<h4>Chapter 530: 530-Not A Hero I Wanted</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Congrattions, you’re now the only Alpha of the pack," Sage said, hugging Rudy while others crowded around him with congrattions.


    His parents had already left, and so had the council heads—retiring to the guest rooms, now able to enjoy the uing carnival with peace of mind. The culprit had been caught, and they didn’t have to witness a battle for control of the pack after all.


    "I heard you beat him up pretty badly," Norman said, pulling my attention as he and the brothers returned from their conversation with Vontson about my battle with Darius.


    "He was drunk," I recalled quietly.


    "Still—give yourself some praise for your achievements," Kaye uttered, oddly avoiding my eyes.


    "Vontson mentioned something," Maximus added. "He said Rhiz will be punished with 200shes every week for the murder of Lamar’s sister.?"


    The room grew tense. Our eyes drifted toward Lamar, whose face had paled. I felt awful for him. Watching that video must have been traumatizing. Jenny was at his side, gently hugging him and keeping him grounded.


    I wanted to do the same... but something else had been burning inside me.


    Everyone had been calling Rudy a savior, a hero. But I had something to say about that.


    As I began walking toward him, people around us stepped aside, making space, expecting me to thank him—maybe even call him my hero.


    Even Rudy straightened his posture, a smug smirk on his lips as he extended a hand toward me.


    Did he really think I was going to hug him?


    I raised my hand—but not to shake his.


    I pped him.


    Hard enough that the sound echoed in the air.


    Gasps rang out. Whispers started rippling through the air. Everyone looked shocked.


    "Hine—what...?" Rudy asked, rubbing his cheek in disbelief. Even Sage looked displeased.


    "He helped you, Hine," she protested.


    "He helped himself," I hissed back. She turned to re at Rudy, as if demanding an exnation.


    "I was just trying to help you... by getting a confession out of him," Rudy said, trying to exin, but I kept shaking my head. The brothers quickly rushed to my side.


    There was no way he could fool me like he had others fooled.


    "You did it because you didn’t want to risk battling him. You think I’m a fool?" I snapped. "You didn’t even tell me your big n. You literally pushed me into a room with someone who traumatized me—again."


    My voice cracked with the fury and pain I had held back.


    "The right thing should have been you telling me about the whole n and asking me if I will be ready to be alone in a room with him," I screamed at him.


    "It took you time to show up with the warriors. What if I had been too shocked to defend myself? What if he had done something terrible before you arrived? You didn’t care about what seeing him again would do to me. A little warning could’ve saved me so much pain."


    I took a breath, steadying myself before continuing.


    "Thankfully, I had my wolf to help me stay grounded. Otherwise, your quest for a crown would have broken me. And now you want credit?"


    I stared him down.


    "You killed two birds with one stone—so don’t act like you did it just for me. You had a camera set up, and all that time in the car you didn’t say one word about what you were nning. That wasn’t protection. That was calction."


    "And the fact that he knew his stepbrother could be dangerous—he didn’t even mention Rhiz when applying to the academy," Maximus hissed, his fists clenched tight.


    "You did it for selfish reasons. Really a dick move," Sage added, pping Rudy on the back of the head. He lowered his head, ashamed.


    So... he understood the weight of what he’d done.


    "I just... didn’t want to lose any battle," Rudy muttered. "And I wanted toe off as a hero to Hine. I wanted her to choose me."


    His words meant nothing. His actions had already screamed the truth.


    "You used Hine to secure your crown," Penn spat. "You’re no better than Sydney."


    I could already hear the echoes of, ’I told you guys—there’s something off about Rudy,’ing from nearly everyone now.


    "Sydney—" Rudy suddenly perked up as if finding an excuse. "She called me... and kind of convinced me it would be a good idea—"


    "The fact that a junior, who publicly hurt Hine, was able to manipte you like that?" Emmet scoffed, shaking his head. "Maybe we need tighter screening before letting anyone enroll in our academy."


    He turned to grab his coat, probably in search of a drink, but when our eyes met—he saw the look on my face. The hurt. The exhaustion.


    He stopped.


    "Well," Norman said with a heavy sigh, "I know it doesn’t matter much now, not after all the training we gave you... but you’re expelled, Rudy."


    Of course, expulsion wouldn’t really matter to him now. He’d found a shortcut to power. He didn’t care who he hurt to get it.


    If only he had told me about his n. I would have helped—dly. We could have taken safety measures. But he never considered that. He never considered me.


    "Hine, please—listen to me—" Rudy’s voice cracked as he reached for me, but Kaye pped his hand away.


    "We’re leaving. You enjoy your carnival," Kaye snapped, signaling Maximus to help gather my things from the mansion. I wasn’t going back in there.


    "We’re leaving too," my friends said as they passed Rudy, each one hissing their disappointment at him.


    If it weren’t for my wolf grounding me through Rudy’s betrayal, I might have believed him. Might have thanked him, like everyone else had nned to.


    Everyone had been so busy celebrating Rhiz’s downfall, they didn’t notice the deeper betrayal ying out in the background.


    "I’ming too," Sage finally muttered. She gave Rudy onest shake of her head before turning to join us.


    And just like that, it was decided.


    We were leaving.