After My Mate Killed My Father, I Found a King

The Great Hall fell silent as Aden's words echoed off the stone walls. The rejection—the formal severing of our mate bond—had left a gaping wound inside me that I could feel bleeding with every breath.

"Kneel," Aden commanded, his Alpha tone washing over me like ice water.

My legs buckled against my will. The Alpha command was too powerful to resist, especially now that our bond was broken. I collapsed to my knees before him, my body trembling with the effort to remain upright.

"Brothers and sisters of Silver Lake," Aden's voice boomed across the hall, "today marks a new beginning for our pack."

He turned to Allyson, who stepped forward with practiced grace. She wore a silver dress that hugged her curves—a dress I recognized as one Aden had bought for me last season. Around her neck gleamed my mother's emerald pendant, the one I'd kept in my jewelry box since her death.

"Allyson has proven herself worthy of the Luna title," Aden continued, his eyes never leaving hers. "Her loyalty, strength, and dedication to this pack deserve recognition."

Allyson's smile was radiant as she gazed adoringly at him. "I accept this honor with humility and gratitude," she said, her voice carrying a rehearsed tremor of emotion.

Aden leaned down, his lips brushing against her neck. I knew what was coming—the marking that would seal her position as Luna. The same mark he had placed on me years ago, when promises of forever still hung in the air between us.

"By the power vested in me as Alpha of Silver Lake Pack," Aden growled, his teeth baring, "I claim Allyson as my Luna and mate."

His teeth sank into her flesh, and the pack erupted in cheers. I watched, frozen in place, as my world crumbled around me.

---

"One hour," the Beta announced, his face impassive as he delivered Aden's orders. "You have one hour to leave Silver Lake territory, or you will be hunted as a rogue."

I stood in what had once been my bedroom—now Allyson's domain. Already, her scent was replacing mine, her possessions claiming the space that had been mine for years.

"What about my things?" I asked, my voice hollow.

"The Luna has already sorted through them," he replied, not meeting my eyes. "Anything deemed valuable to the pack remains."

Of course she had. Allyson had always wanted what was mine.

I moved mechanically to the closet, pulling out a single bag. There was little left to take—most of my possessions had been "reclaimed" by the pack. My fingers brushed against my father's leather-bound journal on the nightstand.

"This is all I need," I said, tucking the journal into my bag.

As I walked through the pack house, wolves who had once greeted me with respect now turned away or worse—spat at my feet.

"Traitor," someone hissed.

"Cursed by the Moon Goddess," another whispered.

"Good riddance," a third added boldly.

I kept my head high, though each word cut deeper than the last. These were wolves I had cared for, healed when they were sick, celebrated with when they found mates. Now they couldn't wait to see me gone.

---

The forest grew denser as I approached the border. Every step sent waves of pain through my body—the wolfsbane still burning in my veins, the severed mate bond leaving an empty ache in my chest.

"Almost there," I whispered to myself, though my wolf remained eerily silent within me.

She had retreated deep inside after the rejection, wounded beyond words. I couldn't blame her. We were both broken now.

A twig snapped somewhere to my left. Then another to my right.

"They're tracking me," I realized with growing horror.

Aden had sent rogues after me—wolves who owed him favors or simply enjoyed the hunt. He wanted to make sure I never reached safety, never had the chance to tell anyone what had really happened.

I pushed myself harder, ignoring the burning in my lungs and the blood trickling down my legs. The river was just ahead—the boundary between pack territories and the neutral zone beyond.

"Just a little further," I urged my battered body.

Behind me, I could hear them gaining ground—their hungry breaths and excited yips carrying through the trees. They were playing with me, enjoying the chase.

The river appeared through the trees—wide and rushing with spring melt. On the other side lay the Royal Territory, where even Aden's influence couldn't reach.

I gathered what little strength I had left and plunged into the icy water. The cold shocked my system, but I forced myself forward, each stroke carrying me closer to safety.

"Almost there," I gasped as my feet touched the opposite bank.

With one final push, I dragged myself out of the water and collapsed onto the muddy ground of the Royal Territory. Behind me, the rogues howled in frustration at the border they couldn't cross.

I had made it—but at what cost? And what awaited me in this strange new land?