The shadow mark Luna mated to 7 identical Alpha Kings

"Lois," Kade's voice pierced the tension. Though his calm look indicated to her that he, too, felt the change, his presence next to her anchored her.

She nodded, hiding the tension in her chest. Let's finish this off.

The leaders stood at the centre of the pack's gathering circle, surrounded by their wolves. As she came closer, their gaze shifted to her. Just quiet judgement; no pleasant gestures or greetings. At the front, Tyler's formerly known face was an unreadable mask.

Though she maintained her head high and moved forward with the grace of a leader who understood her place, Lois's heart raced. But today, something seemed off. She had sacrificed everything for Tyler, their shared past, the evenings spent plotting together, but she couldn't ignore the discomfort crawling under her skin.

Tyler's eyes furrowed as she came into view. Quiet yet chilly, his voice cut through the stillness. "Lois," he replied, his eyes scanning over her as though she were only a shadow. We should now discuss your declining strength's increasing cause for concern.

His comments were like a gut punch, sending a shudder down Lois. Though she hoped it would pass, her strength had been declining recently and she had kept it to herself. The pack wasn't blind, either. They had observed.

Tyler's next words resonated in the air, freezing her before she could answer.

Lois, you have grown to be a liability. The Shadow Mark no longer helps you as it once did. Your deeds show that your power has faded. You are unfit to govern now.

Lois's breath stopped. Her mouth became dry and her chest started to tighten. She had battled for Tyler, bled for him, and stayed with him through all he faced. But now, he was throwing her away like some damaged tool.

The pack stirred, the air filled with whispers of doubt and confusion. Lois maintained her cool even as her heart sunk. She would not allow them observe her waver.

Tyler's gaze pierced hers, the weight of his words last. You are now banished. Not welcome anymore amid the pack.

The statement suffocated her, hanging there. She struggled to control her breath as her eyesight momentarily blurred. Though she had realised the price of weakness, hearing Tyler's own words felt like a death sentence.

Then, as her eyes burned with betrayal, the next words he whispered pierced the quiet: "Your bloodline is a menace to us all. You will not lead again.

Lois stood there, her whole body shaking under the burden of Tyler's betrayal. Her family, the pack, looked at her as though she had already been lost to them. Her mind raced, too overwhelmed to grasp the immensity of what had just occurred. How could he accomplish this? After all they had shared, how could Tyler turn against her?

Though she didn't dare to move, her hands at her sides formed fists and her nails dug into her palms. Not just now. She had to know this to be able to understand it. The reality, however, remained: Tyler had condemned her, no matter how much she looked for a justification.

Tyler's frigid look softened, but only a little. His voice was low and steady as he moved forward. Lois, you were once my equal. Your might, your lack of control, however, is more than the pack can bear. You have become a liability; it is my responsibility to shield them.

"You... you have ruined everything," Lois said softly, her voice strained.

Tyler said, "Lois, you decided to let it go." Your decision has this outcome.

Every one of his words was like a dagger and left a mark. Lois sensed the warmth of the pack's loyalty fading from her, replaced by their cautious glances, their mistrust. She had let them down; in doing so, she had let herself down too.

The Alpha Kings lowered their eyes one by one to show their quiet consent. Their eyes had already sealed the council's vote.

Lois looked at Kade, looking for something on his expression that may account for this. But there was nothing at all. His face unreadable, he stood still. Even Kade, the guy she had learnt to trust, looked far away, almost like a stranger in this moment.

"Lois," Tyler murmured again, his voice reverberating. Get out. You have no spot here.

Weak in body and heart aching with the sting of treachery, Lois stumbled across the wilderness. Tyler's callousness was a constant echo in her head; the pack was missing. For him, for the group, she had given all she had. She had bled for them, fought with them. She was now just an outsider.

Her body throbbed from the burden of her travels, and as the sun started to set below the horizon, she understood how far she had been thrown off. The world seemed empty, quiet, as if it had forgotten her.

Kade's words had hung around, but even his comfort had seemed meaningless. Tyler's rejection weighed heavily on her and left her alone in a society that no more valued her.

Lois's thoughts drifted to Tyler, her former mate, her once-beloved leader, as she travelled deeper into the woods away from the pack's domain. How had things gotten to this point? What had altered between them?

A rustle from behind caused her to stop moving. Her senses on alert, she spun fast but only saw the changing trees. Someone-no, something-stepped out from the shadows, causing her breath to catch.

Kade,

His dark eyes met hers, and in that moment, Lois felt a tiny, fragile spark of hope.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, his voice emotionally hoarse. "I couldn't help it."

Fighting the tears threatening to spill, she swallowed hard. "I didn't request you to."

"You didn't have to," he remarked gently. You are not by yourself.

Every step seemed more difficult than the last for her feet. She could not stop; if she did, she might never rise again. Wiping the moisture from her face, her hands trembled as she wondered whether it was the rain or the tears she could no longer hold back.

Her heart ached as shame and rage twisted inside her, "I gave everything for him," she said. "All."

The distant howls of the wolves only served to increase her sense of isolation and disconnection from all she had known. Tyler had labelled her weak and a liability, but he had no idea how much remaining strength she possessed. She was not finished. Not yet.

Fatigue made her eyesight hazy. She was so exhausted, exhausted of running, exhausted of struggling for the pack's allegiance when she knew she had none remaining.

"How could he pull this off?" she thought angrily. "After all, how could he betray me?"

Lois sensed a presence despite the heavy fog of her weariness hiding it. A change in the atmosphere. Though she couldn't explain it, she could feel the draw of something far more powerful than herself. Something... living.

In the distance, a low, deep, rich growl reverberated through her chest. That sound was familiar to her. Wolf. But these weren't the group that had betrayed her, the rogue wolves who had assaulted her. This was unique.

Her heart pounding in her chest, her limbs quaking, she forced herself up. A flash of movement drew her attention; she stopped. A big figure appeared through the trees, gleaming softly in the twilight. His form was magnificent and dominating; when he entered the clearing, she could feel the strength radiating from him like a physical force.

She gasped. He was amazing, his black, smooth hair and burning intensity in his gaze that would have killed her. With every step, his muscles rippled, showing grace in his movement. And as he approached, she understood one thing: he wasn't just any wolf.

He was an alpha.

The sight of him awakened in her something profound, a pull she could not deny. The air around her appeared to thrum with his might, making her heart beat.

Deep and forceful, his voice pierced the stillness. Lois.

The name she goes by. He had stated it with confidence, as though he had known her all her life. As she remained still, the world appeared to hold its breath.

Lois's heart raced; her feet were planted on the earth not in terror but in something more deep. She didn't get how this Alpha could make her feel so much in only a second of eye contact. But as his presence enveloped her, she felt an inescapable pull deeper than anything she had ever experienced prior.

"Come," he urged once again, his voice a soft breeze calming the tension in her body, "It's time."

She opened her mouth to talk but came up empty. What was that? What was he like? What made her so attracted to him?

The Alpha stepped closer, his eyes fixed on hers. Then, as though the forest itself had breathed, the shadows appeared to bend around them, drawing the landscape into sight. Lost in his gaze, her spirit stretched out looking for something unnamed.

"Lois," he continued again, his voice like a promise, "Your path has only started."