but in the end, you’re still crawling back to me. These cufflinks are ugly anyway. And I don’t have green eyes. I don’t like them. If you’re going to suck up, at least get black wolf cufflinks with yellow eyes.”

I frowned and cut him off. “These are for my fiancé. They have nothing to do with you.”

Brody let out a dry laugh, like he’d just heard the joke of the year.

“Still putting up that front? You’re almost twenty-five. Who would want an overage she-wolf like you? Keep putting on airs, you wouldn’t even qualify as a slave.”

Chelsea’s eyes lit up as she glanced toward the shop next door—the one that branded slave marks.

“Brody, look, perfect timing. We can brand Alexis right here. I hate seeing her live in fear all the time. Why don’t we just get Alexis branded today?”

Brody tapped her nose affectionately. “Chelsea, you’re too kind.”

Then he looked at me like he was doing me a favor.

“Well? What are you waiting for?”

Like I should be grateful for the offer.

Inside the branding shop, a large basin of burning coals sat in the center, surrounded by rows of searing iron brands, each etched with a different degrading label.

Just then, one of the red-hot irons pressed into a werewolf’s skin. Even the strongest male werewolf couldn’t hold back a bloodcurdling scream.

Brody trembled slightly but still gave Chelsea the nod. As ordered, a pair of warriors grabbed me roughly and started dragging me toward the branding pit.

In that moment, it hit me. Maybe the Brody who once cared about and protected me, who swore no one would ever hurt me, had only ever existed in my imagination.

Chelsea’s fingers dug into my arm like iron claws. The sweet, delicate act was gone—what stood before me was pure venom.

Smirking, she said in a syrupy voice, “Let me pick something special for Alexis.”

Her eyes scanned the wall of brands before landing on one with the word “mutt” seared into the metal.

With the branding iron in hand, she practically skipped over to me, “This one’s just perfect for you, Alexis.”

She stopped in front of me and reached out, trying to rip open my top and brand my chest.

In the struggle, my collar was yanked down—and both Chelsea and Brody froze.

My skin was covered in dark, ugly bruises.

“How…?” Brody looked stunned, but only for a second before it hit him.

“You saw them? These are because you betrayed our mate bond! While you were fucking my foster sister, did it ever occur to you what kind of pain I was in?”

When a mate was betrayed or rejected, especially when her mate slept with another she-wolf, she would suffer excruciating agony. It felt like being burned alive, like ants gnawing at her bones. And once the pain finally faded, what was left were bruises like these.

“You saw the bruises. And you were still going to brand me?” I screamed, my voice hoarse.

But Brody said nothing, just watching indifferently.

I tore myself from the warriors’ grip. I didn’t even touch Chelsea, but she threw herself backward like I’d shoved her.

The branding iron in her hand fell to the ground, and a single spark flew up, landing on the back of her hand. It barely left a mark.

But Chelsea clutched her hand, yelped dramatically, and burst into tears.

“I was just trying to save Alexis from being matched with a rogue, and she tried to burn me!”

Before I could react, Brody had already snapped out of the shock and came charging in.

He slammed into me, knocking me toward the burning coal pit.

My hand hit one of the coals directly and the scream caught in my throat. The searing pain surged through my body, stealing my breath.

Just as I managed to yank my hand away from the fire, a sharp sting exploded across my cheek.