Chapter 24: Public Humiliation

Amelia's POV

Professor Lambert was the first to break the silence, his voice trembling as he turned toward Alexander. "You... you're certain you want Ms. Throne to continue, Alpha Alexander?"

Alexander's eyes flashed gold – that dangerous glint I'd come to fear. "I said, let her proceed according to the slides. Continue." His tone left no room for argument.

The pressure of his Alpha command pressed down on the entire room. Even from my position on stage, I could feel everyone's discomfort, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Whispers rippled through the audience. "This has to be revenge," someone murmured. Another voice responded, "She must have pissed off the Westbrooks at the Luna Festival."

My gaze drifted to Vanessa in the front row. She wasn't even trying to hide her satisfaction, her lips curled into a cruel smile that made my stomach turn. Then in the third row, Isabelle was shooting daggers at her with her eyes, while Wesley's knuckles had turned white from clenching his fists so hard.

I tried to speak, but my voice abandoned me. My hands trembled uncontrollably as I gripped the edges of the podium to stay upright. The mating bond in my chest pulsed with agony – could Alexander really not feel how much this was destroying me? Or worse, did he feel it and simply not care?

"Mr. Westbrook," Vanessa's voice cut through the tension as she stood up, projecting loud enough for everyone to hear. "As the greatest Alpha among all packs, your time is incredibly valuable. May I urge this contestant to begin promptly?"

The committee members exchanged uncomfortable glances, but no one dared contradict Alexander. I was on my own.

I took a deep breath, feeling tears begin to spill down my cheeks. "The next... the next slide discusses the..." I swallowed hard, "...the inferiority complex of Omegas..."

Muffled laughter spread through the audience. Each chuckle felt like a knife twisting in my gut. My voice grew smaller with each word, the humiliation burning through me like acid.

Just get through it. Just get through it. Then you can run and never look back.

I clicked to the next slide. "Studies show that Omegas frequently develop psychological defense mechanisms to cope with their... their natural submissiveness." The words tasted like poison in my mouth.

I advanced to the next slide, which showed a crude cartoon of a female Omega cowering before an Alpha. More snickers from the audience.

"Omega females in particular struggle with..." my voice cracked, "...with maintaining proper boundaries when around dominant werewolves."

The next slide was worse—it showed statistics claiming Omegas were responsible for 80% of pack disruptions due to "emotional instability." I knew these numbers were completely fabricated.

"These... these statistics demonstrate..." I couldn't even finish the sentence. My chest felt like it was being crushed.

With shaking fingers, I pressed the button to advance to the next slide, praying it wouldn't get worse.

It did.

The projector flashed to life with bold text that made my heart stop: "SHOCKING! Omega student Amelia Throne and Head Alpha Alexander Westbrook are FATED MATES! That's why she caused a scene at the Luna Festival, her aim was to disrupt the marking ceremony between Alexander and his fiancee"

Below the headline was a blurry but unmistakable photo of two figures passionately kissing, their hands exploring each other desperately. My blood turned to ice.

Gasps erupted throughout the auditorium. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe.

"That can't be real," someone whispered loudly.

"Is that actually them?" asked another.

"No way—that has to be photoshopped," a third voice insisted.

Several people turned to look at Alexander, while others stared at me in disbelief. Professor Walsh, one of the committee members, stood up with a shocked expression. "This is clearly inappropriate material that has no place in—"

When I finally found the courage to look at Alexander, his eyes had transformed completely to gold – the sign of a werewolf on the verge of losing control.

From the corner of my eye, I caught Vanessa's expression shifting from smug satisfaction to real fear. It seemed that this gift left for me was not just her work.

Alexander rose from his seat with such force that his chair crashed to the floor behind him. The roar that escaped him shook the entire building.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS, AMELIA THRONE?!" His voice wasn't just loud – it carried the full weight of his Alpha power.

He stalked toward the stage, each step deliberate and threatening. "You dare spread these lies in public?"

His Alpha presence hit the room like a physical force. All around me, people dropped to their knees – committee members, audience members, fellow contestants – all of them submitting instinctively. Only I remained standing, protected somewhat by our bond, though my legs threatened to give out at any moment.

"Did you think this would change my decision?" Alexander demanded, now standing directly in front of me. "Tell me where these photos came from. NOW."

"I don't—I didn't—" I stuttered, my whole body shaking uncontrollably. "This isn't me... I didn't do this..."

He moved closer, his golden eyes boring into mine. "You signed a blood oath, Amelia. You know the consequences of breaking it."

The fury and humiliation flowing through our bond was overwhelming. I couldn't tell anymore which emotions were his and which were mine – there was only pain, crushing and absolute.

"I never—it wasn't me—please believe me—" My voice cracked, splintering like glass.

I felt my wolf rising in response to my distress, clawing at my insides. My fingernails sharpened into points, and I knew my eyes must be flickering with gold. I was losing control.

"Is this your idea of loyalty to your promise?" Alexander's voice was ice cold.

Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to hold myself together. "I can't... I can't do this..."

My wolf was fighting to break free, to protect me from this emotional torture. I could feel my bones beginning to shift beneath my skin.

Before Alexander could say anything more, I pushed past him, knocking over the projector in my desperate attempt to escape.

"I'm sorry... I can't continue..." I choked out between sobs.

I stumbled down from the stage and ran for the exit, feeling the horrified stares of everyone in the room burning into my back. The bond in my chest screamed in agony with each step that took me farther from Alexander, but I couldn't stop.

I'd lost everything – my dignity, my future, and any sliver of hope I'd held that Alexander might someday see me as more than a mistake to be erased from his life.