CHAPTER 4 ( The Rejection )

The room erupted in murmuring as Jasper remained still, his eyes shifting between Lyra and Ariana. Lyra's heart pounded in her chest, each beat louder than the clamor around her. It wasn't just the murmurs from the crowd; it was the weight of his hesitancy, the keen edge of treachery she hadn't seen but could feel approaching.

"Jasper," she said softly, her voice shaking as she moved nearer, her amber eyes begging. "What is going on?" "Why is she here?"

Jasper startled at her words, shame flashing across his green stare, but it was quickly replaced with the cool, calculating manner of an Alpha.

He lifted his hand to quiet the throng, and the room responded, the weight of his power evident.

"Everyone out," Jasper said, his tone harsh. "Now."

The aristocrats and pack members exchanged anxious looks before leaving hastily. Ariana, on the other hand, stayed, her sapphire eyes gleaming with delight.

"Jasper," Lyra said again, her voice breaking. "Speak to me. Please."

Jasper glanced at her, his jaw hardening. His lips pulled together in a narrow line, as if he were going to pronounce a judgment. Ariana leaned on the table and smirked.

"You deserve the truth," he said, his voice devoid of love.

Lyra's knees threatened to crumble. "What is the truth?" "What truth?"

Jasper breathed deeply, the tightness in his shoulders palpable. "You're not the mate I want."

The words hit her like a physical blow. She stumbled back, her golden eyes wide with shock. "What?" she whispered.

"I'm rejecting you, Lyra," Jasper murmured, his voice frigid and each word deliberate. "You were never anything I needed. "Ariana is.

Lyra's breath caught as she looked at Ariana, whose smug grin exacerbated the pain in her chest. "You can't mean that," Lyra replied, her voice cracking. "Jasper, we are linked. "You've marked me!"

"The bond was a mistake," Jasper said, his rage spilling over. "I didn't realize it at the time, but Ariana—"

"Ariana?" Lyra's voice raised with amazement, her hands clenched at her sides. "She abandoned you! She deceived you, and now you choose her over me?

"She's the one I love!" Jasper's yell silenced her. His confession rang across the great hall, hanging between them like a death knell.

Lyra's eyes welled with tears, but she refused to cry. "Love?" she spat. "You're not sure what it means. If you did, you wouldn't do this to me. To us."

Ariana eventually responded, her tone full of faux worry. "Oh, Lyra, don't make things tougher for yourself. It's best to go now with what little dignity you have left.

Lyra turned to face her, her amber eyes burning. "Stay out of this," she hissed, her wolf rising under her skin.

"Enough!" Jasper's words sliced through the tension like a dagger. He moved between them, his body tensed. "This is not a discussion, Lyra. It's finished.

"Done?" Lyra repeated in a hollow voice. Her shaking hand slid to her stomach—a delicate, instinctual gesture—but she swiftly removed it, hoping no one noticed. "You're casting me aside, just like that?"

Jasper didn't respond, confirming her worst worries.

Her chest agony gave way to wild, uncontrolled wrath. "You'll regret this, Jasper," she screamed, her voice full with hatred. "When everything breaks apart, it will recall this time. "Remember me."

Lyra spun on her heel, feeling the weight of the room bear down on her. As she approached the door, Ariana's words stopped her cold.

"Be sure to say goodbye properly, Lyra," Ariana cooed. "It's not every day someone gets banished from the Wulfgar Empire."

Lyra froze, holding her breath. Banished? She turned slowly, her golden eyes fixed on Jasper. "You wouldn't," she murmured.

Jasper's visage softened slightly, but Ariana's presence strengthened his determination. "You're no longer a part of this pack," he remarked, his tone firm. "You'll leave tonight."

Her world was devastated. Lyra felt like a ghost in her own flesh after losing her partner, pack, and rank. But she refused to give them the gratification of seeing her break.

"As you wish," she said coldly, her voice firm despite the tempest within. She raised her chin, her gaze steadfast. "But this isn't over."

As Lyra moved out of the big hall, the weight of rejection fell on her. She barely made it into the hallway before her knees collapsed.

But just as despair was about to engulf her, a hand stretched out to calm her.

"Lyra."

She glanced up and saw a hooded person, their face veiled by the faint light. They slid an envelope into her palm and murmured, "Your secret is safe…for now."

Her blood became chilly. "Who are you?" she asked, but the figure had vanished into the darkness.

Lyra opened the packet with shaky hands. Inside was a single piece of paper with two words written on it: Heir Confirmed.

Her stomach turned as the ramifications struck her like a freight train. Someone knew about her unborn kid. Someone was watching.

The rejection was no longer only about her and Jasper. The stakes had escalated, and Lyra recognized she was no longer battling only for herself.

She was battling for her baby—and for a future that Jasper had just abandoned.

Lyra held the paper to her chest as her thoughts raced. A faraway howl from a wolf rang through the night, a frightening reminder of the group she was leaving behind.

But then another sound came to her ears—a deep, guttural growl that sent chills down her spine.

Turning slowly, she came face to face with brilliant red eyes in the darkness.

"Leaving so soon?" A voice rumbled, its tone both sarcastic and frightening.

The shadows moved, exposing a person she hadn't seen in years—someone with no reason to be there, someone who had once vowed revenge on Jasper.

"Let's talk, Lyra," the person remarked with a wicked smirk on his face. "You and I have unfinished business.”

To be continued.