Why? Why me? Why must I suffer endlessly?
I straightened my back, lifting my head slowly. For the first time in a year, I forced myself to stand tall, just like I did in my own pack. My gaze sharpened. I wouldn’t let him see me crumble. Not today.
Luther sneered at me, his voice cold and sharp as he spat out the words. “Don’t even think about it. I will never accept a slave as my mate.” His eyes hardened, and he took a step forward, his jaw set with grim determination. “I, Luther Casimir, rejec—”
“Stop!” My voice rang out, clear and strong, cutting through the air before he could finish.
The room gasped, but I didn’t flinch. I met his gaze head-on, raising my chin defiantly. I’d endured enough. If this was how it must end, then so be it. I would rather die on my feet than live another day on my knees.
“I, Vienna, reject you, Luther Casimir, as my mate,” I declared, my voice echoing in the silent hall. The words burned as they left my lips, but they were the truth—my truth. “I reject you, your pack, and everything you stand for. You are nothing to me, and I will never accept a mate who sees me as less than nothing.”