Rejected by My Pack, Crowned by the Empire Chapter 03

Rejected by My Pack, Crowned by the Empire Chapter 03

Smack!

My head snapped to the side, a burning sting spreading across my cheek in an instant.

I stared at Serena in front of me, utterly stunned.

She held her chin high, putting on a sanctimonious act.

“Evelyn, I’ve let you push me around for ages, but how can you talk to Mom and Dad that way?”

My wrists were still clamped tight in my parents’ grips, leaving me no chance to dodge.

Before I could react, she brought her hand down hard across my face a second time.

“This slap is for Damon. You humiliated him out here in front of everyone—how could you do that to him?”

My cheek throbbed numb from the blow, but more than the pain, I felt nothing but absurdity.

I strained with everything I had to wrench free from my parents’ hold. Before I could steady myself, Damon’s mother stormed over, her face twisted with disgust.

“That’s enough! This is a sacred ceremony, and you’re throwing a total fit with zero self-awareness. You don’t deserve to be Icewind Pack’s Luna at all.”

The moment she turned to Serena, her expression softened into a warm smile.

“Serena’s so thoughtful and mature—this is how a true Luna ought to carry herself. I’m endlessly grateful my foolish son ended up with you.”

“She’s worlds better than some rough girl from the sticks.”

Damon shifted awkwardly, shooting me a sharp, resentful look.

“See what I mean? You keep acting out like this, and it’s why Mom’s never warmed up to you.”

I stared blankly up at him, my throat going tight and dry.

It was never my fault for her constant picking on me. Every time she picked on me, he chose to stay silent. He had never once stood firmly by my side, and that was why she dared to treat me with such contempt. She knew that no matter how cruel she was, Damon would never step up to defend me.

Murmurs and whispers swelled around us, and Damon burned with shame. He lowered his voice.

“Evelyn, just go home for now. Wait a month.”

He reached for my arm.

“A month from now, you’ll still be my mate.”

I said nothing. My gaze drifted past everyone in the room, landing on the Moonlit Wedding Carriage tucked in the corner.

Its frame was studded with pearls, glowing softly beneath the lights.

No one knew the truth: Mom and Dad had spent all their time shuttling Serena from one doctor to another for her so-called illnesses. Traditionally fished by senior family members had instead been gathered one by one, dive after dive, by my own hands alone.

I stared quietly at the carriage, my voice hoarse.

“What about my Moonlit Wedding Carriage?”

My father frowned.

“We can just have another one built for you down the line. Serena can have this one for the time being.”

My mother huffed with impatience.

“Serena’s an orphan—she has no family to dive for pearls on her behalf. She’s already pitiful enough. What does it even matter if you give it to her?”

Yet again I’m supposed to give something up. How many things have I sacrificed for Serena all these years?

The guaranteed school admission. The promotion at work.

My parents’ affection. My brother’s favoritism.

And now, my mate.

My fingernails dug deep into my palms.

“No. I prepared this carriage myself, and I’m taking it with me.”

Zayne stepped forward to block my way.

“Evelyn, stop being so unreasonable! A princess of the Mooncrest Pack without her own Moonlit Wedding Carriage is a terrible omen that curses you to a lifetime of misfortune and ruin! How can you be so selfish and cruel?”

“The whole pack is watching us right now—don’t bring shame down on Mooncrest Pack like this!”

I bit my inner cheek raw, the sharp metallic tang of blood flooding my mouth.

I spoke slowly, enunciating every word.

“Fine. But I will tell the Moon Goddess the truth—that you all lied to her.”

The moment the words left my mouth, every face in the crowd darkened.

No one in this pack dared to deceive the Moon Goddess.

Panic flashed across my brother’s face. He lashed out, kicking me hard to the ground to stop me from saying more.

My skull slammed against the edge of a table, and my vision blurred.

Before I could scramble back to my feet, he snatched a burning torch and hurled it straight at the Moonlit Wedding Carriage.

The torch struck the carriage, and flames erupted instantly, pearls popping and splitting one after another as they burned.

Zayne bared his teeth in a cold sneer.

“There’s no proof left now. Go ahead and try making false claims to the Moon Goddess if you think you can.”

Firelight flickered across every face, yet not a single person moved to help.

My parents shot me one cold glance before turning to shield Serena and step away.

Damon wore a look of exasperation.

“I told you—this was just a ceremony to grant her a long-denied wish. I’m still going to form a mate bond with you in a month. What more do you want?”

“You had to blow everything up into this mess. You’re the one who has to fix this mess.”

“Apologize to Serena when you get home, or you can forget about ever becoming the Luna of the Icewind Pack.”

With that, he led Serena into an adjoining room.

The wooden carriage burned fast and fierce.

A decade’s worth of compromise and silent heartache burned away to nothing in those flames.

He was wrong to assume I had no one but him to rely on.

My phone buzzed. I answered, and an anxious voice spilled through the line at once: “Evelyn, are they hurting you over there?”

Every hurt I’d bottled up for years came crashing out, and tears spilled freely down my cheeks.

“Mom, Dad… I want to come home.”

A clatter echoed from the other end, like a chair being knocked over in a rush.

“Don’t cry, Evelyn! We’re coming to pick you up right now!”