Luna's POV
Three days after the poisoning, I was finally strong enough to go back to school.
Mrs. Rivers' anti-toxin had saved my life, but I was still weak. Selene's healing powers worked overtime to repair the damage, but years of slow poisoning had taken their toll. I felt fragile, like one strong wind could break me in half.
"Stay close to me today," Sage whispered as we walked through the school entrance. "Don't let anyone corner you alone."
I nodded, too tired to argue.
The moment we stepped into the hallway, I knew something was wrong.
Everyone stared at me. Not the usual ignoring-the-omega stares—these were different. Disgusted. Angry. Judgmental.
Two girls I'd never spoken to whispered behind their hands, their eyes raking over me with contempt. A group of guys near the lockers laughed when I passed, making crude gestures.
"What's happening?" I whispered to Sage.
Before she could answer, someone shoved me hard from behind. I stumbled into the lockers, my weak body unable to catch itself properly.
"Slut," a voice hissed.
I turned to see Jessica, one of the popular girls who usually pretended I didn't exist. Her face was twisted with disgust.
"Excuse me?" I said, confused.
"Don't play innocent," Jessica spat. "Everyone knows what you've been doing. It's disgusting."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Really?" Jessica crossed her arms. "You're going to pretend you haven't been offering yourself to different pack members? Trading your body for protection and food?"
My blood went cold. "What? That's not true! I would never—"
"Ryland told everyone," another girl interrupted. "He said he caught you trying to seduce Marcus in the training room. Said you've been doing it for months with different warriors."
Through the mate bond connecting me to Ryland, I felt a spike of amusement. Dark, cruel amusement.
He was enjoying this.
I searched the crowded hallway and found him leaning against the wall near the cafeteria, surrounded by his usual admirers. His green eyes met mine across the distance, and he smirked.
Through our bond, I felt everything he was feeling—the satisfaction of a plan well-executed, the thrill of watching me squirm, the pleasure of being the center of attention while destroying someone else.
He'd done this on purpose. Spread these lies deliberately.
"It's not true," I said, my voice shaking. "None of it is true."
"Sure it's not," Jessica said sarcastically. "That's why Ryland saw you himself. Why would he lie?"
Because he's my mate and doesn't know it, I thought bitterly. Because hurting me gives him some sick pleasure he doesn't understand.
More students gathered, creating a circle around me. Their faces showed disgust, anger, and self-righteous judgment.
"My brother almost helped you carry books last week," a boy named Trevor said angrily. "Were you going to try something with him too? He's only sixteen!"
"No! I never—"
"Omegas like you give the rest of us a bad name," another omega girl said, her voice cold. "Trading sex for favors? That's disgusting."
I felt like I was drowning. The walls closed in, faces blurred together, voices overlapped into one condemning roar.
Through the bond with Ryland, I felt his amusement grow stronger. He was feeding off this, enjoying every second of my humiliation.
"That's enough!" Sage pushed through the crowd, standing between me and the mob. "You're all idiots if you believe this garbage. Luna has never done anything like that!"
"Ryland Shadowpeak doesn't lie," Jessica shot back. "Why would the future Beta make something like this up?"
"Because he's a bully," Sage said fiercely. "And you're all sheep for believing him."
"Watch your mouth," Trevor warned. "That's pack Beta you're insulting."
The crowd pressed closer, hostile and angry. Someone threw a wadded-up paper that hit my shoulder. Someone else muttered "whore" just loud enough for me to hear.
Through my three mate bonds, I felt different reactions from the brothers.
Kael was in a meeting, completely focused on pack business. He felt nothing about my situation because he didn't even know it was happening.
Dante was in the training facility, working through drills. His emotions were locked down tight as always, unaware his brother was destroying our mate's reputation.
But Ryland—Ryland was basking in his success. Through our bond, I felt him watching from across the hall, felt his pride at how well his rumor had spread, felt his twisted enjoyment of the chaos he'd created.
He wanted me to suffer. And he wanted to watch.
Our eyes met again across the crowd. His smirk widened.
Then he did something that made my heart stop.
Ryland pushed off the wall and walked toward the crowd. Everyone parted for him immediately, giving the Alpha's son the respect they'd never show me.
He stopped right in front of me, close enough that I could smell his cologne. Close enough that the mate bond between us screamed and burned.
"Luna," he said loudly, his voice carrying across the now-silent hallway. "I think we need to talk about your behavior."
Through the bond, I felt his anticipation. He was about to twist the knife deeper.
