Valessia's jaw tightened, her voice low but firm. "Don't spew nonsense when you don't know the entire story," she warned through clenched teeth, trying to keep her anger buried beneath a thin layer of control.
She couldn't afford to snap back at Kaya, not here, not in front of a crowd already whispering cruel things about her like jackals circling a wounded prey.
Openly challenging someone of Kaya's rank would only make things worse. It would be like handing her a sword and asking to be struck down. Kaya was a full-blooded wolf, powerful, vicious, and protected by the pack's hierarchy. Valessia, on the other hand, was wolfless. Cursed. A stain in the eyes of many.
And worse, she was alone.
No one would defend her. No one ever did. The laws were clear. A wolfless woman or man had no right to defy a ranked werewolf. To do so was to break the order of the pack and any punishment can be meted out by the disrespected person at that instant.
"We might not know the whole story," Kaya said, her voice raised so all could hear, "but there's one thing I, and everyone here, do know… you're a shameless, wolfless weakling. Someone who would do anything just to crawl her way up the social ladder. Pathetic."
Valessia's fists curled at her sides, her knuckles paling. Her face burned in helpless rage.
"Kaya, you're taking this too far," Virema interjected from the side, her voice tense. She could hear the growing crowd echoing Kaya's insults, their words sharp and merciless, fingers pointed at Valessia like she was a criminal caught red-handed.
"If I were you, I wouldn't be so quick to defend her," Kirae snapped, standing beside Kaya with arms folded. Her glare cut toward Virema. "Unless you want to be associated with a filth like that. And trust me, Rema, that won't end well for you."
Then Kirae turned to the gathering crowd, raising her voice. "Come on, everyone, take a good look! This is the woman who dared to drag our Alpha's name into the dirt. Look closely, so you won't forget what filth like her looks like."
Valessia's chest tightened. The crowd swell, now, faces sneering, murmurs turning into mocking laughter. She turned, trying to walk away, unwilling to give Kaya the satisfaction of seeing her crumble completely under the weight of their cruelty.
But Kaya wasn't done.
"Where do you think you're going?" Kaya snarled, grabbing a fistful of Valessia's hair and yanking her back without hesitation. Her grip was merciless. The gesture alone was violent, but the fact that Valessia was visibly pregnant made it even more horrifying.
"ARRGH!" Valessia cried out, stumbling as her shopping bags hit the ground with a thud. She managed to stay upright, but Kaya shoved her backward with brute force. Valessia's back slammed against the cold, white concrete wall, the pain reverberating through her spine and stomach.
Another cry escaped her lips as she dropped into a sitting position, one hand bracing her chest while the other protectively cradling her belly.
Her voice broke into a whisper. "Nothing must happen to you… my sweet little sunshine." Her palm rubbed her stomach gently, almost as if her touch alone could protect the child inside.
Kaya stood over her with a cruel smirk. "This…this is the woman who thinks she can stand beside the Alpha? She can't even stand on her own two feet."
More laughter followed.
"She really believes she can rule beings like us. What a joke." Kaya kicked at Valessia's leg, spreading it out further in mockery as she let out a cruel, barking laugh.
Valessia quivered but didn't fight back. Tears spilled down her face, silent and steady. "Please… that's enough, Kaya," she said, her voice trembling, cracked by pain and sorrow.
But her tears only fueled the cruelty. The crowd didn't pity her. They looked at her like dirt, something beneath even sympathy.
"You don't get to say when this ends," Kaya hissed, stepping in closer, towering over her.
Before she could do more damage, Virema quickly stepped in and leaned toward Kaya. Her voice dropped to a hushed whisper. "She may not be the Alpha's mate or Luna, but don't forget, she carries his surname now. Maybe it's just on paper, but that name still protects her, whether you like it or not."
She paused, letting her words settle. "And you should remember, Kaya, these same wolves cheering you on? They'll be the first to turn on you if things get out of hand."
Kaya stiffened. The image of the pack's dungeon flashed in her mind… the cold, damp air, the foul stench of rot, the hard floor where she'd been forced to sleep.
She still remembered scrubbing herself raw after those two nights, bathing in rose water and milk for hours just to erase the filth. The shame still clung to her, no matter how hard she tried to forget.
'As much as I hate to say it, Virema is right,' her wolf whispered grudgingly in the back of her mind. 'The Alpha's wrath is not something even you want to test. For now... retreat.'
Kaya didn't like it. But she listened.
"Consider yourself lucky I don't want to harm the pup inside you," she spat, a lie she hoped would mask her retreat.
Truth was, hurting the child had been her intention from the start. One less reminder of Valessia's presence. One less heir. One less problem.
She turned abruptly. "Let's go."
The crowd parted instantly for her, something they hadn't done for Valessia moments ago. Her heels clicked sharply against the pavement as she walked away.
Virema glanced down at Valessia, still crouched on the ground, shaking, bleeding dignity and silent tears.
But she didn't offer her hand.
She simply turned and followed after Kaya.