Into the Wild Unknown with the Exiled Alpha

My cheeks blaze with embarrassment and a painful sense of ignorance. It turns out that everyone else was well aware of my fate, leaving me in the dark until now. But that changes at this moment.

With unwavering determination, I push open the door to the Alpha's house, not pausing for a moment, and make my way toward the stairs, knowing his office is up there. I march down the hallway, my footsteps echoing, until I'm abruptly brought to a halt by the sound of heated voices.

"That lunatic is still out there! How can I assume control of him lurking, waiting to pounce?" I recognize the whiny yet self-satisfied voice of the infamous Wyatt Swelter.

Since I need to speak with him anyway, loitering by the slightly open door shouldn't be that wrong, should it? I've never been one to shy away from eavesdropping, so what's different now?

That's my rationale as I stealthily creep closer to the door, pressing my ear against the wall to let my heightened hearing work its magic.

"He's less likely to be a nuisance if we have two leaders. You already have a Luna in mind, right?" Alpha Matias's composed voice reaches my ears.

"I want Mackenzie," Wyatt promptly responds, causing me to struggle to suppress a gag. At the mere mention of my name, color drains from my face. "She's the one, and I've grown tired of waiting for both her and my title."

A deep hum follows, a sound Alpha Matias often makes when contemplating something. "Then wait no longer. We'll move the wedding up to Thursday. Since there's no mate bond to bind you, vows will suffice. Plus, it'll give you more time to get to know her. Perhaps even—"

"There won't be a wedding," I declare firmly, bursting into the room on a whim. There's no way I can stand out there, silently listening as my future is decided for me. I refuse to be a passive observer in my own life any longer.

Two pairs of eyes swivel in my direction. One belongs to Wyatt, a light blue that complements his neatly combed black hair. The other pair, a darker blue, belongs to his father, whose once-jet-black hair is now peppered with gray—a testament to the stress that accompanies his position.

"Pardon me?" Alpha Matias rises from his leather office chair, standing tall with squared shoulders. One thing is undeniable: he's accustomed to looking down on people, not the other way around. He levels that same disapproving gaze he's perfected over the years, capable of making even the proudest wolves feel shame.

I swallow hard, struggling to keep my attitude in check. I've spoken out against him one too many times and witnessed the consequences. Yet maintaining this newfound resolve is proving to be an immense challenge.

"I won't marry him or anyone else," I seethe again, planting my feet firmly. Surely, he doesn't think he can force me into this. There must be a line he won't cross. There has to be. He's held control over my life for so long, but this... this is too much. I refuse to accept it.

To my right, Wyatt lets out a frustrated moan. "Why can't you just cooperate for once?" he whines, glaring at me. "I thought we were past this. I can give you everything you want! Who turns down the title of Luna?" He turns to his father, pleading yet demanding with his eyes for support.

He hasn't grown up at all. He's still the same child who threatened to throw a tantrum if denied dessert or who menaced me with finger amputation if I dared to touch one of his forgotten toys.

"You can't give me anything, or you wouldn't have treated me like this my entire life," I shoot back, feeling a growl building deep within my chest. Wyatt has always regarded himself as royalty, with everyone else beneath him. But in my eyes, a king without a crown isn't a king at all.

Alpha Matias growls in response to my defiance. "Mind your tongue," he snaps before turning to his son, oozing confidence. "She'll obey me."

He settles back into his chair, leaning back and studying me with a calculating gaze that reminds me of a snake slithering in the grass, its beady eyes fixated on its prey.

"Wouldn't you, Mackenzie?" he asks in that sickly sweet, ominous tone. I loathe that voice, that tone, with every fiber of my being. It turns my stomach more than the thought of a future with Wyatt.

I clench my jaw, my fists tightening. "And if I don't?"