Slowly, I turned back to her, anger flashing through me like wildfire. I wasn’t a meek, timid girl they thought they could bully. Night Creek was far from the royal territory so they might not have known that before I became the Beta's wife, I was a top-ranking warrior in the King’s court.
Without thinking, I raised my hand and slapped her back, hard. The force sent her tumbling to the floor.
The room fell into stunned silence. I stood there, breathing heavily, my hand still raised. My heart hammered in my chest, but I refused to show weakness.
Tyler’s mother scrambled to her feet, her eyes wide with disbelief and fury. “You—” she started, but she didn’t finish. The shock of what I’d done was written across the faces of everyone in the room.
“I don’t care what you think of me,” I said, my voice low and steady. “But you will not lay a hand on me again. I am the wife of the King’s Beta, and if any of you touch me, you’ll have to answer to him.”
The tension in the room was suffocating, but I held my ground. I wasn’t Liana. And I wasn’t going to let them confuse me for her any longer.
Tyler’s eyes blazed with fury after I slapped his mother, and before I could even blink, he lunged at me. The suddenness of his attack sent my instincts into overdrive. I barely dodged, throwing myself to the side, narrowly escaping his clawed hand.
“Are you insane?” I shouted, backing away quickly, my body tense and ready for the next blow. My heart raced in my chest as I measured him up. His expression was twisted with rage, his features barely resembling the man Liana described in her letter. This was no loving mate. This was a mad Alpha who had lost control.
“Get back here!” Tyler roared, charging at me again. I ducked low and rolled to the side, creating distance between us. Sweat beaded on my forehead. I didn’t want to fight, especially not in my condition. But I had no choice.
“You dare hit my mother?” His voice was rough with disbelief, but I could see his embarrassment too. He wasn’t just furious that I had struck her. He was humiliated that I had done it in front of his pack.
I straightened, trying to keep my breath steady as I held his gaze. “She hit me first,” I spat, my voice defiant. “And you? You’re an idiot if you think I’m your mate, or that I had anything to do with whatever mess Liana made!”