CHAPTER 140: BANISHED

Hailee’s POV

"You have ten minutes to pick your things, Hailee... you are banished." Father’s voice thundered, sharp and final.

Where I sat, I felt numb. Empty. Not surprised—because deep down, I had known this day would come. From the moment I made the choice to let Nathan touch me, I knew it would all boil down to this. But a foolish part of me had still hoped... hoped that my father would be angry, yes, but still a father. That maybe, after the rage, he’d find compassion. That he’d still protect me.

But I was wrong. So, painfully wrong. My image of him had always been wrong.

"No... what are you doing? Where will she go?" Mother’s voice broke the silence. She stepped forward, desperate, her hands trembling. "Please, you can’t do this to her."

For a moment, my heart skipped. I looked at her in disbelief. My mother. The same woman who had always stood firmly behind Father’s decisions, no matter how harsh, was pleading for me? My breath caught in my chest.

"Stay out of this," Father barked, his voice laced with rage. "She has stained this family’s honor. There is no place for her here."

Mother shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes. "She is your daughter! Our daughter! You cannot throw her away like she is nothing."

I swallowed hard, my throat aching, as I watched them. My chest twisted painfully—not just from the fear of banishment, but from the shock of seeing Mother fight for me when I least expected it.

Father’s glare shifted back to me, sharp enough to cut through skin. "She chose her path," he spat. "And now she must walk it."

Mother’s hands balled into fists, her voice shaking but strong. "And you chose to be a father. That means you do not abandon your child, no matter what she has done."

But Father ignored her. His stare pinned me down one last time before he spun on his heel. "Ten minutes," he growled, his voice echoing through the hall like a curse. "If you don’t leave, I’ll have the guards drag you away like a criminal."

He stormed out, his aura leaving a cold heaviness behind.

"Wait—please, listen!" Mother’s voice trembled as she rushed after him, her steps hurried, desperate. The sound of their voices faded down the corridor, her pleas colliding with his anger.

I didn’t move. I didn’t bother to run after them. What was the point? His mind was made up. No begging, no crying would change it.

So I stood, numb, then turned and walked toward my room. My hands felt heavy as I pulled my small bag from the corner and began packing what little I could take. Clothes. A few books. Nothing that really mattered, because nothing mattered anymore.

As I folded the last of my things, the question dug deep into me—where do I go?

My first thought was the Full Moon Pack. Nathan. Dane. Callum. For a second, hope flickered, but it died just as quickly. If I showed up there, it would only drag them into this. Father’s wrath would fall on them too. I couldn’t risk it. I couldn’t let them pay for my choices.

That left me with nowhere.

As I zipped the bag shut, the weight of reality pressed down on me harder than ever. Not only was I about to be banished... I had nothing to fall back on.

No money. No support. No future.

Father had frozen my accounts four years ago, stripping away every shred of independence. Since then, I had survived in the Full Moon Pack on the scraps of income Mother Violet earned as a cook and what little I made as a library keeper. But now? Now I would be wolfless and penniless. A rogue in everything but name.

I wiped at my face roughly and grabbed my bag, forcing my feet to carry me downstairs.

When I reached the living room, voices hit me.

It was Peter and Father.

Peter stood squared off against Father, his fists clenched, his face red with fury.

"You can’t do this to her!" Peter’s voice cracked, echoing through the hall. "She’s your daughter. Banishment? That’s not punishment—it’s a death sentence! Give her something else. Anything else!"

Father’s eyes blazed, his aura slamming against the walls like a storm. "You dare question me, Peter?" His tone was lethal, heavy with Alpha command.

Peter didn’t flinch, though his chest heaved. "I dare because this is wrong. Hailee doesn’t deserve to be thrown to the wolves like she’s nothing."

For a moment, hope flickered in my chest again. Peter was fighting for me. Peter cared.

But then Father’s aura grew darker, colder. He stepped closer to Peter, his voice dropping to a growl that made my blood freeze. "One more word, and you’ll join her. Or worse—you’ll lose everything you hold dear. Do you understand me?"

Peter’s jaw tightened, his fists trembling, but he didn’t speak again.

The silence was suffocating. My heart cracked, not just from Father’s cruelty, but from watching Peter’s helplessness under his weight.

I shifted my bag higher on my shoulder, my throat burning, and for the first time, I felt the reality of it—there was truly no one who could save me now.

Father glared at me, his hate for me so obvious in his eyes. "Like I said—you will remain wolfless for twenty years. That is my decree. Now... get out."

His voice thundered through the hall, final and merciless.

"No!" Mother cried, rushing toward me, but two guards stepped forward, catching her arms and holding her back. Her cries tore through the room.

I couldn’t even look at her—I was too ashamed, too broken. The weight of a hundred eyes pressed on me. Staff lined the hall, whispering, watching, their faces carved with disgust, disappointment, and scorn.

Each step I took toward the door felt like collapsing. My bag dragged against my side, but the real weight was the shame crushing my chest. I kept my head down, refusing to meet their stares, though I could still hear the whispers—"disgrace"... "traitor"... "unworthy."

When the great doors opened, the cold air outside slapped against my face, and with it came the realization—I was truly alone. Banished.

My knees nearly buckled as I stepped past the gates, but then—

"Hailee."

My head snapped up.