Ch 2-Freya

“I am innocent, Daimon” I scream the words with repetition, but it is of no use. I have been locked here for days. No one has come to my aid. No food No water. If anyone would have told me my marriage ceremony would have landed me in a prison cell with false allegations to my name I would not believe it.

I can not believe it.

I look down at my chained hands and hug myself. The walls of the cells are sharp rocks moulded together that aid me no comfort to rest on.

The prison doors swing open. My eyes dart to the door, and my best friend appears.

“Jane” I cry as she rushes down to hug me between the cells. The chains pinch deeper into my skin as I try to force more distance than it allows.

“Jane, what are they saying? How is the Alpha doing? When is Damon coming to get me out of here?”

The questions tumble over my mouth as I try to hold off the tears threatening to spill.

“I did not do what they are accusing me of, Jane” She nods her head, believing me, and I cry. Someone who believes me.

“I know. You are incapable of it,” she hugs me once again. “Your father is trying to sort things out.”

‘What do you mean?” I look at her in confusion.

“The Alpha is dead,” she says.

The words resound in my ears but I refuse to believe. Jane leaves me with clothes to cover myself in this cold cell with a promise to be back soon.

The weight of the situation dawns on me. I was framed for poisoning the Aloha and now he is dead.

I will be too if I cannot prove my innocence

When the prison doors open again, this time, guards drag me out of the cell with my chains.

When we reach the compound the tribe is gathered.

My father's eyes are red, and his lips are tight.

I see Damon and the look in his eyes is pure hatred

No

He cannot possibly think I did it. Why would I kill the Alpha?

They push me to the floor before Damon and I can see the Luna in black clothes and a handkerchief weeping.

I had a little hope that maybe the Alpha was still alive but as Daimon speaks, It crumbles.

“Freya Blackwood. You have poisoned your Alpha and have been found guilty of treason.”

“I did no such thing” I cry turning to my father. I hear people murmur the word murderer.

“You will be executed as punishment”

“We are fated mates, Damon. I am yours, and you will have me executed without trial?”

I do not need trial. I am innocent but I never expected him to speak of my execution as if we were strangers.

“There is no need for trial” his voice is ice and sharp “This” he raises a bottle “was found in your room”

It’s a half-bottle.

I stare in disbelief “That does not belong to me”

“Does it not?” he asks

“Search her” he orders the guards.

They grope and touch every part of my body with no respect, and I feel dishonoured and disgraced, but my mouth falls open when a bottle falls from the clothes Jane gave me to cover myself. It’s the other half of the one Daimon holds

I hear gasps from the people, and Damon's eyes widen.

“No, Damon, this is not mine..”

He walks towards me and grabs my clothes

“You killed my father because he didn’t want me to marry you?”

“No, you cannot believe this. Jane brought me these clothes earlier…”

“And even with all the evidence you lie.”

“I am your mate, Damon, you have to believe me” I shout like a mad woman as everyone watches.

“The Moon Goddess will not give me a murdering mate” he repeats the same words from last week.

Why

I turn to my father, hoping he will say something but nothing. I turn to Jane, who stands at the corner. She said everything would be sorted out, but why is everyone calling me a murderer now?

A small smile forms on her face, and I blink, hoping it is some kind of mistake. Jane cannot be smiling at my predicament, but no matter how many times I blink, the smile is still there.

She could not have.

No

“Freya Blackwood, I renounce you as my mate!”

The words takes time to register before pain ripples through my body. The anguish that comes with the rejection.

There is a pounding in my heart that refuses to stop. It is too much for me to bear. I look at Daimon to see if I am the only one going through this, and in truth, I am.

The clouds turn grey as if mourning my loss.

My body begins to shake.

“Take her away” he orders.

The guards near me but I scream, I do not know why but Damon's eyes widen with shock before I black out

………………………………………………….

When I wake up my father is beside me. I sit abruptly but my movement is restricted and I realise I am still in chains.

"I did not do it Father"

His hands cover mine. I shake my head willing myself not to shed tears. He has never allowed me show weakness in front of him, but this is too much.

"It does not matter. Freya” his voice is a broken whispers like all is lost. "You have to live. No matter what happens, you have to. Do you understand me?”

I do not but I nod my head. Sniffing

Damon walks in, and my father stands,

“Alpha” he greets.

My heart skips a beat as I see him and it aches.

He was the next in line. I was to be his Luna when that happened. How cruel the moon goddess must be to throw me this curveball.

I gulp when he dismisses my father.

He pushes something into my hand.

The bottle of poison

He could not possibly want me to drink it.

“You want me to kill myself?”

“My father had no chance at that question” he sneers.

My body vibrates with the need to cry but I hold it in.

“Did you ever love me?” it's too late, but I ask anyway.

“No” his response shatters the remaining pieces of my heart

He walks back to the door.

“That is a gift. A quicker death compared” he smirks wickedly as I try to understand what he means.

Is this my execution?

How cruel.

He takes the keys from the guard and unchain me before dragging me outside.

When we step outside I see it.

The last time I saw this flag, my mother was dragged away, and I never saw her again.

The cursed Alpha King and his emissaries. A political exchange every year from each tribe.

I begin to struggle against Damon.

“No Damon you cannot” I scream “You cannot give me to the monster who took my mother”

SLAP!!

It resounds in my ears as I cup my face. Shocked.

He hit me.

Damon pulls me to him. His voice is guttery as he says,

“You will control yourself”

He really never loved me.

If he did, he would not believe this lie against me.

He would not hit me.

He would not sell me.

But it was all a lie.

How pathetic I must have looked to him.

How pathetic I must still look to him.

“Be grateful your father was my father's Beta and contributed greatly to his service. He is the only reason why this option was even given a thought.

It cannot be. He would not give me to the man who tore my mother, his wife from him.

But when I turn to my father. I see the resignation in his face.

Real fear pulsates through my body

“Please No!”

I pull away from Damon and run but bump into a hard wall.

“Calling me a monster. No one ever dared say to my face.”

A voice reaches me, and I raise my head, far up above me to meet the face of the one who just spoke.

My knees buck and he holds me up. His eyes darken when they meet mine. I freeze.

“Damon” he calls out, voices deep. “This is far from a fine welcome”

The strange man regards him.

This is him. The cursed Alpha King. He’s here himself. All terrifying 6’5 of him.

“Alpha Damon,” Damon's correction is clip, but this man snickers, “I apologise we were not expecting you yet” Damon continues.

“I have what I came here for now I shall leave,” his hold on me tightens as he turns in opposite direction.

“The details...” Damon calls out as this stranger pulls me forward.

“Shall be discussed with my emissaries.”

I fight from his hold but he does not budge. He is built like a mountain. Solid.

“Such a feisty little thing,” he chips.

“I am no thing” I shout the words. Struggling against him.

They cannot possibly let him take me. I see my father lead the emissaries into the court chambers with Damon.

“I have to live,” he said to me.

But if this is the only way to live, then I’d rather die because I am dead either way if the rumours are true.

The moon goddess sure does know how to throw a curve ball.Cruelty at its finest. I bite hard on his neck and he lets me go. I fall to the ground and quickly drink the elixir Damon handed me.

I cough blood.

It really is a quicker death.

I smile.

A better death.

The last thing I hear before pure darkness ceases me.

Moon goddess