Ch - 3: Secrets Out

~Eleanor~

Isabella was gritting her teeth nonstop. I could already see how nervous she was.

Tsk, stupid thing! I snickered as we walked towards the massive hall.

****

“In the presence of everyone in this pack, I, Beta Victor Darkmore, shall answer all questions posed to me by Eleanor Sinclair, my rejected mate,” Beta Victor declared openly the moment he got to the meeting room.

I felt my legs weaken, and my earlier conviction almost flew out the window.

This is another weakness of mine: the crowd. I rarely have the confidence to stand in front of a crowd.

“Don't you understand what it means to be rejected? Why are you still bothering Beta Victor and Beta Isabella's relationship?” Someone in the crowd gloated, and my breath hitched in discomfort.

“I have no idea as to how she thinks,” another spat without regard to how I felt.

“I agree with you, dear. She's so stupid to be doing what she's doing,” a red-eyed omega added.

"I am wondering what she wants to ask now.”

“What else? She's here to question the beta's decision to reject her,” Isabella replied, glaring disdainfully at me.

Hearing all of the side comments made my heart twist in misery.

Why does no one understand what I am going through? Why are they unable to simply imagine how horrible it feels and place themselves in my position?

I lowered my head to the side and wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes. I could not allow them to think less of me.

I sniffed gently before turning and looking directly into Beta Victor's eyes, free of fear or embarrassment.

"I would like to know why you rejected me after you marked me. I am curious as to why. You could have done it before the marking ceremony, but you did not.

“You choose to mark, defile, and then reject me, despite knowing the consequences. Why would you choose to ruin my life despite everything I have done for this pack? That too with my sister.” I questioned, feeling relieved as the tension in my heart finally subsided.

Beta Victor cracked up, staring mockingly at me.

“You want to know why?” he asked, still chuckling. Seeing that I said no words, he continued this time, pointing at me and then at himself.

“I, Beta Victor Darkmore, will never accept a mate who is not strong enough to stand by me. I will reject any mate who is not confident enough to stand in front of a large crowd. And most importantly, I shall reject every mate who cannot communicate with her wolf and cannot use her abilities. That's the difference between you and your sister, Isabella.” He proclaimed this proudly to the pack members who were present.

My doubts turned out to be correct. He knows my deepest and darkest secret, and now everyone knows it.

I turned to look at Isabella, my breathing getting heavier with each passing second.

It was her, she had told Beta Victor everything about me, despite knowing he was my mate.

I wish I could rip their hearts out to see which nasty bug is rotten in them. Wait, what am I even thinking? I don't believe they both have hearts.

Gasps and murmurs erupted from the gathering. All had judgmental expressions. Even the omegas were staring at me with disdain.

Beta Victor snarled, and a glimpse of evil and wickedness seemed to have flashed through his deep irises.

“I announce that Eleanor Sinclair will not be sentenced to life in the dungeon in two days. Instead, she's cursed to become a lone wolf for the rest of her life. And that starts right now,” he once again declared.

It feels like someone crushed my brain. A lone wolf—did he just curse me to be a lone wolf for the rest of my life? Or am I misunderstanding something?

“That can never happen. I will never watch you curse my daughter to a lonely fate.” Father's angry voice resounded in the entire hall.

The place instantly went calm, and everyone was silent, not saying a single word.

Beta Victor raised his brows at Father. There was not a single sign of respect in his expression.

“Ooh! I just cursed her, and you were watching,” he said, laughing amusingly.

“I give you no right to speak to my father like that. Say all you want to me, but don't you dare cross the line? I admit I have made myself a tool for you, but beware; no one has the right to speak to my father rudely. Not even you, Victor Darkmore.”

To everyone's amazement, I shrieked, pointing fingers at him. My voice held an uncontrollable fury. Father might indeed have irked me with his silence, but I realized he must have been in a difficult situation; after all, Isabella was his biological daughter. And I was just someone he had picked up from the slave auction.

Beta Victor's pupils constricted. He sent a sign to his guards, and before I could understand what was happening, they seized Father with a shimmering silver sword pointed at his neck.

“Father!” I yelled, about to rush over, when two guards suddenly blocked my way.

“Get out of my way, you loyal losers,” I roared, but they didn't even budge.

I turned to face the beta, staring daggers at him.

“Don't you dare point a finger at my father? Now order your brainless, loyal dog guards to get their swords away from his neck.” I requested.

“Don’t you feel ashamed to ask your guards to point a sword at your wife’s father?”

Beta Victor gawked at me, not saying a word, for a complete minute. Isabella rolled her eyes at me as she proceeded to sit on the stool that was brought by one of the guards.

“Accept your fate as a cursed, lone wolf for life, at the expense of your father's life and freedom,” Beta Victor suddenly declared as he dropped the bombshell.

I looked at the heartless man in front of me. All I could feel for him was hatred, disgust, and disappointment.

I've never done anything to make him hate me, but today he has proven to me that not all men are like Cyrus, my childhood sweetheart. Sadly, he's out of town to search for his mate.

I gulped hard, looking over at Father, who kept shaking his head pathetically at me. I could imagine him saying,

“Don't force this, dear daughter; I'm old now. It's not a big crime if I die. But you are still young. You have yet to see anything. I've accompanied you for ten years. It's time I go meet my wife.”

Although I might be imagining things, I won't let that happen. How am I going to survive without my father? How will I sleep peacefully, knowing I'm alive at the expense of my father's death?

What guarantee do I have to be sure that Beta Victor won't kill me after killing my father? No, I don't want that.

“I, Eleanor Sinclair, accept to be cursed as a lone wolf who shall remain alone for the rest of my life,” I answered, turning around and walking away.

I halted when I got to the door and turned behind to see a grinning Isabella.

I rolled my eyes at the beta and said, “Maybe because you grew up without your father, you do not understand what it is to experience a father’s love.

“Separating me from the man who had treated me like my father never did and threatening me with his life is the biggest mistake you should not have committed. I'll make sure I remember this day for the rest of my life. Also, you've now officially made me an enemy in your pack. The day I get my chance for revenge…”

I paused again, my eyes scanning the entire hall filled with heartless people, and I clasped my fist.

“...I'll make you suffer the worst humiliation,” I concluded, and without looking behind me or paying attention to the people's outburst, I left the meeting hall looking dejected.