"I didn't do anything," I whispered.
"That's not what Marcus told me." Ryland's voice was sad, disappointed—a perfect act. "He said you cornered him after training last week. Offered to... help him relax. In exchange for making sure you got better food from the kitchen."
Lies. All lies.
"Marcus would never say that," I protested weakly.
"Are you calling me a liar?" Ryland's green eyes hardened. Through the bond, I felt his thrill at this confrontation. "Are you saying I'd make up something this serious about a pack member?"
The crowd murmured angrily. Calling an Alpha's son a liar was serious. Omegas didn't do that and survive.
"I... no, but—"
"Look, I understand things are hard for you," Ryland continued, his voice dripping with false sympathy. "You're an orphan, you don't have much. But Luna, there are proper ways to ask for help. Throwing yourself at males isn't the answer."
Through our bond, his amusement was so strong it made me nauseous. He was enjoying every second of this humiliation. Every moment of my pain fed something dark inside him.
"I never threw myself at anyone," I said, tears burning my eyes.
"Then explain why three different warriors have mentioned your... advances," Ryland said. "Explain why you're always hanging around the training grounds, watching the males."
I couldn't explain. Because the truth—that I watched the training grounds because three mate bonds pulled me there constantly—would sound insane.
"She's sick," someone in the crowd muttered. "Desperate omega."
"Maybe she should be removed from the pack," another voice suggested. "Before she causes real problems."
Through the bond, Ryland's satisfaction peaked. This was exactly what he wanted—the entire pack turning against me, isolating me even more.
But why? What did he gain from this?
Through our bond, I caught a flicker of something underneath his amusement. Something that felt like... self-hatred. Like he hated himself for doing this but couldn't stop.
"I think Luna needs to spend some time reflecting on her choices," Ryland announced. "Maybe she should be restricted from common areas. For everyone's safety."
"That's not fair!" Sage protested. "She hasn't done anything wrong!"
"Are you defending this behavior, Sage?" Ryland turned his calculating gaze on my friend. "That's interesting. Maybe we should investigate whether you've been helping her."
Sage paled. I grabbed her arm, stopping her from saying anything that would make this worse.
"I'll stay away from common areas," I said quietly, defeated. "Whatever you want."
Ryland's smile was triumphant. "Good. I'm glad we understand each other."
He walked away, his admirers following like ducklings. Through our bond, I felt his satisfaction slowly fade, replaced by that self-hatred again. But he pushed it down, buried it under layers of charm and performance.
The crowd dispersed, shooting me disgusted looks as they left. Within minutes, only Sage and I remained in the now-empty hallway.
"Luna—" Sage started.
"Don't," I interrupted, wiping away angry tears. "Just... don't."
Through the mate bond with Ryland, I felt him join his brothers in the cafeteria. Felt him laugh and joke with Kael and Dante like he hadn't just destroyed someone's reputation for fun.
Dante's emotions flickered—confusion, unease. Like his wolf sensed something wrong but couldn't identify what.
Kael felt nothing. As usual.
"Why?" I whispered. "Why does he enjoy hurting me so much?"
"Because he hates himself," Selene answered quietly. "And hurting others makes him feel powerful when inside he feels weak."
"That doesn't make it okay."
"No. It doesn't."
I spent the rest of the day hiding in empty classrooms, avoiding everyone. The rumors spread like wildfire. By the end of school, even teachers looked at me with disgust.
Mrs. Blackwood actually smiled when she saw me—the first smile she'd ever given me. She enjoyed seeing me brought lower than I already was.
When I finally made it back to the basement that evening, I collapsed on my ratty couch and let myself cry.
Through the three mate bonds, I felt my mates having dinner upstairs. Ryland was still riding the high of his successful cruelty. Kael was discussing pack business. Dante was quiet as always, but that unease in him was growing.
They were my fated mates. The wolves the Moon Goddess herself had chosen for me.
And one of them had just destroyed my reputation and enjoyed every second of it.
"We need to leave," Selene said urgently. "Luna, we can't survive this. Between the poison and the cruelty and the one-sided bonds... we're breaking."
She was right. I was breaking. Piece by piece, day by day, my spirit was shattering.
"Soon," I promised. "As soon as I'm strong enough. We'll run and never look back."
Through the bond with Ryland, I felt him laugh at something Kael said.
My mate, who treated destroying me like a fun game.
And I had to feel every moment of his amusement through our bond.
This wasn't love.
This was torture.