RAE'S POV
I shook my head, trembling slightly as I felt his hand encircle my throat.
He would kill me now, I thought. He had the power to. After all, many packs killed off females for having moonbane. At least, a quick death would be more merciful than the torturous punishment that usually came before death. The last girl with moonbane I had heard about had been flogged to death.
"Do you know with moonbane, your eyes change colour when you feel aroused? That was why you had your eyes shut the first day I saw you. I have that effect on you."
His voice was a soft whisper. I opened my mouth to deny the truth in his words, but I couldn't recognize the sound that came out of my mouth.
I felt his breath fan against my lips, and I stilled myself for the impact of another kiss. Would he kiss me right before he killed me?
I opened my mouth again to plead for mercy, and then we both heard it.
There were growing murmurs outside like a gathering of disgruntled people. Alpha Kendricks let go of me immediately, and we both stepped outside only to find ourselves facing the entire band of rogues I called family, a band that was about to become a pack.
Jerome stood in front of them. The moment he saw Alpha Kendricks and I step outside, he lay flat on his face to show respect to Alpha Kendricks, and the entire band all did the same.
Jerome then got up, and faced Alpha Kendricks. "I told you I had a gift for you to show my gratitude." He gestured towards me. "That's her over there."
I stood still, staring at the man I had thought I loved. A man I had thought would love me. A man I was pregnant for. I found myself filled with hurt, anger, and disgust. Jerome had no integrity. How could he betray me in such a way just to seal the assurance of him becoming Alpha.
Behind me, Alpha Kendricks laid a hand at the small of my back. "A gift I most heartily appreciate."
"You know she has moonbane," Jerome continued conversationally. "You can use her moonbane, or if you don't need that, she's a pretty good lay before you finally kill her."
Tears stung my eyes at his words. Surprising even myself, I stepped forward to where my ex-boyfriend stood and hit him across his cheek with my open palm.
He caught my hand, and I must have forgotten how rough he could get in contrast with Alpha Kendricks' surprising gentility, because I winced at the bruising pain his hold exerted on my wrist. "You stupid whore! You think I did not notice that your eyes changed colour earlier when you met the Lycan king for the first time? Since you burn so much for Alpha Kendricks, you shouldn't mind belonging to him."
Jerome turned to face the now booing crowd. "Look at her. An ill-mannered whore. She has just finished sleeping with Alpha Kendricks, a man she knows nothing about, now, she dares to attack her Alpha."
The crowd booed even more at me, as tears blinded my eyes. Did they not just hear him say he had given me as a mere gift to Alpha Kendricks? Didn't they see this was Jerome's fault?
Jerome continued in a loud voice that I was sure carried to the back of the crowd. The booing got worse, and yet he continued.
"And what's worse? She has moonbane."
It dawned on me then. Jerome had said all the crowd needed was a scapegoat to pour out their anger. He had chosen me as the scape goat!
There was an entire hush in the crowd. I could imagine them squinting at me, trying to see my eyes. The noise that erupted was so terrifying, I turned and fled.
I didn't make it far though. I collided into the rock-hard wall that was Alpha Kendricks, already getting hysterical, I shook like a leaf.
"Please let me go… Please I promise I… please I don't want to die." I continued sobbing uncontrollably against his chest as his arms held me. I expected him to slit my throat any minute, or worse, if he let me live, I imagined he'd want to use me as Jerome had suggested.
The ruckus from the crowd behind me got more wild, and a few objects pelted my back as they threw sharp things at me.
My entire life flashed before my face. This was how I would die, in the arms of a ruthless Alpha, betrayed by my boyfriend, and mobbed by the crowd I called family.
It took me a while to realize Alpha Kendricks' open palm on my back was not hurting me, but rubbing up and down in a soothing motion. "It's okay Sweetheart. Calm down and go inside. Let me handle this."
He let go of me then, and I fled towards his open door, half-comprehending what he had said. I knew that when he got in, he would want to kill me, or worse…. I couldn't even think of it.
Behind me, I could hear the loud voice of Jerome apologizing to Alpha Kendricks for causing a scene, and giving more advice to the Lycan king of how he can punish me.
I shut the door behind me, locking it firmly, although I knew locks were too flimsy a thing to keep Alpha Kendricks away.
I crumbled to the ground and cried my eyes out. I cried for the hurt, the betrayal, and the fact that I didn't know what would happen next.
Surprisingly, after the tears came anger, so powerful and engulfing it choked me. I had been nothing but loyal to Jerome. I had stood by him through his trying times, planned with him, loved him. I was even pregnant for him.
And now, now he had become Alpha, he had not only cast me aside, he had also betrayed me in the worst possible way. It had all been a set-up, him asking me to take a gift to the Lycan King and try to get information was merely so that he could expose my moonbane and throw me out to the crowd, as well as offer me to the Lycan King like I was a mere property.
Outside, I heard his carrying voice. "Today, in the presence of the entire pack, and our master the Lycan King, I name my Luna…"
I shut my ears so that I would not hear any more, and made a vow in my heart.
I would destroy Jerome, the father of my unborn child. If Alpha Kendricks let me live, I would use my last breath to pay Jerome back for this betrayal.
My resolve made me feel a lot braver, do that when Alpha Kendricks easily tore the door down, I turned to stare defiantly at him.
The expression on his face stole my breath away…