Zylia's POV
Killian's words echoed in my skull. It was heavy and dismissive. I wanted the floor to swallow me whole.
The hall was frozen. Everyone's head turned to me. They all had disgust and shock written in their faces.
My lips parted, but I found no words to say. My chest tightened, making it hard to breathe. "I...uhm.." My voice was cracked, breaking my words.
Killian didn't move, nor did he waver. His dark gaze was locked on me as he moved closer. His hands stretched at me, "Come forward,"
He wasn't talking about me. Was he?
"Come," he said again, confirming I was the one he was talking about. I stared at his hand, then I looked back at him.
Should I take it? Should I not?
My legs moved on their own. I couldn't control them. It was like they had a mind of their own. They trembled as I moved closer to him, trembling.
Then, I placed my hand into his.
His touch sent a sudden warmth through me. I had never felt anything like it before, almost like it awakened my whole body, like my heart was set on fire. My knees felt weak at every step but I couldn't help it.
Then, the whispers broke loose. "This is madness..."
"She's an omega!" "Impossible."
Lilith's voice cut louder than them all. "This is madness, Alpha Killian!" Her gown shimmered as she walked forward. She had fury written all over her face. "She is an omega. How can she be your fated mate?!"
Gasps scattered again.
"Alpha," Beta Lucious's voice added, low but sharp. He bowed his head but his eyes gleamed with disdain. "Forgive me, but this cannot be. The Moon Goddess would never tie you to... her."
My stomach clenched. I wanted to shrink into the floor, vanish into shadow. My hand twitched in Killian's grasp, but he held firm.
Then the priestess moved forward. White robes trailed the floor, her staff clinking softly. The room silenced again.
She raised her eyes toward the chandeliers, then to Killian. "Alpha," she said solemnly, "before the bond is sealed, hear the words given to me."
Killian's jaw tensed. "Speak."
The priestess's voice carried, strong and clear.
"The Alpha's mate shall be his downfall.
Beneath the blood moon, she will betray him.
One he loves will wear the crown of ruin."
A wave of gasps surged once again, but this time it was louder.
My chest constricted. Betray him? Crown of ruin? All eyes cut to me.
I would never do such a thing.
"No..." I whispered, shaking my head. "That's not... I can't.... I won't"
My words galloped, I couldn't get a single thing out.
"She's the one!" someone hissed.
"The prophecy fits her."
"Betrayal. Of course it would be her."
"What? Do you really think a servant like her would actually stay loyal to you?"
Lilith's eyes glittered, and she smirked faintly. "You see, Alpha? Even the Goddess warns you. She will betray you."
Beta Lucious stepped closer. "Killian, you must reject her. If you don't, the prophecy will destroy us all."
"No..." My voice came thin, desperate. "I would never...."
Killian's chest rose and fell hard. His hand trembled against mine. His dark eyes fixed on me, and for a moment, I could've sworn I saw something. It seemed like...conflict, longing, pain.
Did he... Did he really mean that?
Before I could figure it out, his face hardened. All emotions were lost.
"No," he muttered again, but this time to himself.
"Alpha," Lucious pressed, "save the pack. End this bond now."
"Killian," Lilith whispered sweetly, "you know it's true."
The weight of the room pressed down on him. His grip slipped from mine. Cold shot through me like ice water.
"No," I whispered. "Please... don't listen to them."
Killian shut his eyes, jaw tight, then opened them. An inferno burned in them.
"I, Killian Stormbane, Alpha of the Howlborne Pack..." His voice trembled just once, before it sharpened. "...reject you, Zylia Nightshade, as my mate."
The words struck like claws ripping my chest open. "What?" My throat burned. "No... you can't..."
Gasps washed the hall.
"I am sorry," Killian said, but his gaze slid away from me.
"But you just...." My voice cracked. "You just claimed me!"
The priestess lifted her staff. "Repeat the words, girl. Release him."
Tears stung my eyes. "I don't... I don't understand..."
"You must," she snapped.
Everyone looked at me with pity, curiosity, satisfaction.
Lilith's smirk widened.
My chest heaved. My heart shattered. Finally, broken, I whispered, "I... accept your rejection, Alpha Killian."
The bond tore apart, and I gasped like all air had been ripped from my lungs. Killian turned, striding away without a second glance. Lilith glided after him, her smile like victory.
"No!" I cried, stumbling a step after him. "Please, don't....don't leave"
"Enough!" The priestess's voice cracked like a whip. "Zylia Nightshade is marked by betrayal. She must be banished at once!"
"What?" My voice broke. The situation just got worse.
"She cannot stay," the priestess declared. "She will doom us. If she can betray the Alpha, then who are we?"
Her words drop like a bomb. Everyone's eyes turned to me.
"I knew there was something wrong with her," someone hissed.
Before I knew it, the guards seized me.
"No...please...I haven't done anything," I begged.
Beta Lucious's cold eyes met mine. His lips curled. "You heard the prophecy. You are a traitor in waiting."
"No!" I begged. "Please.....please, Killian!" But he was gone.
Lucious turned to the guards. "Take her home. Let her gather what little she owns. Then cast her out before moonrise."
The guards dragged me, whispers chasing me like daggers. ***
At my foster father's house, they shoved me inside. He sat at the table, shadows across his face. His eyes met mine, disgust etched in them.
"You've brought nothing but shame," he said coldly. "Father, please..."
"Don't call me that." His hand slammed the table, the sound like a crack of thunder. "If the Alpha rejects you, then you are nothing. If the priestess condemns you, you are cursed."
Tears blurred my vision. "You're sending me away, just like that?"
"You should never have been here to begin with." His voice was flat, final.
The guards shoved a torn bag at me. "Pack. Quickly."
My fingers shook as I stuffed what little I had into the bag. My father did not even look at me.
When I stepped outside, the guards pulled me through the village. Neighbors watched from their doors. Whispers followed me like fire.
At the gates, Beta Lucious stood waiting, arms folded. He handed me my bag with a smirk. "Go. Do not return."
"Please," I begged one last time. "Let me speak to Killian."
Lucious's smirk widened. "The Alpha gave no such order. This is where you belong, omen girl."
The gate slammed shut behind me.
I stood there, staring at the wood until their boots faded. Slowly, I turned.
The path in front of me was dark, no one knew what evil lay ahead of them.
I walked. My tears blurred everything. My bag dug into my shoulder, heavy, but not as heavy as my chest.
Every step replayed his voice: first claiming me, then casting me aside. Then, a branch snapped. I froze.
Another step crunched closer.
Someone was there in the shadows...behind me....