Helen's POV
The air in the Great Hall felt like it had been sucked out of the room. Kevin's words were still ringing in my ears, louder than the sudden roar of laughter that erupted from the crowd.
My heart felt like it had been physically torn in two. The golden light of the bond, which had felt so warm only seconds ago, turned into an icy poison that flooded my veins.
"Kevin, please," I whispered, the words catching in my throat. I didn't care that everyone was watching. I didn't care about my pride. "You don't mean that. The moon doesn't make mistakes. Please, look at me."
I reached out, my fingers trembling as I tried to grab the sleeve of his leather jacket. I just needed to touch him. I thought that if our skin met, the bond would snap his senses back into place. He would see that I was his, and he would protect me.
As soon as my hand grazed his arm, Kevin flinched as if I were a leper. He shoved me back with his full warrior strength. I wasn't ready for it. My feet tangled in the hem of my cream dress, and I went flying backward. I hit the stone floor with a dull thud, the impact knocking the wind out of my lungs.
"Don't touch me!" Kevin yelled, his face red with fury. "I said I reject you! You're a wolf-less fluke, Helen. You're a stain on my reputation."
The laughter grew louder. I looked up from the floor, my vision blurred by tears. Serafina stepped out from the circle of wolves, her expensive heels clicking on the stone. She stopped right in front of me and looked down with a smirk that made my stomach turn.
"Did you really think a warrior like Kevin would want a fat, human waste of space?" Serafina asked. She didn't wait for an answer. She leaned down and grabbed a handful of my hair, yanking my head back. "You're an embarrassment to the Silver-Moon name."
"Let her go," I heard a voice call out. It was Toby. He was moving through the crowd, his face pale. But before he could reach me, Kevin's friends blocked his path.
"Stay out of this, Toby," one of the warriors warned. "This is pack business. The Omega needs to learn her place."
Serafina let go of my hair, but only to shove my head back against the floor. Then, the first kick landed in my ribs. I curled into a ball, trying to protect my stomach. Another kick hit my shoulder, and then another caught my thigh.
"Beg!" Serafina hissed. "Beg for the moon to take back the mistake it made!"
I couldn't even scream. Each blow felt like it was breaking more than just my bones; it was breaking the very soul I had tried so hard to keep intact.
Kevin just stood there, watching with his arms crossed. He didn't stop them. He didn't even look away. He wanted this. He wanted the pack to see that he had no connection to the girl bleeding on the floor.
I managed to scramble to my knees, gasping for air. "Kevin... help me," I choked out.
He simply turned his back on me. That was the moment I realized I was truly alone. I forced myself to my feet, ignoring the pain shooting through my side. The crowd continued to jeer, throwing insults like stones.
I didn't wait for the next hit. I pushed through the gap in the circle and ran. I ran past Toby, who looked like he wanted to reach out but couldn't. I ran past Madame Vora, who watched me with cold, calculating eyes.
I burst through the heavy oak doors of the pack house and into the night. The cool air hit my face, but it didn't soothe the burning in my chest.
I didn't head for the cabins or the laundry room. I headed for the one place I knew no one would follow me: the deep, forbidden woods of the biome.
The trees were thick, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers. I ran until my lungs burned and my legs gave out. I stumbled over a thick root and crashed into the dirt, the damp earth staining my dress.
I stayed there, sobbing into the ground, wishing the earth would just open up and swallow me whole.
"Why?" I screamed at the sky. The satellite moon hung there, silent and uncaring. "Why give me a mate if he was just going to kill me?"
The forest suddenly went quiet. The crickets stopped their chirping, and even the wind seemed to die down.
A heavy, suffocating pressure filled the air. It felt like the atmosphere itself had become thick with power.
I sat up, wiping dirt and blood from my face. My heart began to thud differently now. It wasn't the panic of being bullied; it was the instinct of a prey animal sensing a predator.
Two massive shadows emerged from behind a row of ancient oaks. They were men, but they were larger than any men I had ever seen. They moved with a terrifying, synchronized grace.
As they stepped into the pale light of the moon, I saw their faces. They were identical—strong jaws, high cheekbones, and eyes that glowed with a molten, golden fire.
My breath hitched. My heart stopped. And then, a sound erupted from both of them at the same time. It was a low, vibrating growl that shook the very ground beneath me.
"Mate."