"I, Alpha of the Bloodclaw Pack," he began, his voice steady and unyielding, "reject you, Alice, as my daughter."
The words hit me like a physical blow, stealing the air from my lungs.
"You are no longer the Luna of this pack," he finished, his tone cold and final.
The world around me seemed to blur. My father's voice, the crowd's cheers, the rustle of the wind—they all faded into a dull roar. My legs buckled, and I fell to my knees, the stone steps biting into my skin.
Nura's voice rose shrill in my mind. "Get up, Alice! Don't let them see you like this!"
But I couldn't move. I couldn't think. My father's words replayed themselves in my head, with each repetition cutting deeper than the last.
"You are no longer my daughter."
