Chapter 6: The Exposed Truth and the Public Betrayal

An anonymous hacker had breached the pack's secure network, unleashing a series of damaging memory-crystals into the public domain. The scenes depicted were a brutal, unedited chronicle of my life under Tanya's shadow. There was the heart-wrenching moment when I'd begged not to have my bonded fox-familiar taken away, Tanya weeping crocodile tears while Wesley stood firmly against me. Another showed my despair as Tanya threatened to throw herself from the high cliffs when I refused to alter the sacred symbols in our mating chamber, with Wesley coldly ordering me to "be the bigger person." The clips spread like a supernatural plague. Public sentiment, which had once been a tide of pity for the 'fragile' Tanya, began to shift, turning skeptical and then accusatory. 【Why does everyone feel sorry for Tanya? Does no one else think she reeks of Moon-Mist Vine (a known manipulative plant)?】 【Agreed. I've never seen a wolf with a 'shattered spirit' who looks that calculated.】 【This looks like a classic case of a high-class schemer trying to steal a mated male...】 Soon, the topic # Fake orphan stealing Mate was trending across all channels. Reporters and gossip-mongers descended upon the Ethnic Territory Villas like vultures, scattering the Elder's dignified celebration into chaos. A frantic servant found me, pulling at my sleeve, saying everyone downstairs was demanding my explanation. My explanation? A bitter laugh threatened to escape. Explain what? I, the central victim in this farce, was the last to know! Wesley stormed into the room. His first words were not concern, but an accusation. "Did you leak the den's security scrys? Did you pay rumor-weavers to torment Tanya online?" "Starling," he snarled, his face a mask of cold fury, "was it not enough that the reporters almost drove her to the Churning River? Did you have to pour more fuel on the fire?" His harsh words were a stark contrast to the large, enchanted portrait on the wall behind him—our mating portrait. In it, he was looking at me with such warmth and devotion, his smile promising a lifetime of safety. The memory surfaced, unbidden and painful: me, twirling in my long, ceremonial gown, asking him playfully, "What if one day, I become the villain in everyone's story?" His response had been immediate and sure, his arms wrapping around me. "Then my Starling must have been grievously wronged! I would tear the world apart to prove your innocence." And now? I met his furious gaze, my voice steady despite the shattering of my heart. "I didn't do this." "Then who did?" The look in his eyes was pure, unadulterated disbelief. He didn't trust a single word I said. He left in a rush, surrounded by his guards, carrying a sobbing Tanya, heading for a hastily assembled press conference to once again defend her honor. On the live feed, Tanya cried relentlessly while Wesley stood stern and resolute. He addressed the allegations, his voice dripping with righteous authority. "Long before Starling entered my life, I knew Tanya. I know her character. Her spirit is so fractured it clouds her judgment, but her intentions are not the malicious ones you speculate about!" "As for the hacker," he continued, his gaze hardening, "we have traced the source. It was my mate, acting out of jealousy. I apologize to Tanya, and to all of you, on her behalf." The effect was instantaneous. The court of public opinion swung violently against me. A horde of strangers flooded my phone-net channels with vile insults. A coordinated wave of malicious reports swiftly got every one of my social accounts suspended. And Tanya? She was once again elevated to the status of the tragically misunderstood heroine, praised for her strength. 【Tanya isn't childish like Starling. When she loves, it's with fierce loyalty!】 【Remember seventeen years ago? She pursued Alpha Wesley so boldly! Even when he chose another, she accepted it with grace and remained a friend. She'd never stoop to scheming!】 【How does Starling even show her face? Using the same petty tricks, exposed by her own mate twice, and still clinging to the Silvermane Den?】 Each mocking comment was a needle, piercing my heart until it grew numb. My own mate stood against me, defending another, making me look like the desperate, unwanted third party. Thud! Before I could process the full depth of his public betrayal, a black leather boot entered my field of vision. My phone was kicked from my hand, skittering down the hallway. A sharp, numbing pain shot through my knuckles. I looked up, but before my eyes could meet Wesley's, a wind-whipping slap cracked across my face. CRACK! A high-pitched ringing filled my ears, silencing the world. "Starling," Wesley's voice was dangerously quiet, laced with a venom I had never heard directed at me before. "Did you enjoy throwing your weight around? Using your position to crush her?" "Tanya almost threw herself from the highest tower tonight. Are you satisfied now? The Elder's celebration is in ruins. Are you happy?"