After My Alpha Killed My Mother, I Rejected Him

The silver-lined walls of the dungeon seemed to pulse with malevolent energy, each breath I took feeling like fire in my lungs. My skin blistered wherever it came into contact with the toxic metal—a special precaution Drew had ordered for my "protection." The irony wasn't lost on me. Silver didn't protect wolves; it tortured them.

My wolf, Luna, thrashed wildly within me, her howls of betrayal echoing through my mind. *Seven years*, she whimpered. *Seven years of loyalty, and he locks us in silver*.

"It's not real," I whispered, trying to soothe her. "He'll realize his mistake. He has to."

But even as I spoke the words, I knew they were hollow. The Drew I'd loved—the one who'd fought beside me through rogue attacks and pack challenges—was gone, replaced by a stranger whose eyes only lit up for Lana.

The sound of approaching footsteps made me stiffen. The dungeon door creaked open, and Drew's imposing figure filled the doorway. For one wild moment, hope surged through me. He'd come to release me, to apologize...

"Evelyn." His voice was cold, detached. "You've had time to think about your actions."

I pushed myself up, ignoring the searing pain as silver residue burned my palms. "Drew, please listen to me. Lana is manipulating you. She broke those crystals herself—"

"Enough!" His Alpha tone slammed into me like a physical blow, forcing me back against the wall. "You will apologize to Lana for your jealousy and petty attacks."

My wolf snarled, urging me to fight back, but the silver weakened us both. "Jealousy? Is that what she's telling you?"

"Lana has shown nothing but grace under your harassment," Drew continued, stepping closer. His eyes—once warm amber—were now hard as flint. "She understands that as Alpha, I need to make decisions for the pack's benefit."

"And I don't?" I whispered, incredulous. "I've been by your side for seven years, building this pack from nothing!"

Drew's expression didn't change. "You've been useful. But your recent behavior has been... unstable."

I stared at him, searching for any flicker of the mate I'd known. There was nothing.

---

Three days passed in agonizing slowness. The silver cell leached my strength, leaving me trembling and weak. My wolf had grown quiet, conserving what little energy remained.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor—too light to be Drew's. I tensed, expecting guards with food or water.

Instead, Lana's face appeared at my cell door, her eyes gleaming with triumph.

"Comfortable?" she asked, her voice honey-sweet. Gone was the trembling vulnerability she showed around Drew. This was the real Lana—calculating, cold, and utterly without remorse.

"What do you want?" I managed, my throat parched.

"Just checking on our former Luna." She smiled, leaning against the bars. "Oh, did I forget to mention? Drew's agreed to let me wear his mother's silver pendant. The one meant for you."

I lunged forward instinctively, only to be thrown back by the silver's burning touch. Lana laughed, the sound like breaking glass.

"Careful, Evelyn. You're not as strong as you think." She glanced over her shoulder, ensuring we were alone. "The guards are loyal to me now. Amazing what a few tears and a sad story can accomplish."

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, hating the tremor in my voice.

Lana's eyes narrowed. "Why? Because you don't deserve him. You never did. A low-born nobody who got lucky with a mate bond." She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I'll be Luna by the time he's done with you."

"And when he discovers your lies?"

"He won't." Her confidence was chilling. "Men like Drew see what they want to see. And what he wants to see is me."

---

While Drew was away managing pack business, Lana made her move.

I watched through the small window in my cell door as she slipped into the dungeon's control room, her movements precise and deliberate. She spoke briefly with the guards, her voice too low to hear, but their nods told me everything I needed to know.

Hours later, the packhouse erupted in chaos. Shouts echoed down to the dungeon—Lana had vanished from the gardens while working on the restoration pieces.

"Find her!" Drew's roar shook the very foundations of the building.

I closed my eyes, knowing exactly what was happening. This was no random abduction—this was Lana's master plan.

The next morning, a Delta warrior rushed into the control room, holding something in his hand. "Evidence from the garden, sir! Footprints leading to the east boundary!"

I strained to see what he held—a small brass button, distinctive and familiar. My brother's jacket. The one he always wore when working on pack projects.

Lana's scent was nowhere on it—she'd been careful about that—but my family's scent was unmistakable.

The trap was perfect. And I was powerless to stop it.