Page 90 of Cursed Bonds: An Alpha's Destiny

The chant built, the pack chorusing my name. My father’s name. Echoing until the walls vibrated.

Turning toward the backstage area, I called to Abigail, who stood off the stage out of sight. “Bring her out.”

The voices died down as Abigail hauled Stephanie onto the stage. Abigail kept glancing at her with heartbroken disgust as she nudged her toward me. Stephanie almost stumbled as she neared me, tripping on her own feet. Black lines of mascara streaked her cheeks.

“Jace, I—”

“Shut up,” I growled, silencing her. She pressed a hand to her mouth, stifling a sob.

Every eye in the room pierced us. It was as though Stephanie and I were the only people on earth at that moment. I hadn’t wanted a big scene. When I doled out punishments, they were never public. Never mean-spirited. I didn’t operate the way Eren did. But this? This had to be dealt with so that everyone, every member of the pack, knew.

“Now that we have everyone’s undivided attention,” I said to Stephanie, “all I can do is list how you’ve betrayed the pack. First, you passed sensitive information to another pack’s alpha. Second, you spied on Kirsten, a woman under my hedge of protection, and relayed what you knew of her to another pack’s alpha. Third, you told a rival alpha deep and personal secrets about your own alpha. Fourth, you lied to your alpha. I asked you, directly, if you were speaking to Eren, and you fucking lied.

“While I can understand your concern for me,” I said, easing the harshness in my tone, “I still have to ask you, Stephanie, why? Why in the name of God would you tell my secrets, especially to someone like Eren Miller? Speak now. If you have anything at all to say in your defense, this is your one and only chance.”

Stephanie wiped at her nose with a handkerchief. She looked out at the crowd, but must have found their angry glares too painful to suffer and turned her eyes back to mine.

“Jace, I… I love you. I always have. Since we were kids,” she said, breaking into another sob.

I’d always known she’d had a crush on me. I’d even contemplated taking her as a mate to try and hide the curse and get the elders off my back. It would have been a loveless, lifeless, sexless pairing. Not only because of the curse, but because I felt nothing for her. I’d considered her a friend and nothing else. Hell, if I’d tried to take her as a mate, there was a very good chance I wouldn’t have even been able to consummate the pairing. There was simply nothing there.

Her feelings shouldn’t have mattered, though. She knew what I wanted. I had been clear about my intentions with Kirsten from the start. My council understood. Or I thought they did.

“You’ve always been blind to how I feel for you,” she continued.

I let her go on, not bothering to correct her.

“Everyone in town knows I wanted to be with you, but…” She sniffled and wiped her nose again. “Eren Miller found out. He’d kept his ear to the ground, I guess. He cornered me when I was shopping in the city with my sister. He, uh, he told me that he had his eyes set on a new lady in town. Kirsten. He said that… that…” She sucked in a trembling breath. “Oh, God, Jace, can’t we do this in private?” she begged, casting a furtive glance toward the crowd.

“They are your pack,” I said, my voice stern and unyielding. “They are family. When one betrays family, one must confess to family. Now, do it.”

She shuddered but nodded. “He said that since I wanted to be with you, maybe we could help each other. We talked over a few days, and, well, he asked about anything that Kirsten might be doing to manipulate you. Something that could be used to tear you apart. That’s when I told him about the curse, what I’d overheard. Eren said that to twist my head. He told me Kirsten was playing you for a fool. That she needed a more, uh, aggressive alpha to keep her under control.

“Every time we spoke, Eren would keep talking about how much it looked like you cared for Kirsten and that if we didn’t do something, it would be too late. He kept feeding into my jealousy, Jace. I’m sorry. It was like he knew the exact buttons to push, and I broke. He broke me, and I told him everything. I shouldn’t have. The moment the words tumbled out of my mouth, I knew I shouldn’t have spoken, but it was too late.”

She dissolved into more sobs, her knees wobbling, but she managed to stay standing. While she cried, I glanced over at Abigail, who was staring at Stephanie with pity more than anything else.

Stephanie did look miserable. My heart wasn’t made of stone. Her anguish and confession told me all I needed to know. Love made you do dumb things. Sometimes, it made you do awful things. Would I be as cruel as Eren? Or could I be a better alpha? All Stephanie had done was allow Eren to manipulate her. The things she’d done may very well have ruined my relationship with Kirsten, which I couldn’t forgive, but if that was true, then all I had left was my pack. If that was true, then the pack needed to remain a kind and just place.

“Stephanie?”

She looked at me, her beauty smeared and blotched by tears. “Are you going to excommunicate me? Please, Jace. Please, don’t. I can’t live without the pack.”

Acting as though I hadn’t heard her words, I raised my voice to be sure the whole pack heard. “You have betrayed the trust of the alpha. You have betrayed the trust of your pack. The penance for that, in most packs, would be to be cast out. Sent off into the world without a home, without a pack to call your own.”

She was trembling now, literally shivering in terror, her head shaking back and forth ever so slightly.

“My pack is not one to be crossed, and I am not an alpha who will accept betrayal.” I glared at her for a moment, then allowed my face to soften. “But I am not an alpha like Eren Miller. I won’t allow my own emotions to influence my decisions.”

Stephanie’s eyes widened. I could see hope there. Hope and a wish she didn’t dare speak.

“You will be stripped of your place on the Crestwood council, never again to have a seat there. For a period of ten years, your movements will be monitored, and at any point in time, I reserve the right to confiscate your phone or computer to search them for signs of further betrayal. In exchange for these stipulations, I will allow you to remain a part of the Crestwood Pack.”

Stephanie’s legs finally gave out. She collapsed to the ground, sobs of relief wracking her body.

“But remember,” I said, kneeling down to look her in the eye, “you don’t just have to prove yourself to me, but to them as well,” I said, gesturing at the gathered crowd.

Many of the faces there looked less than enthused with my decision. Most of them would have happily dragged Stephanie to the town limits and left her there. My leniency might, in time, end up feeling more like a punishment. She would have to look her fellow pack mates in the eyes for years to come, knowing that they would always know she was a traitor.

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