The Alpha's Last Choice

The moon hung heavy in the sky, bathing the Shadowfang Pack’s great hall in an eerie silver glow. Flames flickered in the massive iron sconces, their light casting long shadows across the stone walls. The air was thick with the scent of roasted venison, aged wine, and the unmistakable musk of wolves gathered in celebration.

But this wasn’t just any gathering. A massive black banner stretched across the hall, golden letters gleaming in the firelight—

WELCOME HOME, LYRA & ELIAS.

My nails dug into my palms, the sharp sting grounding me as I stood at the entrance.

Fourteen days. That was all it took for Rafael to forget. To erase our daughter as if she had never existed.

The scent of his presence overwhelmed me. Dominant. Familiar. A force I had once found comfort in. Now, it made my stomach churn.

He stood in the center of the great hall, his black tunic and battle leathers making him look every inch the Alpha he was. Strong. Powerful. Untouchable. And beside him, wrapped in a crimson silk gown, was her. Lyra.

She had one hand delicately resting on his arm, her emerald eyes glowing with satisfaction, her lips curled into a soft, victorious smile.

I pushed past the guards at the entrance, ignoring their hesitant glances. My heeled boots struck against the polished stone floor, each step sending a sharp echo through the now-silent hall.

The music faltered. The chatter died. Then the crack of my palm against Lyra’s cheek shattered the silence.

A collective gasp rippled through the gathered wolves. Warriors tensed, elders exchanged glances, and the scent of unease spread through the room.

Lyra’s head snapped to the side, a red mark blooming across her pale skin. For a moment, she looked stunned. Then, her lips parted, and like the manipulative viper she was, her breath hitched in a perfectly rehearsed sob.

“Camilla—” Rafael’s voice was sharp, a growl rumbling beneath it. I ignored him.

“How dare you?” My voice shook with fury, my wolf rising beneath my skin, clawing to be unleashed. “You stand here celebrating while my daughter—our daughter—is in the ground?”

My breath hitched, but I forced myself to keep going. “You didn’t even give me a moon cycle, Rafael. Not even one month to grieve before you parade her around—” My voice cracked, raw and broken. “As if Amber never existed.”

Lyra let out a strangled gasp before—she collapsed dramatically to the ground.

A whimper. A tremble. A delicate hand pressed to her cheek.

“Oh, Goddess!” she sobbed, her shoulders shaking violently. “She attacked me! Right here! In front of the entire pack!”

And then a blur of movement. Small fists slammed into my stomach. “You monster!” Elias.

His small frame trembled with rage as he hit me again, his tiny fists pounding against my ribs. “You hurt my mama! You’re a bad person! My papa doesn’t love you anymore!”

Pain shot through my side, but I barely reacted.

I didn’t fight back. I wouldn’t. Even if he was hers. Even if he was his.

The guards hesitated, uncertain if they should intervene. But Rafael? He did nothing. Just watched.

Elias’s hands clenched, his voice cracking. “I hate you! You deserve to be alone forever!”

My breath shuddered as I looked up—just in time to catch her smirk.

Lyra’s lips curled in triumph for the briefest second before she whimpered and clung to Rafael’s side like a fragile flower.

“Rafael,” she whispered, “make her stop.”

His body stiffened. His golden eyes darkened.

And then the slap came. Fast. Brutal.

Pain exploded across my cheek, my head snapping to the side. My vision blurred, my skin burning where his hand had struck. The entire hall fell into a suffocating silence.

I lifted my gaze slowly, my heart pounding against my ribs. But Rafael didn’t look regretful. Didn’t look anything. His expression was cold. Distant. Like I was nothing to him. Like I hadn’t been his mate. Like I hadn’t carried his child.

His next words sliced through me like a blade “This ends tonight.”

A ripple of unease spread through the crowd. Whispers. Murmurs. Then Rafael stepped forward, his eyes glowing with dominance.

His power rolled off him in waves, suffocating, demanding. The moment I saw his posture shift, the truth slammed into me like a death blow.

He wasn’t going to banish me. He was going to reject me.

I sucked in a sharp breath, my hands curling into fists. My wolf whimpered in protest, clawing at my mind, desperate to fight it.

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “You wouldn’t—”

His golden eyes met mine, and for the first time since Amber’s death, I saw nothing behind them. Nothing but resolve.

“I, Rafael Thornfield, Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack, reject you, Camilla Wolfhart, as my mate and Luna.”

The words came out like thunder, shaking the air itself. A collective gasp echoed through the room.

Pain ripped through me like claws dragging through my soul. My wolf howled in agony, the bond between us shredding apart, severed by his command. My legs nearly buckled, my vision swaying from the sheer force of it.

I clenched my jaw, swallowing the scream that threatened to tear from my throat. I wouldn’t break. Not here. Not in front of her.

Rafael took another step forward, his gaze impassive. “Leave, Camilla,” he said, voice devoid of emotion. “You are no longer part of this pack.”

The words were final. Cold. Like a death sentence. The wolves around us shifted uncomfortably, some avoiding my gaze, others looking at Rafael as if he had just signed away something sacred. And maybe he had.

I forced myself to straighten, lifting my chin. My hands trembled, my breathing uneven, but I met his eyes head-on.

“You’ll regret this,” I whispered, my voice shaking with barely contained fury.

He said nothing. Did nothing. He simply turned his back on me. Just like he had with Amber.

And as I stood there, surrounded by whispers and judgment, I realized something.

Rafael, the mate I once loved, was dead to me. And if he thought I would walk away quietly…

He had no idea what I was capable of.