Chapter 6 Betrayed & Banished

Serena

"Carrying whose child?" Alpha Marcus's deep voice thundered again, slicing through the heavy silence like a blade.

I froze.

My mouth felt dry. My knees trembled. I looked around, hoping this was a nightmare. But it wasn't. The stone floor under my feet was cold. The eyes that stared at me—Marcus, the Elders, the guards—were cold.

"I-I'm pregnant," I whispered, my voice shaking. "With their child. Rhys, Callum, Dominic... they marked me. We are mates. They claimed me. Last night."

Marcus’s jaw clenched. The room fell deathly silent.

And then Rhys laughed.

"That’s a lie," he said, his face void of any warmth. His words punched the air out of my lungs.

"What...? Rhys, no, you—" I tried to speak, but Callum stepped forward.

"She only arrived two days ago. There’s no way she’s carrying our child," Callum said, calm but cold. His eyes didn’t even flicker toward me.

My heart shattered.

Dominic added flatly, "She was upset about that prank we played on her at the wedding. That’s why she’s doing this. To ruin us."

"No! That’s not true!" I screamed, tears spilling down my cheeks. "You told me you loved me. You said the bond was real! You marked me—"

The Elders muttered among themselves. One of them, an old woman with silver eyes, stepped forward.

"This is a serious accusation," she said. "To falsely claim a mating bond and pregnancy with future Alphas... that is a crime."

My legs gave out. I dropped to my knees.

How could they?

Was it all a game to them? Last night, they held me like I was the center of their world. They whispered promises. They made love to me. They told me I was theirs. All three of them.

Now?

They acted like I was nothing.

Like I was dirt.

The Elder's voice rang again. "And her blood... her mother was a rogue. We can’t overlook that. She has no place in the pack hierarchy."

"No," I whispered. "Please... I’m just telling the truth."

But Marcus turned his face away. "Take her to the cells. Tomorrow, the court will decide."

Guards grabbed my arms. I screamed. I cried. I begged them to believe me. But no one looked back. Not even them.

Not even my mates.

---

The cell was freezing.

I sat curled in a corner, shivering in the darkness. My sweater clung to me like a second skin, soaked from crying. My body ached—not just physically, but deeper, in my soul.

I kept remembering the way Callum kissed my forehead. The way Rhys said, "We'll make you ours tonight." The way Dominic touched my face, as if I was precious.

Liars.

I wanted to scream, but no sound came.

Only silent sobs.

I clutched my stomach. There was a life inside me. A small flicker of warmth that still existed—even if no one believed me.

Even if the fathers didn’t want it.

---

Cold water splashed over me the next morning.

I gasped, sitting up with a cough. Guards dragged me up before I could wipe my face.

"It’s time."

They hauled me through the halls. My feet scraped against the stone. I didn’t fight. I had no energy left to fight.

Outside, hundreds had gathered. Warriors, women, children—even the Royal pack.

All to witness my humiliation.

Marcus stood at the center, surrounded by the Elders.

"Serena Blackwood," one Elder began, opening a thick leather-bound book. "By the laws of the Moonstone Pack, lying about a mating bond is treason. Implying a child belongs to future Alphas is worse. And as someone of rogue blood, you already stand on unstable ground."

I stood still, breathing hard. My legs shook.

She continued, "You are accused of falsely claiming a pregnancy with the triplets. Do you deny it?"

"No," I said, loud and clear. "I don't deny it. Because it's the truth."

Gasps filled the crowd. Someone threw a stone at my feet. Others murmured, "Shameless," and "She wants power."

I didn’t flinch.

"Check the mark. The pregnancy sign. It’s there!" I pleaded. "I’m not lying."

The Elder ignored me. "The punishment for these crimes is death—by electrocution."

I fell to my knees. "No. Please. I beg you. I didn’t do anything wrong."

Then, Marcus raised his hand.

Silence.

"As Alpha, I propose we change the punishment," he said. "Serena is still Luna’s daughter. Her mother was a good woman. So instead of death..."

He turned to me.

"You are hereby banished from Moonstone Pack. If you are found on this land again... you will be shot on sight."

The words hit me harder than any blow.

I saw Vivian next to Marcus. Clutching his arm. She said nothing. Didn’t look at me. Didn’t cry. Sge was whispered something to Marcus. Her silence was louder than a scream.

The guards yanked me away.

My knees hit the floor again. I stared at the ground. My vision blurry.

The guards pulled me up again. My eyes searched the crowd.

The triplets. Rhys. Callum. Dominic.

They didn't even look at me.

I struggled. "Check! Just check the mark! I’m telling the truth!"

No one listened.

The crowd chanted. "Banish her!" "Greedy girl!"

"She tried to trap them!"

The same people who welcomed me a day ago... now hated me.

I was dragged and thrown into a truck. My hands were still cuffed. The guard laughed as he drove.

"Rogues like you should’ve been drowned at birth," he spat.

I said nothing. I stared out the window. I couldn’t cry anymore.

They dumped me at the border like trash.

"Go on. Run. Maybe the wild beasts will finish you off," he said with a grin, then drove away.

I sat alone in the darkness, still cuffed, shivering.

Then I heard growls.

Glowing eyes in the woods.

Rogues. Real ones. Wild. Starving.

The approach me from the trees.

Shit.

I stepped back.

"Please... I-I don't want to fight..."

My hands were still cuffed. I couldn’t shift. I couldn’t defend myself.

They were circling me. Closer. Closer.

I scrambled up. With my hands still bound.

"Shit... I'm dead."