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.
