Betrayed by My Alpha Mate

The fire alarm's shrill wail pierced the air, sending panic rippling through the packhouse. I watched from the shadows as wolves scrambled in all directions, their faces twisted in confusion and fear.

"Fire! Everyone out!" Someone shouted from the main hall.

Perfect timing.

I slipped through the chaos, my footsteps silent as I made my way back to Jonas's office. The hallway was empty now, everyone either fleeing or trying to locate the nonexistent fire.

Leilani burst through the door, her face pale with alarm. "Jonas! There's a fire—"

I moved faster than a human should, closing the distance between us before she could react. My hand shot out, fingers wrapping around my mother's pendant.

"Give it back," I growled, yanking hard.

The chain snapped. Leilani stumbled backward, her eyes wide with shock.

"How dare you!" she shrieked, lunging for the pendant.

I danced away, the silver moon cool against my palm. "This never belonged to you."

"Guards!" she screamed. "She's stealing from me!"

I didn't wait for them to arrive. The nearest exit was ten steps away. I took them in three, bursting through the door into the crisp morning air.

"Stop her!" Leilani's voice echoed behind me.

Snow surged within me, lending me strength I'd suppressed for years. *Run. Hide. Survive.*

The forest welcomed me with open arms. I ducked beneath low-hanging branches, leaped over fallen logs, and plunged deeper into the wilderness that surrounded the pack territory.

Only when I was certain no one followed did I slow, gasping for breath as I leaned against a massive oak tree.

"We can't just leave," I whispered to Snow, clutching the pendant tightly. "Not yet."

*Then what?* Snow's voice was stronger than it had been in years.

I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of my decision settle over me. "We expose them. All of them."

---

The forest grew silent around me as I knelt on the damp earth, pressing my palms against my temples.

"I don't know if this will work," I murmured to Snow. "It's been so long..."

*It will work,* she insisted. *Blood calls to blood.*

I took a deep breath and reached for the mental connection I'd severed three years ago. The pain was immediate—a searing agony that tore through my skull as I forced open a link that had been dormant for too long.

"Axel," I projected, my mental voice trembling. "Axel, can you hear me?"

Silence stretched for one heartbreaking moment. Then—

*"CAMILLE!"*

His roar nearly knocked me unconscious. The force of his presence crashed through me like a tidal wave.

*"Where are you? What have you done to yourself? Why haven't you—"*

"Stop," I gasped, tears streaming down my face. "Please, just stop."

His mental voice gentled instantly. *"Little moon, where are you? Tell me how to find you."*

"I was wrong," I whispered, both aloud and through the link. "I was so wrong to leave. I'm ready to come home, Axel. But I need help."

*"Tell me what you need."* His voice was deadly calm now.

"Bring the army," I said simply.

The silence that followed was different—charged with a promise of retribution.

*"Hold on,"* Axel's voice thundered through my mind. *"I am coming."*

---

The morning of the Marking Ceremony dawned bright and clear—a stark contrast to the storm brewing within me.

I stood in the Omega quarters, dressed in the plain gray uniform Jonas had ordered me to wear. Two Delta guards flanked the door, their expressions grim.

"Time to go," one said, grabbing my arm roughly.

They marched me through the packhouse, past wide-eyed Omegas and smirking higher ranks. The great hall had been transformed—silver and blue decorations hung from every surface, a mockery of royal Lycan colors.

Jonas waited at the center of the room, resplendent in ceremonial robes. Beside him stood Leilani, draped in white silk that made her look like a cheap imitation of a Luna.

"Ah, there she is," Jonas's voice rang out as I was dragged forward. "Our former... whatever she was."

Laughter rippled through the assembled pack members.

"Bring her closer," Jonas ordered. "I want her to have a front-row seat."

The guards shoved me forward until I stood directly before the ceremonial podium.

"Kneel," Jonas commanded, his Alpha tone pressing down on me.

I fought against it, letting just enough resistance show in my eyes to make him narrow his gaze.

"Watch and learn," he hissed, leaning close enough that only I could hear. "Watch and learn what a real Luna looks like."

Behind him, Leilani's lips curved in a triumphant smile.

What neither of them noticed was the faint tremor that had begun to shake the ground beneath our feet—the first sign of an approaching army.

"What a real Luna looks like," I repeated softly, my eyes flashing silver for just a moment.

Jonas's smirk faltered as he felt the vibrations beneath his feet.