~Hazel's POV~
"I reject you."
That's all I heard. That's all I felt.
Cayden's words struck my chest like a whip. Cold. Final. Cruel. He stared at me like I was filth smeared across his boots like I was something he wanted to scrape off. That one sentence ricocheted in my head repeatedly, each time cutting deeper.
And then like thunder following lightning, I heard Caspian's voice boom through the hall:
"I accept you."
Gasps. Shocks. Echoes. But none of it mattered because, in the next moment, Caspian knelt beside me. I didn't move. Couldn't. My limbs were frozen, locked in some invisible chain of shame and disbelief. Yet he was so… gentle.
He tucked my hair away from my neck. My breath hitched when his fingers grazed my skin, and then—gods—his warm breath blew across my nape, slow and steady like a prayer. I should've felt fear.
Instead?
My stomach flipped.
My lips trembled as I bit down on them, trying to muffle the gasp threatening to escape me.
Then he bit me.
Not with violence. Not with force. But like I was something precious. Cherished.
The pain was brief. Sharp. But it was swallowed quickly by this wave of tingles rushing from my neck down my spine. Something stirred inside me, something raw and wild and not human.
What just happened?
What is happening?
And more terrifying..what's going to happen?
I was marked. By Beta Caspian.
By a man, I didn't know but whose arms felt safer than home ever did. Around the entire pack, in front of my father, I had been claimed. And they called me...me—their mate?
Not Sophia. Not Natasha. Me.
I looked around, dazed. My vision blurred at the edges as my head started pounding. Faces swirled, mouths moved, but all I heard was static.
My father stood across the hall with his arms folded and disgust carved into every line of his face.
Selene clutched Natasha, whose eyes were locked on the mark on my neck. Her face twisted in a grotesque mix of heartbreak and rage. I tried to cover the mark, but my hand wouldn't move. My fingers just hovered there, like I was afraid touching it would confirm it was real.
Because it was.
I was his mate. The Moon Goddess chose me. But how?
I'm human.
Humans don't have mates. We choose. We date. We marry. The Moon Goddess doesn't pick for us—does she?
Before I could wrap my head around it, Cayden's voice sliced through the fog again.
"You've got what you wanted, right? You witch."
I blinked. My chest clenched.
And even though I don't have a wolf, even though I wasn't connected to their rituals, that rejection hurt. Deeply. In places I didn't know could hurt.
But Caspian tightened his hands around me… it dulled the pain. Replaced it with something else.
Excitement? Warmth?
Then chaos.
The Luna—who had been fainted on the floor since I woke up, sprang up like she'd been lit on fire. She pushed Caspian and stormed toward me with fury in her eyes and before I could flinch.
She slapped me three times.
Three. In quick succession. My cheeks burned. My vision blurred with hot tears. But I stayed still, too shocked to cry.
"No. Unacceptable," she spat. "You can't be my daughter-in-law. You're a witch!"
Her voice echoed like a curse through the hall.
"Dahlia!" she screamed, eyes wild, "Tell me she's one of yours!"
The old witch stepped forward, eyes glowing with a silvery gleam. She scanned me slowly, methodically. My breath caught.
"I don't recognize her," she said finally. "I don't sense any power in her. She's not one of mine."
But the Luna was shaking her head, furious. "She must've cloaked it! Witchcraft is forbidden, you damn snake!"
She shoved me again. And Caspian snapped.
His arms shot around me as I stumbled, catching me like I weighed nothing. He pulled me into his chest, strong and unshakable. My face pressed against his heart and it beat steady… calm… grounding. His scent, earth, pine, and something warmer invaded my lungs and I didn't want to leave.
The Luna recoiled at the sight of us.
"She's charmed you too!" she screamed, her voice cracking with tears. "She's done something to you!"
"Anna, control yourself!" the former Alpha, Sir Claus, barked from the side.
"She's not a witch," he added, turning to the crowd. "But you all want proof? Fine. You'll have your proof."
He looked at Dahlia.
She nodded and whispered to a guard, who immediately ran out of the hall.
Caspian guided me to a nearby seat and settled beside me, his arms still around me. He angled me so I could rest my head against his chest, away from the cruel stares.
"You're safe," he whispered. "Just breathe."
I did.
I inhaled the scent of him. I closed my eyes. I let myself believe, even for a second, that someone—anyone—was on my side.
When I peeked out again, my eyes landed on Cayden, who knelt beside Sophia and Natasha like I'd never even existed. Lilian was fanning them dramatically while Ariel… sweet Ariel… stood alone in the corner. She smiled at me softly, tears shimmering in her eyes.
I wanted to run to her. To bury myself in her arms.
But I couldn't leave Caspian's side.
I didn't want to.
Then the guard returned—carrying a silver kettle.
He handed it to Dahlia, who lifted it with reverence. "This kettle will react to a witch's blood," she said calmly. "If it changes color… she's lying. If it doesn't… she's innocent. And I can't perform the spell. It involves spell."
" Don't worry about that." The Luna said, and she turned her eyes to Cayden, and he nodded, and in less than a minute, She entered.
A young woman, no older than me, with flowing red hair and piercing green eyes. Her beauty was chilling—power radiating from her in thick waves. Everyone turned toward her in awe.
She said nothing to anyone—just walked up to the kettle and took it from Dahlia.
Then her eyes met mine. And my bones went cold.
"If her blood is touched to the water," she said, voice like glass, "we'll see her truth."
I stiffened, panic crawling into my throat. But Caspian was already holding my hand.
"You've got this," he whispered. "You're not alone. You've never been a witch. This is just proof."
He smiled—warm, encouraging, sure. Then he brought my hand to his lips. And bit.
It didn't hurt. He made sure of that. He was gentle.
Blood welled at the bite, and the red-haired lady stepped forward, letting the drop fall into the kettle.
Time stopped.
The entire hall held its breath as the silver liquid shimmered.
Then it began to vibrate