Chapter 64: Banishment
Third POV
Annie stumbled back, holding her cheek as pain bloomed across her face. Mia caught her friend before she could fall, stabilizing her as Annie stared at Liam in utter disbelief. Her blue eyes widened with shock, mouth hanging open. Around them, mall shoppers had frozen, phones already out to record the unfolding drama.
“What the hell, Liam?” Annie shrieked, her voice cracking. “Have you lost your mind?”
Lucas stepped forward, his expression carved from stone. His green eyes, usually warm with golden flecks, had hardened to chips of emerald ice. “Annie Williams and Mia Thompson, by the authority vested in me as the Alpha of Emberfang Pack, you are both hereby banished from our territory, effective immediately.”
Annie’s face drained of color. “What? Banished? This is some kind of sick joke, right?” She looked frantically between the brothers, waiting for the punchline that wouldn’t come.
“This is no joke,” Liam said, his voice dangerously low. “You’re lucky we’re allowing you to live after what you did.”
Mia’s grip on Annie’s arm tightened. “What are you talking about? We haven’t done anything!”
“Really?” Lucas arched an eyebrow.
Without breaking eye contact, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a manila envelope. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it at their feet. The contents spilled onto the polished mall floor—photographs, receipts, and printed screenshots.
Annie crouched down, fingers trembling as she picked up one of the photos. It showed her and Mia at a pharmacy outside pack territory, leaning over the counter as a sketchy-looking man handed them a small package.
“That’s... That’s not what it looks like!” Annie stammered, dropping the photo like it had burned her.