HERMIONE'S POV

"Traitor! Slave forever! How could you dare conspire with your brother to kill the Alpha King's mate!" Another slap struck my face.

Today was my 18th birthday, a day I had long anticipated as my escape from this nightmarish life. It was the perfect moment, for no one knew that my birthday coincided with that of the Alpha King. I had saved up enough to flee, my belongings carefully hidden beneath my makeshift wooden bed. Once the feast concluded, and I was no longer required to participate, I planned to slip away unnoticed. I would evade all prying eyes, return home, retrieve my belongings, and follow the escape route I had practiced countless times to the tribe's boundary.

However, in the present moment, I found myself coerced into kneeling on the ground, my body bearing the marks of numerous blows, accused of the gravest of crimes.

They were convinced that my brother and I had joined forces to murder the Alpha King's betrothed, and my belongings were considered evidence of premeditation. Unfortunately, I had been apprehended!

"Where's your brother Benjamin?! Speak!" Gamma's spittle landed on my face as he forcefully twisted my chin, compelling me to meet his gaze.

"Tell us! Where did your brother hide the Alpha King's betrothed?!"

"I... I don't know..." I shook my head, the pain in my jaw causing tears to flow uncontrollably. I had repeated this statement a million times, but no one believed me...

"How dare you lie! He's your brother! How could you not know that!!! Do you still hold out hope that your mate will come to your rescue?" Gamma jeered, producing the 18th birthday candle I had prepared for myself from my belongings.

"Ahahaha!" Laughter erupted from the crowd. "I bet this omega's mate is just like her—an omega."

"So what? Even if I am an omega? I would still refuse her without hesitation! Who would want a traitor as their mate?" One of the omegas kicked me in the ribs again.

A muffled cry escaped my lips.

"Gamma! Put an end to this traitor! The Alpha King will undoubtedly reward your actions!" The crowd's chants grew louder.

"One final chance, tell the truth." Gamma's expression turned sinister. He extended his claws, pressing them against my throat with force, cutting off my air supply.

"I... I don't..." Swallowing had become arduous. Just as I thought I was nearing the brink, a deep voice intervened.

"No... Stop!" An authoritative voice pierced through the crowd. Suddenly, a strong hand flung Gamma aside, and he crashed to the ground in agony.

Everyone stared, taken aback by this unexpected turn of events.

I collapsed onto the ground, my strength insufficient to grasp the unfolding situation. My hair was matted with blood, dirt smearing my face. It felt as though all the air had been sucked out of me. Mother, Father, I could no longer endure this suffering. Just as I closed my eyes, a powerfully built man in a black suit knelt before me.

I didn't need to raise my head to identify him; his overwhelming presence shrouded me like an ominous cloud. Alpha King!

In my haze, my chin was lifted by a large hand, fierce eyes akin to those of a hawk locked onto me. "So you're the audacious slave who dared betray me?"

The searing heat on my chin made me want to pull away from his grip, but suddenly, as our skin touched, a tingling sensation spread across my flesh. A captivating scent infiltrated my nostrils. Then, a potent surge coursed from my neck down to my spine, inducing uncontrollable shivers.

Mate?!

Alpha King was my mate?! Was he here to rescue me?

My mouth opened, poised to declare that I was his mate, but his grip on my throat tightened.

"No, you're not," his voice was frigid, his gaze brimming with murderous intent, akin to a demon from the depths of hell.

Another shiver coursed through me.

"Ah uh-" I couldn't breathe. I grasped his hand that was on my neck, trying to pull his hand away.

He's not here to save me! He wants me dead as much as those people do. But why? Why would the Moon Goddess assign me a mate to a man who wishes me dead, she must be joking with me!

Why?! Why is fate so cruel to me! I had once hoped that my mate would rescue me from this agony, but the irony is, from the moment he recognized me, he denied me.

Even worse, he wanted to kill me.

Haha ha, how ridiculous! Thinking of this, my tears fell uncontrollably, and it was as if I had completely lost my motivation to live...

The man released his grip on my hand and looked down at me and sneered. "Alpha King can't have a slave mate. Now tell me, where is Benjamin?"

My heart sank as my eyes widened, looking at him in disbelief.

I shook my head as I gasped for air. "I...I don't know."

He didn't seem to believe my words nor did he bother to listen to my explanation.

"A damn liar." He coldly uttered as he squeezed my neck tightly.

I gasped for air and my eyes were bulging. "A...Alpha King.... please," I croaked as tears fell on my cheeks.

I heard him sneer and watched me struggle for breath.

It wasn't until he got bored and saw that my eyes almost turned white, he finally released me.

He let out a cold sneer and left me with such cruel words that tore my heart. "Listen. I, Alpha King, Phoenix Hades Valcarel, reject you..." He looked down at me, apparently he didn't know my full name, but he continued, " Reject you as my mate."

"Ah..." My heart shatter into a million pieces. The cold words he had left, kept on replaying on my mind like a broken movie, haunting me again and again.

I completely lost all hope...

"Throw her into the dungeon!" he commanded Beta once again.

I gazed at Alpha Phoenix's frigid mask, trembling with fear. What further torment awaited me now?

PHOENIX'S POV

''Save her!'' From just now, my wolf was constantly howling. His loss of control was a constant reminder that the useless slave was really my mate!

"Shut up!" I angrily demanded.

‘How could you be like this, Phoenix?! She is out mate! Our once in a lifetime life and death companion!’ My wolf growled as it tried to persuade me to save Hermione.

"No way." I sneered and rejected his words.

He wanted to say something else, but I had to give the final order, "I'll kill her now if you make any more noise".

I coldly glanced at Hermione, who had eloped with Mia, watching her gasp from the pain and tears continue to stream down her cheeks.

My fiancée had just left and she recognized me as her mate?This is all definitely not simple.

I saw her try to raise her head and looked at me with those pitiful gazes of her.

"A...Alpha King..." she uttered.

"Say, Did you already know that you were my mate. So you and your brother planned this betrayal just to get Mia to leave!" I coldly asked while squinting my eyes at him.

Her eyes instantly widened as if what I said wasn't her plan. What a good acting slave!

"N...No! No, I really didn't! I swear... I'm really innocent! P...Please believe me, Alpha!"while at the same time, she tried to rush towards my direction and tried to touch me, but the chains that were wrapped around her wrist prevented her from doing so.

"Innocent?" I roared at her. "When your parents were executed, they pleaded the same! But the truth was, the rogue pointed at them as spies of our tribe! Your parents killed my mother!"

"And now! You and your brother have conspired once again, this time against my betrothed!"

"My mercy gained me no gratitude from you, only nourished your venom. But I won't make that foolish mistake again."

"No! It's not true!" She tried to lunge forward once more. I took a step back in disgust.

I glanced at the soldiers that were standing outside of the cell. "I'm rewarding her to you guys, enjoy it."

After I said those words, I turned my back and left.

"NO!!! Do not touch me!!!" Her voice trying to resist echoed continuously in the cell.

Heh, this is what happens when you trick me...