★The Rejection★

~Chapter 3~

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The pack square, a sprawling expanse of seats, was buzzing with anticipation as people swarmed in.

Murmurs and whispers of the gathered crowd waved through the space.

Rumors of the king's summons had spread like wildfire, drawing people from all corners of the pack lands to the square.

Some speculated that the king would announce his new Luna, given the recent biannual mating ceremony that hadn't been too long ago.

Others believed he'd finally acknowledge his lack of a fated mate. But nothing could've prepared them for the sight that greeted them.

A frail, unconscious girl hung limply, her wrists and ankles bound by ropes that dug deep into her skin.

The crowd's whispers grew louder, their curiosity piqued by the mysterious girl. They didn't know who she was, never having seen her before in their pack lands.

"Who's she?" Concerned Diane asked. As the daughter of Alpha Frank from the Moon-Gazed pack, located on the eastern borders of their lands, Diane's question echoed the thoughts of many in the crowd.

"Isabella Williams, the wolf-less runt," Sarah's voice dripped with malice as she replied.

Her elegant attire and poised demeanor belied the venom that coursed through her veins.

She was the daughter of Alpha Samuel from the esteemed Moon-Whisper pack, located in the western region not far from the Bloodmoon pack - Isabella's pack.

Sarah's influence, beauty, and authority were undeniable.

The werewolf community, divided into four regions since the Great War - North, East, West, and South - was a complex tapestry of packs, each with their own distinct name and alpha.

Sarah's knowledge of this hierarchy only added to her confidence and cunning nature.

Her gaze drifted towards Isabella, the memory of the previous night's rejection by Kane still simmering, fueling her resentment.

Yet, as she gazed at the helpless girl, a small, satisfied smirk played on her lips. Her plan had worked, despite the initial embarrassment.

Isabella had thought she was the one planning her escape when, in truth, it was Sarah. Unbeknownst to Isabella, Sarah had bribed the watch guards with ease.

Her authority as the king's guest and prospective fated mate had granted her the leverage she needed to manipulate the situation to her advantage.

Her eyes bled thinking about the past two days she'd been there.

It had always irked Sarah that they were all alpha children, brought in at the same time, so why did Kane shield this wolf-less thing?

She watched as Kane stormed into the square, his beta in tow; Sarah's gaze followed them.

The beta carried a bucket, its contents hidden, but no doubt something to wake the unconscious runt.

With a swift motion, the beta hurled the contents towards Isabella, the cold liquid jolting her upright.

The girl's eyes fluttered open, her gaze disoriented, as she struggled against the ropes that bound her.

Her limbs, splayed apart, trembled with each labored breath, her wrists and ankles chafing against the coarse ropes.

Isabella's teeth chattered as the cold water seeped into her bones.

Shivering, while her gaze darted wildly around the crowded square.

The early morning air was crisp, carrying the whispers and gasps of the onlookers.

Their faces were a blur, but their disgust and confusion were visible.

Isabella's eyes stung, and her lungs burned. Kane's voice boomed through the square, snapping her into reality.

"I stand before you all to reject and show what it means to betray me as your king." His tone was emotionless, his stance rigid, as his heart turned to stone.

His wolf, once a constant presence, had fallen silent, retreating deep within his mind. Kane's eyes bored into Isabella's very soul, his rejection absolute.

"I, Kane Nightshade, King of the Lycans, reject you..."

"Wait!"

A meek voice piped up from the back, and an elderly woman pushed her way to the front.

Her wrinkled hands grasped a worn wooden cane. The crowd parted, their mouths agape, as she approached Isabella; barely giving their king an acknowledgement.

The old woman's gaze was fixed on Isabella's stomach, her eyes narrowing as if she saw something the others didn't.

Her bony fingers extended, touching Isabella's abdomen gently. Isabella's red-rimmed eyes widened as the old woman gasped, her eyes snapping back up to meet Isabella's.

A flicker of surprise, or perhaps understanding, danced in their depths. "She's... she's pregnant." The square fell silent, as if the very air had been sucked out.

Isabella's mind constricted, her thoughts careening wildly. Pregnant?

How could that be? She would've known, wouldn't she? It was her body, after all, and... and it was just two days that monster had defiled her.

Wasn't it too early?

Kane's face darkened. "How is that possible?" he thundered, striding towards Isabella.

His mind couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal. Had she lied to him about being a virgin? Had she been with someone else before him?

Sarah emerged from the crowd, her smile a thin-lipped affair. "I think I know, my king," she almost sang. "I overheard her talking about a lover, planning to elope with him just yesterday. I was about to inform you when you... left."

Her gaze flicked to Isabella, a glint passing in a flash that only Isabella could see.

Isabella's face burned with rage. "She's lying!" she shouted, struggling against her restraints.

"You're crazy!" she spat at Sarah, wishing she could lash out at the other woman. But she was tied up, helpless, and at their mercy.

Isabella's gaze moved to Kane's. "If I'm pregnant," she said, taking a deep breath to steady her shaky voice, "he's the father." She gestured to kane.

Isabella knew she was doomed, but she wouldn't go quietly into the night. Not when her innocence, and that of her unborn child, hung in the balance.

Kane's eyes blazed with fury as he pushed past the old lady. Questions and scenarios swirled around him.

None of them made sense, and his frustration boiled over. His wolf still remained eerily silent.

The crowd held its collective breath as Kane began to speak. "I, Kane Nightshade, King of the Lycans, reject you, wolf-less wench, Isabella Williams, as my fated mate." Kane's hands wrapped around Isabella's throat.

The mark irked him so badly that he wished to burn her skin.

"And I accept your re.ject.ion." Isabella spat each words out

To hell with him. She doesn't feel any bond with him nor could she feel it breaking.

But on the other hand, Kane looked at her shocked that she was quick to accept the rejection like it hurts her so much to be fated to him.

Some onlookers in the crowd felt instant resentment towards Isabella.

"How dare you bear the mark of another and have the audacity to be pregnant?" he thundered.

Isabella's eyes darkened, her hands straining against the ropes that bound her. Blood dripped from her wrists, but she refused to give up.

The old lady's eyes widened in horror as Kane delivered the verdict, just like the vision. "Punishment is to be whipped a hundred times, and by the end of it, her head should be cut off." Isabella's face paled, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

Her only regret was the fate of her unborn child, doomed to die at the hands of these monsters.

"Wait, but she's pregnant. If she dies or anything happens to her, we all perish!" The old lady's voice rang out, and the crowd murmured.

Her eyes seemed to hold a deep wisdom, a knowledge that sent shivers down her own wrinkled spine.

For the old lady was a seer, a rare and ancient being gifted with the sight of what was yet to come.

She had kept her abilities hidden for most of her life, ever since her family was brutally slaughtered because of her forbidden gift.

The trauma of that event had taught her to keep a low profile, to mind her own business, and avoid drawing attention to herself.

Some onlookers wanted to stone the old Lycan to death, and others wanted to know what she meant.

But Kane's face twisted in a snarl. "You dare to question my authority?" he growled, shoving the old lady to the floor.

The pack warriors rushed forward, dragging the old lady away as she struggled and screamed.

"You're making a grave mistake, Kane Nightshade! A mistake that'll cost you and this pack dearly!" Kane's jaw clenched.

"Enough," he spat, turning to face Isabella once more. "The punishment will proceed as planned."

Isabella's breath came in ragged gasps, a hundred lashes would be brutal, and she knew she wouldn't survive.

Kane's desire for humiliation was high, and Isabella knew she was doomed.