Once His Mate Now His Rival (by Lord Browny) novel Chapter 3

Silence crashed over the room.

Then gasps.

Alpha Damon turned to Amber, his eyes dark as coals, and barked, “How could you? Father loved you like his own!”

Amber instinctively stepped back, fear and panic flashing across her face.

Her knees buckled, and she fell to the ground.

“N... no. I... I did no such thing. I didn’t kill him, Damon. You have to believe me!” she stammered, tears escaping her eyes as Damon’s words hung heavy in the air.

Bella, seething, snapped, “It was her. I saw her!”

Amber’s mouth fell open in shock. “She’s lying, Damon. I did not kill Father!”

But Damon wasn’t buying it.

He turned to the guards, voice sharp as steel. “Seize her! Take her to the council to be judged!”

The guards moved quickly, descending on Amber and grabbing her arms as they dragged her toward the council.

Amber thrashed, her voice rising. “I’m innocent, Damon! I did not kill Father! I’m being framed!”

Her screams drew the attention of the pack, and soon the council room filled with members.

The guards shoved her roughly into the center like she was nothing but dog dirt.

“Amber Lilian Smith, you’ve been accused of murdering the ex-Alpha. How do you plead?” one of the chief elders asked coldly, voice low and menacing.

Amber broke down in tears. “I’m innocent. I did not kill Father!”

She lunged at Damon, grabbing his leg, but he kicked her away harshly.

“Useless. How dare you lie to my face?” Damon bellowed, his voice echoing through the room. “Father treated you like his daughter, and how do you repay him? By murdering him in cold blood!”

He kicked the table beside him with bone-snapping force, flipping it over.

The air crackled with tension, and Amber felt fear grip her heart.

She couldn’t believe what was happening.

How could she possibly be responsible for Alpha Kyle’s death—the only man who ever treated her like family?

This was clearly a setup.

Her eyes swept across the crowd until they landed on Bella.

Bella’s wicked smile confirmed everything. Amber was being framed, and Bella was behind it all.

She reached out and grabbed Damon’s leg again, desperation creeping into her voice.

“Please, Damon! I’m innocent. Bella’s lying, it’s all a lie. You have to believe me!”

Damon hissed, fury simmering just beneath the surface.

Before she could react, his hand shot forward, delivering two sharp slaps in quick succession.

"Take her to the dungeons and have her executed," Damon barked. "She must pay the price for everything she’s done!"

At once, the guards moved in, grabbing Amber by the arms and dragging her toward the dungeon.

Amber screamed, her hands flying protectively to her stomach. "You can't do this, Damon!" she cried. "I'm pregnant!"

The room erupted into stunned whispers.

Then—silence.

Bella’s face twisted in fury. She stepped forward, her voice cold and deliberate. "You disgusting liar. How dare you try to worm your way out of this?"

Amber collapsed to the floor, crawling forward, her hands trembling and tears streaming down her cheeks. Her voice cracked as she pleaded, "I... I'm not lying, Damon. I'm really pregnant. I'm carrying your child!"

Damon said nothing.

He just stood there, fists clenched at his sides, his eyes as dark as the void.

A minute passed.

Then another.

She prayed for the rain to stop.

But it didn’t.

It fell like a curse, relentless and punishing.

Tears blurred her vision as her mind raced with thoughts.

This had to be a nightmare. Some twisted, cruel joke from the moon goddess herself. Everything she knew, everything she trusted, had been ripped away in a single moment.

How could this be real?

How could she, of all people, be accused of killing Alpha Kyle—the only man who had ever treated her with kindness? The only one who saw her as more than just a castaway?

Her thoughts turned to Bella. That vile smirk. The calculated hatred in her eyes. Amber could see it all clearly now. It was her. Bella had orchestrated this.

She murdered Alpha Kyle.

But it didn’t matter. No one would believe her.

Not now.

Not when the entire pack had already judged her.

More tears slipped down her cheeks as her hand rested protectively over her belly.

Her child. Damon’s child.

What kind of world would her baby be born into?

What kind of life awaited them?

“I have to get out,” Amber whispered,

her voice barely audible. “I can’t let it end like this...”

But even she knew, that it would take more than a miracle to escape the grip of the pack.