Betrayed By The Alpha's Order
Chapter 3
After walking for hours, I collapsed in front of the Snyder estate, my body giving out from exhaustion.
When I came to, it was to the shock of icy water being thrown in my face.
“You disgraceful thing!” Father’s voice thundered from above. “You dare show up here, disheveled and unconscious, in front of our home? Do you have any idea what this would do to my reputation if word got out?”
I blinked, my vision blurry as I took in the scene. Father stood at the head of the room, his expression dark with fury. Mother and Clark were huddled around Emelia, their attention entirely on her.
“The Millers are expecting an alliance through your mate pairing with Vicente,” Father continued, his tone sharp. “How am I supposed to explain this to them? You’ve embarrassed us all!”
The Millers were one of the most influential packs in the region, and the mate pairing with Vicente had been arranged to strengthen our pack’s position. Father had always been obsessed with maintaining the pack’s reputation, and this was no exception.
He motioned to one of the pack members, who handed him a whip.
“Willow,” he said, his voice cold and final, “only pack discipline will teach you to respect our traditions.”
He raised the whip, but Emelia stepped forward, her eyes wide with faux concern.
“Father, please!” she cried, dropping to her knees. “Willow was just upset and went off with some friends. It’s not worth punishing her so severely!”
She glanced at me, her expression soft but her eyes gleaming with triumph.
“It’s my fault, really,” she added, her voice trembling. “I’ve taken her place in the pack, and it’s only natural she’d resent me.”
Mother and Clark immediately turned to comfort her, their faces filled with sympathy. Even Father, usually so stern, softened for a moment to reassure her.
I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.
“Clark,” I said, my voice hoarse but steady, “do you really not know why I missed the mark ceremony?”
He shot me a sharp look, his eyes narrowing in warning.
“Willow, you’ve always thought too highly of yourself,” he snapped. “You’ve never accepted Vicente as your mate, and now you’re jealous of Emelia. You even tried to push her earlier—how petty can you be?”
I didn’t understand why he was so determined to side with Emelia, but at this point, it didn’t matter.
“I didn’t push Emelia,” I said, my voice rising. “I’m an Omega—I don’t have the strength to harm anyone, let alone without powers.”
I looked directly at Clark, my gaze unwavering.
“And I didn’t pass out on purpose,” I continued. “I was exhausted. But tell me, Clark, why did you leave me in the woods? You know I’m terrified of the dark.”
As I spoke, I rolled up my sleeves, revealing the bruises and cuts that covered my arms. Clark’s eyes flickered to them, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of guilt.
But Mother and Father were unmoved.
“If you hadn’t gone off like a rogue, none of this would have happened,” Mother said coldly. “You brought this on yourself.”
Father’s expression hardened.
“To think the Snyder Pack has a daughter like you,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain. “You’re a stain on our legacy.”
They turned to leave, Emelia trailing behind them like their prized possession. Clark hesitated, his guilt finally breaking through.
“I was wrong to leave you there,” he admitted quietly. “But the mark ceremony is done, Willow. You need to let it go.”
He paused, then added, “You’re strong. You could rise above your Omega status if you put your mind to it. You don’t need Vicente.”
The pack’s dream had always been to produce a powerful Alpha or Luna, someone who could elevate our status among the other packs. That’s why they’d pinned all their hopes on Emelia, believing she was the key to our future.
What they didn’t know was that the future of the Snyder Pack—and perhaps all werewolf kind—would one day be born from me.
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