After My Alpha Locked Me in Flames, I Rejected Him

The first whiff of smoke reached me through the ventilation system—a faint, acrid scent that made my nostrils flare. I paused in front of the mirror, my fingers still adjusting the collar of my blouse. Tonight was supposed to be Declan's "Chosen Mate" ceremony—a cruel mockery of what should have been our moment.

"Probably just someone burning leaves nearby," I muttered, trying to ignore the knot in my stomach.

But the smell grew stronger. Too strong.

I followed the scent to the kitchen, where wisps of gray smoke curled from beneath the refrigerator. My heart hammered against my ribs as I yanked the appliance away from the wall, revealing frayed wires sparking against the wooden floor.

"Shit," I whispered, backing away as flames licked upward, hungry and swift.

Panic surged through me as I lunged for the nearest exit—the French doors leading to the garden. My fingers closed around the handle, but it wouldn't budge.

"Locked?" I tugged harder, confusion giving way to dread. "That's impossible."

I tried another window. Then another. Each one refused to yield.

"The security system," I gasped, remembering the high-tech upgrades Declan had installed after a rogue attack last year. The silver-infused shutters were designed to keep enemies out—but now they were trapping me inside.

My phone showed no signal. The landline was dead.

Smoke filled my lungs, and I dropped to my knees, crawling toward the control panel by the front door. My access code—the one I'd used for years—was denied.

"Access revoked," the automated system announced coldly.

Revoked. By him.

The realization hit me like a physical blow. Declan had locked me in. He knew I'd try to stop the ceremony—he'd planned this.

"He wouldn't," I whispered, even as the smoke thickened around me. "He couldn't."

But deep down, I knew better. The man who had once promised to protect me had become someone else entirely.

I pressed my palm against the cool glass of a window, watching flames dance in the kitchen. The heat was getting closer.

"DECLAN!" I screamed through our mate bond, throwing every ounce of desperation into the mental link. "The house is burning! I'm trapped!"

Silence.

I tried again, my thoughts bleeding with panic. "The security shutters are locked! I can't get out!"

Still nothing.

The smoke was thickening, making it hard to breathe. I tore strips from my blouse, soaking them in water from the bathroom sink. The fire had spread to the living room by now, orange tongues licking at the curtains.

"PLEASE!" I begged through our bond. "I'm dying in here!"

---

At the Pack House, music throbbed through the grand hall. Crystal glasses clinked as pack members toasted their Alpha's new beginning. Alina stood beside Declan, radiant in a white dress that hugged her curves, her dark hair cascading down her back.

"A toast," Declan announced, raising his glass. "To new beginnings and stronger bonds."

The crowd cheered as he turned to Alina, his eyes glowing with an intensity that had once been reserved