The Lycan King's Second Chance Mate: Rise of the Traitor's Daughter Chapter 4: Banished

Natalie~

The sting of rejection still coursed through my veins like venom. Every word Griffin had uttered replayed in my mind, a loop of agony I couldn't escape. My mate—my supposed other half—had tossed aside as if I were nothing, as if I hadn't been made for him. The bond, fragile as it had been without a wolf to anchor it, was gone now. All that remained was the hollow reminder of how pathetic I was, a feeling no one could see but one I felt with every breath.

The dining hall had emptied hours ago, but its ghost lingered in the hateful stares and whispered insults that followed wherever I went. I didn't need a wolf to feel their disdain; it was thick in the air, suffocating and cruel. I tried to keep my head held up as I walked through the pack house, but their voices pierced through my defenses.

"She doesn't belong here."

"Wolfless and rejected—what a disgrace."

"She should've been gone a long ti ago."

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. The pain grounded , kept from breaking down in front of them. Tears burned at the edges of my vision, but I refused to let them fall. They wouldn't see cry. Not again. Not ever.

I hurried to the small hut and fell on my bed.

The door burst open with a loud bang, and I turned to see Marissa standing there, a smug grin plastered across her face. I quietly got up from the mattress and faced her. She was one of Griffin's many admirers, and she took every opportunity to remind of how unworthy I was.

"Did you really think you could stay here after what happened?" she sneered, stepping into the hut as if she owned it. "Griffin deserves a real mate, not so pathetic, wolfless reject."

I bit the inside of my cheek, willing myself to stay silent. She wasn't worth my energy.

When I didn't respond, her smile faltered, and her eyes glinted with malice. "What, no snappy coback? You think you're better than us?" She shoved hard, and I stumbled back, hitting the wall. "Say sothing, Natalie!"

I stared at her, my chest heaving with restrained anger. "Leave," I said, my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands.

Her laughter was sharp and cruel. "You don't get to give orders. You're nothing here. You've always been nothing." She raised her hand, claws extending, but before she could strike, a commanding voice rang out.

"Stop!"

Alpha Darius stood in the doorway, his presence like a storm cloud ready to burst. Marissa imdiately backed off, lowering her head in submission. I felt no such compulsion. My body tensed as his cold gaze settled on , the corner of his mouth curving into a mockery of a smile.

"Go tell Timothy to gather everyone in the hall," he commanded, his voice sharp as a blade.

"Yes Alpha." Marissa didn't dare hesitate, disappearing without a word. His hard gaze locked onto , and an icy dread crawled down my spine.

"I really did like you, Natalie," he said, his voice dripping with mockery, a twisted smile playing on his lips. "But sadly, there's no saving what we had."

Before I could respond, he closed the distance between us, grabbing roughly. He forced his lips against mine, but I fought back with everything I had. The struggle only fueled his anger. He sank his teeth into my lower lip, sharp and cruel, drawing blood. I gasped in pain, and the next mont, his fist slamd into my stomach.

I collapsed at his feet, clutching my abdon as waves of pain coursed through . His cruel laughter echoed in the small space as I writhed on the floor.

"This chaos ends now," he spat, his voice cold and final. "Be in the hall. Don't make wait."

Without another glance, he turned on his heel and stalked out of the hut, leaving alone in the suffocating silence.

The Pack hall was packed when I arrived, every eye turning to with thinly veiled contempt. The whispers began imdiately, a crescendo of cruelty that filled the air. I kept my head high, refusing to let them see how much their hatred hurt.

Alpha Darius stood at the center of the stage, Griffin seated to his right. Griffin's face was a mask of anger and disgust, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He wouldn't even look at .

"Natalie Cross," Alpha Darius called, his voice loud and commanding. The room fell silent as all eyes turned to . My heart pounded in my chest, but I forced my feet to move, one step at a ti, until I stood before him.

He looked down at , his expression carefully arranged into sothing that might pass for pity if you didn't know better. "It pains to say this," he began, his tone heavy with false sadness, "but your presence here has beco a source of division and unrest within the pack."

I stared at him, my jaw clenched so tightly it hurt. The hypocrisy was suffocating. This was the man who had torn my life apart, the man who had taken everything from , and now he dared to stand there pretending to care?

"We've tried to find a way to make this work," he continued, his voice growing louder for the benefit of the crowd. "But after much discussion with Alpha Griffin, we have co to the difficult decision to banish you from the Silverfang Pack."

The words hit very hard, but I refused to flinch. The crowd erupted into cheers, their joy at my humiliation ringing in my ears. My hands trembled at my sides, but I kept them clenched into fists.

Alpha Darius raised his hand, and the room quieted again. He turned back to , his expression solemn. "As of this mont, you are no longer a mber of this pack. You will leave imdiately and never return."

I felt the weight of their stares, their satisfaction at seeing cast out like a piece of garbage. My throat tightened, but I swallowed hard, forcing the tears back. I wouldn't cry. Not here. Not for them.

Instead, I squared my shoulders and lifted my chin, eting crowd's gaze with all the strength I could muster. Then I turned to Griffin, the mate who had rejected , who had destroyed what little hope I had left. His eyes flicked to mine for a brief mont before he looked away, his jaw tightening.

And finally, I looked at Darius again—the man who had killed my parents, my friends, my future. The man who had marked against my will. My blood boiled with hatred, but I kept my face blank.

I swore to myself then and there that I would never forgive them. Not Darius, not Griffin, and not the pack that had stood by and watched my suffering without lifting a finger to help.

Without a word, I turned and walked toward the door. The crowd jeered and threw things at —stones, food, whatever they could get their hands on. Their insults followed out of the hall, but I didn't stop. I didn't look back.

They chased to the edge of the territory, their laughter ringing in my ears as they forced across the border like a lousy criminal. They didn't let take anything—not even the ager belongings I had in my hut.

I stood at the edge of the woods, the pack lands behind , the unknown stretching out before . My chest ached, my body trembling with exhaustion and pain, but I didn't let myself break.

They had left to die, but I wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

Squaring my shoulders one last ti, I stepped into the forest, the shadows swallowing whole. I didn't know what lay ahead, but whatever it was, it couldn't be worse than the hell I was leaving behind.