2: I feel manipulated

Camella's pov

I bowed my head as tears ran down my cheeks. None of the things I said were true! Ethan might be a wicked and brutal person most of the time but not to that extent! I felt the mate bond between us crack with each passing second and it broke me in half. I hated the way he stared at me with so much disgust. It hurts, you know. I sobbed harder as Leo held me, but I couldn't move from his hold; I wasn't in control of my body. I felt like I was being controlled. Instead, I leaned into his hold. Damn him!

I wasn't meant to feel this way!

I watched helplessly as the council sentenced Ethan to two years in the rehabilitation center. My heart sank. This wasn't what I wanted. Despite everything, despite the rejection and humiliation, I never wanted to see him punished so severely. The words I had spoken were twisted, manipulated. I felt like a puppet, my strings pulled by an unseen hand.

As I stood there, Leo's arm around me, I silently begged Ethan to see the truth in my eyes, to understand that I had no control over what was happening. But his gaze was full of hatred and disdain. The look in his eyes was one of pure loathing, and it tore me apart. He always hated the way I was plus-sized, always did. Now, it seemed that hatred had deepened into something darker, more venomous.

I had always been an easy target for Ethan's cruelty. From the moment we were paired as mates, he had made it clear that I was not what he wanted. His words, his actions, everything about him screamed rejection. He despised my curves, my timidity, my very presence. And yet, despite all of that, the bond between us still existed, a painful reminder of what could never be.

Leo's grip tightened around me, pulling me back to the present. I shuddered, uncomfortable with his touch. There was something about Leo that set my teeth on edge, something I couldn't quite place. But I couldn't break free, couldn't pull away. I was trapped, just as Ethan was now trapped by the false accusations.

"Camella," Leo's voice was low, a whisper meant only for me. "You did the right thing. Ethan needed to be stopped."

His words felt like a dagger in my heart. The right thing? How could this be the right thing? I glanced up at Ethan, hoping against hope that he would see my distress, my silent plea for understanding. But his eyes were cold, his face a mask of fury.

As the council members filed out of the room, I felt the weight of their judgment pressing down on me. The pack members' eyes bore into me, their whispers a constant hum in the background. I was the one who had brought Ethan down, the one who had spoken the words that led to his downfall. And yet, I felt no triumph, no sense of victory. Only a deep, gnawing sorrow.

Leo led me out of the courtroom, his hand firm on my arm. I followed numbly, my mind a whirlwind of confusion and pain. How had it come to this? How had I become the instrument of Ethan's destruction?

Once outside, Leo turned to me, his eyes searching my face. "Camella, you need to be strong. This is for the best."

I shook my head, tears streaming down my cheeks. "No, Leo. It's not. None of this is right."

He sighed, a look of frustration crossing his face. "You don't understand, Camella. Ethan was a threat. To you, to the pack. This is the only way."

I pulled away from him, finally finding the strength to break free. "I don't believe you. I can't. This isn't the way things were supposed to be."

Leo's expression hardened. "You don't have a choice. This is the reality we have to face."

I turned and walked away, my heart heavy with grief. I couldn't stay here, couldn't bear to face the judgment and the whispers. I needed to be alone, to think, to process everything that had happened.

As I walked through the pack's territory, I felt the weight of my decision bearing down on me. I had betrayed Ethan, had spoken the words that condemned him. And yet, I had no choice. Something, or someone, had forced my hand.

I found a quiet spot near the edge of the forest and sank to the ground, my body shaking with sobs. I hated myself for what I had done, hated the way I had been used. But most of all, I hated the way Ethan had looked at me, the pure hatred in his eyes.

The mate bond was a cruel joke, a twisted connection that brought nothing but pain and suffering. I had dreamed of finding my mate, of experiencing the love and connection that came with it. But those dreams had been shattered by Ethan's rejection, by his cruelty.

And now, I was alone, with nothing but my guilt and sorrow for company.

Everywhere felt choked, like there was something hovering around me, i couldn't quite pinpoint what it was, but it was really suffocating .