CHAPTER 10: Flash drive

Orion's POV

Standing by the altar and waiting for the ungrateful human, anger coursed through my veins like it was being pumped by my heart. The entire pack and I had been waiting for over an hour, but Hope still hadn't shown up . How dare she? What audacity did she have to keep all of us here? To keep my father waiting!?

Inasmuch as I was livid at such outright disrespect to my father and the entire pack, there was a bud of happiness springing at the base of my chest. If she didn't show up in the next few minutes, then the rite would be shifted and the thought of not being tied to such a being was relieving and very freeing.

I clenched my fist around the seat I was sitting on, my eyes darted toward the right where my father sat. From the grim expression on his face, I could tell that he was unhappy as well. I didn't want to be the one to tell him that this was his idea in the first place, I knew from the very start that it was a bad idea. If we had killed Hope for her treachery, it would have been possible to get a second chance mate.

But no, he wanted to do everything by the book, sometimes rules were made to be broken, but he didn't understand that concept. I sighed, as the murmurings from the crowd worsened, I glanced toward the sky, the full moon reclining into the clouds, we were losing the moon.

We had sent three warriors who had gone and returned with no news of where she was. I itched to say something but I knew I was restrained by my position as the heir from saying anything. I closed my eyes and leaned on my seat, willing my nerves to calm down.

“Alpha!” Someone called out loudly and my eyes snapped open to see one of the members of the crowd, standing up to address the theatre. I turned to look at my father who gave a slight nod, permitting him to speak.

“This is an affront to our tradition and everything we stand for. That traitor who was blessed by the Goddess to be our future Luna has once again spat on our faces! She has treated us with contempt by keeping us here for over an hour! We demand to know what the fate of our pack is, whether this ritual will hold or not!”

The crowd around him began to cheer, encouraging him to speak. If I was among them, I would have cheered him on too because he was asking the questions that I desperately wanted to ask as well.

“Orion!” I heard the soft, yet, almost breathless voice of Kaia as she rushed in through the hallway Hope was to come out from. I stood from my seat, worried about why she was running. The heads of everyone turned toward the sound of rushing footsteps as she ran toward the elevated surface my father and I sat on.

“What's wrong?” I asked, my face aching from how contorted in worry it was.

She hunched over, trying to catch her breath. The murmurings from the crowd steadily increased as they became restless to know what was wrong. I looked behind and my father's face was etched with the same worry I had.

“I have news,” she whispered as she got close to me.

“What's the news?” I asked quickly.

“You'll hear,” she smirked and turned toward the crowd.

“People of Stormclaw pack, we have been brutally disrespected and insulted on all levels. The supposed Luna, who is to be married tonight, has fled!”

My eyes widened in shock and the gasps that rippled from the crowd confirmed my thoughts that no one knew. Where did she run to? How? When? My brows knitted in confusion as I whipped my eyes from member to member, searching for something and nothing in particular.

My dad was at the edge of his seat, his eyes blown wide, I could see the shock oozing from the very pores of his skin.

“Yes! I was shocked and I didn't understand why she would flee from the pack on the night of her rites, but it all made sense when I found this!”

She raised a flash drive and I cocked my head to the side, even more confused at what was happening. What was in the flash drive?

“She stole my keys from my room and when I tried to confront her, she fled, dropping this flash drive with the letter attached to it. She dove into my car and drove out of the pack house.”

The more she unraveled her news, the more my head turned. I was struggling to grasp everything she was saying, what did she mean? Where was the letter and what was the content of the letter?

“In the letter, it read: either you tell him, or I will,” Kaia looked around the audience like we were supposed to follow her. I was so lost and unsure of what to do with the information.

“Go straight to the point,” my father demanded and she bowed.

“At first, I was confused about the writing in the letter, but after I saw the pictures, it made sense. Alpha, with your permission, I would like to show these pictures.”

My dad nodded and the warriors behind him moved briskly into his inner chamber, pulling out a television on a trolley that was used for tendering evidence during trials. One of the warriors walked to the edge of the stage, stretched and collected the flash drive from her.

It felt like time was slowing down, my heart was beating in anticipation of what to expect. I didn't know what was on that flash, but my heart was eager to witness it. The warrior connected the flash and selected the folder. It buffered for a few seconds before the pictures popped up on the screen.

I felt the blood drain out of my face as I stared at the pictures of Hope, intimate with another man in the maids' quarters.