Page 28 of Alpha's Runaway Mate

There was a heavy silence that followed when I finished, and I wanted to shrink under their scrutiny. Eyes bored into me with expressions I could not read. The quiet dragged on and doubt crept in. Had I said the wrong thing?

Kaine stepped forward, cutting through the tension, “You’ve heard her. Lyra is here, seeking retribution for her past mistakes. She wants to be part of this pack again. Together with my son, whom she returned with.”

A ripple of shock spread through the crowd, followed by murmurs of disapproval.

“That cannot be right! She’s not your mate anymore!” someone shouted in the crowd.

“How can you trust her so easily? She abandoned us!” another voice echoed.

Kaine raised his hand to silence them, but their anger was palpable. The glares, the whispers—it felt like the whole pack was rejecting me. I glanced at the elder’s table. Their expressions were a mixture of shock and disappointment. I could feel the hatred in their gazes, the disgust as they looked over at me. It became painfully clear that Kaine standing up for Leo and I would be difficult. Yes, the final judgment of my retribution was up to him, and I knew that he wouldn’t be harsh on me. But there were others—elders, members of the pack—who would differ. They would push for me to suffer more than Kaine would ever allow.

The elders, in particular, always had a vested interest in upholding the law, and despite Kaine’s authority, he was not a dictator. He wanted to rule by the book, to do right by the pack. But right now, the challenge of protecting Leo and me from the wrath of the tradition seemed like an insurmountable task. My son was already born, they couldn’t ask me to undo that. But what they could do, what they might do, was cast us both out.That was where the real danger lay, and the thought of it twisted deep inside of me.

The meeting finally ended, the tension still clinging to the air like a storm waiting to break. Kaine remained behind to meet with the elders, leaving me alone to wrestle with my thoughts. I walked aimlessly through the empty halls, the weight of the glares and whispers pressing down on me.

Outside, the cool breeze swept against my skin, but it did nothing to calm the turmoil inside me. I leaned against a tree at the edge of the clearing as my mind raced, replaying every hateful look, every murmured word of disapproval.

I wrapped my arms around myself, the fear of what might come gnawing at my insides. They couldn’t take Leo from me. They wouldn’t. But the thought of being cast out, it left a hollow ache in my chest.

“Rough day, huh?”

The voice startled me, and I spun around to see Dominic on his motorcycle.

“Wh–what are you doing here?” I asked, wiping my hand against my brow.

“I heard there was going to be a retribution today, so I came to see for myself,” he replied casually. “And I figured you could use a friend after what happened out there.”

I sighed, leaning back against the tree. “I don’t know why they hate me so much.”

“It’s really not about you, Lyra,” he said, softly, pausing for a moment, as if deliberating whether to continue. Then he did.“You see, a couple of years ago, there was this guy, Jared. He was a member of the pack but he was exiled.”

“Kaine exiled someone?” I asked, surprised.

Dominic nodded in affirmation. “There was a lot of controversy surrounding his exile. Many of the pack members were against it, but I get why he did it. Jared was a threat to the pack’s security.”

That’s exactly what I am.

“Jared wasn’t just a loose cannon; he was reckless. He began making decisions without consulting the Alpha, putting the pack at risk. He started taking unnecessary risks—provoking rival packs, hunting in dangerous territories, and even secretly meeting with rogues. His actions put everyone in jeopardy, and the Alpha had no choice but to exile him after his actions led to the death of two pack members.”

“He didn’t want to, but he had no choice. The elders pressured him to make the decision,” Dominic continued. “That’s the thing with Kaine. He is bound by his duty. His loyalty comes first to the pack, before any other thing, even his own heart.”

My heart sank. Was this what was going to happen again? Was Kaine going to cast Leo and I out?

Although I was lost in my thoughts, when Dominic tossed me a helmet, I caught it instinctively.

“Wanna go for a ride? You loved it the last time,” he said with a grin.

I hesitated for a moment, but the idea of escaping, even for a little while, was tempting. I did need to clear my head, so Imanaged a small smile, put on the helmet, and climbed onto the back of his motorcycle.

The wind whipped past me as we rode, and just like the first time, it felt exhilarating. When Dominic pulled over in the open area, packed with the familiar green grass now worn out from frequent use, I recognized that we were at the sparring ground. I used to come here at least thrice a week, together with Kaine and Isolde.

“I was going to come here anyway, but my sparring partner ditched me. Wanna take me on?” Dominic asked with a playful glint in his eyes.

I grinned. “Are you sure you can handle me?”

He laughed. “That sounds like a challenge.”

He proceeded to take off his shirt, revealing his tanned, toned chest that left me in a daze for a second. Maybe I hadn’t really noticed how attractive he was before, but standing here right now, I could see it, and I remembered what Kaine told me the other day—how he was popular with the girls in town.

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