Chapter 65

For a moment, I couldn’t move or think. My heart was pounding too hard. I never imagined my words could decide another person’s fate. This wasn’t just anger anymore, it was power, and it scared me. But then I remembered my grandmother. How she was locked out of the hospital room. How she almost died. And the fear in May’s voice. My jaw tightened. “He shouldn’t stay,” I said finally, my voice rough but steady. “Send him away from the pack.” The room erupted. Sharp breaths. Murmurs. And shocked faces turned toward me like I had just spoken blasphemy. Everyone knew what that meant. Being cast out wasn’t just punishment, it was erasure. No pack. No protection. No name. For someone who once stood beside the Alpha? It was the end of everything. “You can’t do that!” the man shouted, panic breaking through his anger. “I’m the Beta! I’ve served this pack my whole life!” Eric’s fingers tightened slightly. “Enough,” he said quietly. The man’s protest died in his throat as he struggled for air. A