Garcia's POV
I step into my bedroom and pull the suitcases from the depths of my closet, setting them carefully on my bed. Time to pack what remains of my life in this place.
Only a handful of outfits hang in my closet now, and just basic toiletries sit on my bathroom counter. Everything else that matters to me is already tucked away in these bags. The choice to abandon Stone Hollow Pack crystallized at my Sweet Sixteen celebration, and my destination has been clear ever since.
The Elders will teach me everything I need to master my role as Beta. Somewhere out there, a pack exists that will value me for exactly who I am, not who they think I should be.
My weapons rest securely in my car's trunk. I retrieve them when duty calls, clean them thoroughly afterward, then return them to their hiding place. All that remains now is this final packing, and then everyone will understand exactly why I'm walking away.
Let me set the record straight. I'm Garcia, eighteen years old, and my Lycan Nancy emerged a year ago. Life hasn't exactly rolled out any red carpets for me, but I clung to hope that finding my Mate would change everything.
That hope died a brutal death.
I'm finished with these people and their twisted version of leadership.
I climb back to the Alpha floor, and the sounds hit me immediately. Thane and Julia are still going at it, but my heart feels nothing but ice.
"Harder, Thane," Julia's voice drifts through the door. "I want your pup. Fill me up completely." Thane's responding groan echoes before he roars his release.
I slam the door open with enough force to rattle the frame. Julia tumbles to the floor as Thane shoves her away from him, both of them scrambling in shock. The room reeks of their betrayal.
I don't wait for explanations. I spin around and stride toward the exit.
"Garcia, please stop," Thane calls out, hopping awkwardly as he struggles into sweatpants. "This isn't what you think. It just happened."
My silence speaks louder than any words. I continue down the stairs, hearing their footsteps scrambling behind me.
The main dining room falls silent the instant I enter. Whispers ripple through the crowd when Thane and Julia appear behind me, the scent of sex clinging to them like a neon sign.
"I, Garcia, reject you, Thane, as my Mate," I announce, turning to face him directly.
"Whether you accept this rejection doesn't concern me. Just know it won't prevent me from pursuing my own happiness, and you'll bear the full weight of refusing to accept it."
Alpha Frost rises from his seat. "Garcia, why are you rejecting our son?"
I meet his gaze without flinching. "Because Julia wanted what belonged to me, and she got it. Your son bedded Julia despite knowing our Mate-bond was nearly complete. Now I understand why he insisted on keeping us secret."
I pivot back to face the guilty pair. Thane stares at me, his hands pressed against his chest. I feel nothing, though that might change if he accepts my rejection.
"You wanted him, Julia. Congratulations, he's yours. Everything that was once mine now belongs to you. I hope you find tremendous joy together, and I hope this victory tastes as sweet as you imagined."
I walk past them toward the exit.
"You can't leave," Thane shouts from the doorway. "You're my Mate."
"Not anymore. You made your choice when you crawled into bed with her. Now live with the aftermath." I face him one final time. "You've always prioritized Julia over me, just like your family, the Gamma family, and even my own father. You never missed an opportunity to tell me how much prettier you found her. Our Mate-bond might have shown you how wrong you were, how deeply your words wounded me, and I might have forgiven you because of that bond. But sleeping with another woman? That's unforgivable."
My voice remains steady and cold as ice.
The dining room holds its collective breath, waiting for the next act in this drama.
"Garcia, perhaps there's a reasonable explanation..." Alpha Frost begins.
I cut him off with a snarl. "What possible explanation exists for your son being buried deep inside Julia? In what universe could this be accidental?"
More pack members flood into the dining room, drawn by the spectacle unfolding before them.
My father finally stands, and curiosity burns through me about his contribution to this mess.
"Garcia, you're the future Beta. You already hold significant status in Stone Hollow Pack. Why not allow Julia the honor of Luna?" he suggests.
Nancy growls furiously in my mind, but she remains hidden. Neither of us wants him to discover we've already shifted or that we know about his lies regarding my mother.
"HAVE YOU COMPLETELY LOST YOUR MIND?" I explode. "YOU WANT ME TO HAND OVER MY MATE TO JULIA, JUST LIKE YOU GAVE HER THE FINAL GIFT MOM LEFT ME? JUST LIKE THE FAMILY HEIRLOOM YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PRESENT ON MY SIXTEENTH BIRTHDAY? GET A GRIP ON REALITY. I DESPISE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU."
I capitalize on his stunned silence.
"Thane, this is your final opportunity to accept my rejection. Once I walk through that door, the chance might never come again."
Understanding finally dawns in his eyes. No one can change my mind.
"I, Thane, accept your rejection," he says quietly, recognizing that forgiveness is impossible.
I stride out of the Pack-house without a backward glance, climb into my SUV, and drive toward my new life.