“You dare to flaunt your relationship with my mate?” she hissed, grinding her heel into the photograph. “This only proves your guilt".
My breath was coming in short spasms now as I was dragged out of my room, my arms held tightly by two security men who had come on Ember’s command.
The sting of the earlier humiliation still burned in my chest but the taunts and sneers from Ember made it feel like my skin was already on fire. All around me, pack members had gathered, every one of them had their phones out and pointed at me recording every second of my disgrace. I could hear the buzz of notifications, messages and live-stream comments beeping from Ember’s phone.
As we went down the dorm, I saw that the college compound was already filling with people, everyone must have seen the live stream and hence they rushed here to witness it themselves. Ember walked behind me as they dragged me out, a smug smile on her face, her phone and tripod standing still recording my distress, proud of the chaos she had created.
“Look at this pathetic excuse for a girl,” Ember’s voice rang out, cutting through the murmurs of the crowd. “Trying to claim my place, my title, my mate. And for what? For attention? For sympathy? Her words were amplified by a small speaker clipped to her jacket, ensuring everyone could hear her loud and clear.
As we walked through the Pack land, she kept hurling insults at me, taunting me, calling me every unprintable name you can think of.
I struggled against the security men, trying to free myself but their grip was too strong. The Pack’s central clearing came into view, the place where I should have been celebrating my graduation with pride. Instead, I was being paraded like a rogue. My reputation would forever be soiled in front of everyone I had ever known. I could feel the eyes of the pack members boring into me, some were filled with doubt, others scorn.
“Please, Ember, just stop this,” I pleaded but my voice was barely more than a whisper, drowning out my Ember’s loud voice that was still taunting me.
“Stop? Oh, no, sweetie,” she laughed “This is only the beginning,” she said and turned to her audience again with a wicked grin. “You all need to see this for what it is – a desperate attempt to seduce my Alpha, to tear apart our bond on the very day of our union!”