Kaila
I held my head in my hands, whimpering silently as the memories flashed through my mind—being accused of murdering the pack beta's son, whipped every day, sentenced to death, and pushed down the cliff by Joana.
Then, someone with a pair of emerald-green eyes appeared, rescuing me. I remember clearly that he said, "Take her, she's coming with me."
Who is he? Why do I remember everything except him? Pushing the thought aside, I looked up at James, who had walked to the chair set for the Alpha and sank into it, every action exuding nobility and perfection. When did he return from his Alpha training?
Had he finally become an Alpha? It had always been his dream.
Dreams…
If you were to ask me what my dream is, I wouldn't hesitate before answering, James Wellesley.
The past five years, I'd waited for him, hoping he would come back, love me, and make me his mate. I longed for the day he'd become Alpha, so I could support him and stand by his side—not just watch from the crowd as I always have.
"The council has decided," James announced in a detached tone, and I felt my hands trembling in my lap, my fingers fidgeting against the fabric of my dress. Something in his gaze sent chills down my spine.
Even though he barely showed affection, I knew he loved me. After all, mates are meant to love and protect each other.
The hall had only a few people: Luna Aurora, James' mother and the current Luna of Moonstone Pack; Joana and Kylie, James' twin sisters; and, of course, James, Luna Aurora's eldest son.
My heart drummed in my chest. Was he going to proceed with the sentence his father had declared?
"And we've decided to forgive you for your sins."
A breath of relief was about to escape my throat when he finished.
"In place of being married off."
My eyes widened in horror. "No! You can't do this to me… you can't marry me off!"
"I can't?" He raised an eyebrow with a sinister sneer.
I shrank back. "I'm your mate… you can't do this to me."
"You should have thought of that before you decided to murder Beta Chris's only son! A murderer cannot, and will not, have a place by my side as my Luna."
Not him… anyone but him. I'd prefer the sting of the silver lashes, the whole pack chanting those names at me, over James actually believing I did it.
"I didn't do it… I didn't kill his son! Why would I? What has he ever done to me? I never even leave my quarters unless I'm needed." Which is nearly all the time in this pack—I am their slave, a wolfless runt.
I took an unsteady breath, meeting his gaze. "How could I have killed him?" I asked, my voice shaking. "Every day, I work tirelessly until my bones give out."
For a moment, something flashed in his eyes. In that second, the real James surfaced. I almost convinced myself that maybe, just maybe, he loved me as he said. After all, we're mates.
"At least the necklace found in his son's room belongs to no one but you!" His low voice rumbled through the room.
I wanted to shout, to yell that it was the same necklace he had given me the night before he left for Alpha training, the one I'd lost only a few weeks ago.
I wanted to remind him that I'd stayed in this place only because of that small token of his warmth, but instead, tears welled up, sliding down my cheeks. This pain hurt far more than the physical punishment I'd endured under his father's orders.
"There's really nothing more to say. It's not as if you have any choice… you should be glad someone wants to take you, even as a cripple."
Lowering my head and burying my face in my palms, I whispered, "Why am I still alive? Why did I survive that fatal fall from the cliff, only to wake up from nothingness to these nightmares?"
"That's enough, James. Let's get to the main purpose of this gathering," Luna Aurora interjected. "You're marrying him, Kaila, or your pack—your father's pack—will be reduced to ash by tomorrow. Everything, including your precious grandmother, will be gone."
"My pack?" Now it's my pack? A pack where I've always been so insignificant that I work harder than any other maid. A pack where every member calls me a runt, a curse for killing my mother, their Luna, while giving birth to me.
"Yes, your pack. So listen up. Thane Blackthorn will arrive any moment to take you away, and you must comply with him. The pack is vulnerable; the Alpha's gone, sacrificing himself for his people. If your father were alive, I'm sure he'd do the same."
She tossed her hair back, giving me a look that said I had no other choice.
But her words did nothing but make my blood boil. My head snapped up, and my lips trembled.
"Comply? You want me to sacrifice myself for a pack that never accepted me? That turned against me after all they've done to me? Why me? Why not her? Why not them?" I shot back, gesturing to Joana, who hadn't hesitated to push me down the cliff, and to Kylie, who stood beside her.
"Because he only wants you! And did I just hear you say you can't? As if you have a choice. This alliance depends on you, and it will determine this pack's fate! You have no choice but to marry him—or the pack burns!"
James chipped in, his eyes flashing with anger, his face twisting into a snarl.
My lips curled into a bitter smile. They wanted me to protect the very pack that had shunned me after my father died to save it, after my mother died soon after, leaving the pack to my father's Beta, Gabriel Wellesley. He, being the strongest, was appointed as Alpha.
But since he took over, he's done nothing but turn the pack against me, spreading word that I am an abomination who killed my mother.
I endured their cruelty every day until I turned eighteen and discovered that his eldest son, James, was my mate.
I loved him as my other half, even though his father should have left the pack to me at eighteen. I gave up everything for him, believing he loved me, because mates are supposed to love each other.
"Then let it burn," I said. I didn't care if it burned anymore, even if I'd burn along with it. I'd heard that after death, there is only stillness—maybe even peace.
However, when Luna Aurora heard my words, her eyes darkened, blazing with fury as she charged toward me.