Page 13 of Brutal Alpha's Forced Mate

But it’s not fine. None of this is fine. These people used to avoid me like I was contagious, and now they’re acting like I’m some kind of long-lost hero.

“You’re finally here!” A tall woman with auburn hair stands from her seat, and her smile is so wide, it looks painful. “We’ve been waiting for you. You’re going to be a game-changer for the pack.”

Game-changer? I feel like I’ve stepped into some kind of alternate reality.

“I—” My voice comes out weak, and I swallow hard, trying again. “I think you’ve got the wrong person.”

The woman laughs, a light, airy sound that grates on my nerves. “Not a chance. You’re Jaslyn Kismet, right? The witch who’s going to save us all?”

Save them?

My stomach twists violently, and I take a step back, bumping into Gray. He steadies me with a firm hand on my shoulder, but it doesn’t do much to calm the rising panic.

Before I can say anything else, a familiar voice draws my attention. “Jaslyn?”

I turn and nearly lose my balance when I see Theo standing near the head of the main table. His dark hair is shorter than I remember, his frame broader, but it’s unmistakably him. The last time I saw him, he was just another pack member. One of the kinder ones, I’ll give him that. Now, he’s wearing a beta’s insignia on his jacket.

“You’re beta now?” I blurt before I can stop myself.

Theo grins, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “It’s been ten years. A lot’s changed.”

No kidding.

“I can’t believe it,” I mutter, shaking my head. “You, a beta. What happened? Did you lose a bet?”

Laughter ripples through the room, and Theo chuckles. “Still sharp, I see. Good. You’ll need that.”

From somewhere behind me, someone pipes up, “At least we finally got a beta people actually like.”

A few more snickers follow, and Theo’s grin widens as a touch of color creeps into his cheeks. “Yeah, well, it wasn’t hard to improve on Carter’s example. I figure not being an arrogant jerk gave me a head start.”

I blink, caught off guard, as statements of agreement spread through the crowd. It’s strange, hearing them speak so openly about Carter—especially in a way that suggests they were just as relieved as I was to see him gone.

I don’t have time to unpack that before another voice cuts in, one I recognize immediately and wish I didn’t.

“Well, look who finally decided to grace us with her presence.”

I whip around to find Madison standing a few feet away, her arms crossed and her lips curled into a familiar smirk. The sight of her sends a cold shiver down my spine. She hasn’t changed much—still tall, still striking, still oozing arrogance. But there’s something different in her tone, something almost… friendly? No, that can’t be right.

“You look good,” Madison comments, and for a second, I think I’ve imagined it. But no, there it is—a compliment. From Madison. The same Madison who once told me I’d never amount to anything.

“Thanks,” I manage, though my voice sounds strained even to my own ears.

“It’s good to have you back,” she adds, and her smile softens into something that looks suspiciously like sincerity. “We’ve all been looking forward to this.”

I blink, utterly baffled. Is this some kind of elaborate prank? Did Gray pay them to act like this? Because there’s no way these people are genuinely happy to see me. Not after the way they treated me before.

The noise of the room swells again as people return to their conversations, and I seize the opportunity to step closer to Gray. “What the hell is going on?” I hiss, keeping my voice low.

He tilts his head and responds, “They’re welcoming you.”

“Welcoming me?” I repeat, incredulous. “They used to hate me.”

“Things change,” he says simply, but the look in his eyes tells me there’s more to it than that.

Before I can press him further, someone clinks a glass, and the room quiets. A man at the far end of the table stands, raising his glass in my direction.

“To Jaslyn,” he says, his voice carrying easily over the crowd. “Our savior.”

---