0002.

Lunaria's POV.

I sat down on the prison floor, tears flowing freely down my face as I sobbed, wiping them away with the back of my hands. The entire situation was just too painful. I tried desperately to remember a glimpse of what had happened that night, but nothing came to mind—absolutely nothing. I was lost and in shock, wondering when and how I got involved with the Alpha to the point that I woke up in his bed, covered in his blood, lying next to his lifeless body. The entire situation felt utterly unreal—how on earth did this happen?

The door to the dungeon opened, and someone walked in. They didn’t even give me a chance to speak or protest as they dragged me roughly to my feet. My body was weak from crying and exhaustion, but that didn’t stop me from trying to argue back and break free from their grasp. I immediately regretted this action as I was met with a hard slap to my face that momentarily disoriented me, sending me spiraling to the floor.

My eyes glistened with tears as I muttered under my breath, “I didn’t do it,” but it seemed no one believed me. It was extremely tragic. They shoved me to the ground harshly as soon as we reached the courtroom. As expected, a group of council members was gathered, staring intensely at me with a look of disapproval etched across everyone’s faces. I gulped, looking around as it felt like the room was closing in on me at that very moment. I was too scared to think straight.

Inhaling deeply, I tried to stand to my feet, but a guard kicked me hard, making me fall to the ground as they barked, “Remain on your knees.” I cried out silently, and this seemed to reach my mate as I lifted my head and saw a slight look on his face, one I couldn’t quite discern at first but soon recognized as pity and concern. Does he know I couldn’t have done this? Does he believe I am truly innocent? I had so many questions with no answers at that minute.

“You are brought before the council because you are accused of killing the great Alpha of this pack. Do you plead guilty to that crime?” I lifted my tear-streaked face, shaking my head, trying to prevent myself from breaking down into a full-blown sob.

“I didn’t do it,” I said, my voice choked with tears. Taking a deep breath, I looked around, hoping someone would at least see me for the innocent person I was, but at that moment, it seemed the entire world had turned its back on me. There was a long, uncomfortable silence before Councilwoman Adina finally spoke up, saying, “Let’s hear what the witnesses have to say.”

The first person to step into the witness box was my best friend, Sarah, and at that moment, I knew I was doomed. What could she have against me? Maybe she had a change of heart and would speak the truth this time. I had a lot of hope burning within my soul at that moment.

Then, all of a sudden, she broke into a full-blown sob, her shoulders shaking with each cry as she covered her face with her hands. I couldn’t help but cringe at how dramatic the situation was. Councilwoman Adina seemed to share my thoughts as she urged, “Please speak up, woman, we unfortunately do not have all day here.” Sarah sniffed, raising her head to look at me, and then, right before saying…

“My best friend over there, I know her to be the sweetest woman alive,” she looked at the council before adding, “It is quite unfortunate that she would commit such a treacherous act, especially against the father of someone who loves her so much.” She turned to me, saying, “Why would you do something so vile?”

“I didn't do it,” I spat, immediately regretting it as a whip cracked across my back, pain radiating through my body. The guards sent me a warning with this cruel gesture, reminding me that I wasn't allowed to speak.

Councilwoman Adina looked at me, her expression as cold and bitter as ever, saying, “It will serve you better if you speak only when spoken to.” I gulped, trying to fight back the pain while glaring at Sarah, wondering why she was doing this to me and what she stood to gain from these horrible lies she was telling.

Sarah paused, taking a deep breath as if trying to gather herself before continuing, “She is my best friend, but that doesn't mean I will indulge her, especially when she has committed such a treacherous sin. I am someone who has always stood by the truth, and I do not care if she despises me for it—at the end of the day, I will always stand by the truth.” She paused again, taking a deep breath before continuing, “She has always told me how much she hated the Alpha and how she wished to murder him because he was against her marrying his son. At first, I thought they were just empty threats, but I was shocked to find her there, in the Alpha's room, covered in his blood.”

The situation was beyond shocking. I had never said anything like that, and the fact that she was so adamant about it was puzzling. Who was bribing or, perhaps, threatening Sarah to say these evil things about me? She was my best friend, and even though she stood there testifying against me, I still couldn't believe this situation was real. None of it made any sense to me. I wanted to speak; I was tempted to, but I was also terrified of the harsh and painful punishment that would follow if I dared to utter a word against the councilmen. I didn't want to.

“If my words are not enough to prove she committed such heinous crimes, perhaps Olivia’s words will be,” she said, stepping out of the witness box as Olivia took her place. Olivia was one of the maids, but she and I had never gotten along; however, she and Sarah had always seemed to get along well.

Olivia stepped into the box, swearing by the old gods and new that she would only speak the truth. But just like Sarah, she blatantly lied, claiming she had seen me walking around the night before the tragic accident, a dagger in my hand. She claimed she had reported the situation to one of the guards on duty, and the guard who was called to the witness box also lied, saying that what Olivia had said was indeed true and that was exactly what had happened. He said Olivia had run to him looking panicked that day when she saw me walking around with a dagger in my hands, but then they couldn’t find me again. They both had concluded that maybe I just needed the dagger to cut something, and they didn’t expect that I would actually use it to murder the king.

I couldn’t believe their words, tears welling up in my eyes, threatening to spill at that very moment. This was all too much, just too much to bear. I didn’t know what to say or what to do. After countless witnesses came to the box and testified against me, I knew my fate was sealed, and there was nothing that could turn this around for me now. Is this how my life ends? Is this really the end for me?

“All evidence points against you,” Adina said, readjusting herself in her seat, her eyes fixed intently on me. I took a deep breath, not saying a word in my defense. Nothing I said or did would matter. The decision was going to be made, and I could only hope for some miraculous intervention to save me.

A guard walked towards Councilwoman Adina, placing the dagger in a small transparent bag. She looked at it and said, “This weapon was tested and carefully scrutinized, and only your fingerprints were found on it, which without a doubt makes you guilty of murdering the Alpha, the man who was supposed to be your father-in-law. The price for such heinous crimes is nothing but death. Do you plead guilty to that?”

"I didn't do it," I said as another whip landed on my back, making me crumble to the ground, pain shooting through every fiber of my being. I cried out in pain again, and I desperately hoped someone would help me out of this nightmare. I would never go as far as killing the king, especially with a dagger.

"Do you or do you not plead guilty?" Councilwoman Adina asked again, and this time I refused to take the blame for something I did not do. I took a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest as I said, "I didn't do it." With that, another painful whip struck my back, sending me crumbling to the ground once more. I cried out again in agony, unable to bear it anymore. At that moment, I just wanted to die. If death promised escape from the unbearable pain, I welcomed it.

"I am going to ask you this question one more time," Adina continued, her voice icy, "and another lie from you will cost you 100 strokes of the whip. A quick death would be better than suffering like this. So, did you or did you not commit the crime?" I looked around, my eyes brimming with tears. My gaze landed on Sarah, whose look was cold and void of emotion. Then, all of a sudden, she flashed me a smile before raising her hand and waving slightly at me. It shattered me. What had I ever done wrong to her?

My eyes traveled back to Councilwoman Adina as I took another deep breath, bracing myself for the inevitable beating. My fists clenched as I said, "I did not do it." Immediately, I felt the sting of the whip on my back, sending me crashing to the ground. I screamed in pain, my voice echoing through the room as I struggled to stay conscious.

Desperate, I tried mind-linking Nathan even as I didn’t have a wolf, to beg for his intervention.

"I didn't do it. I promise I didn't do it." I didn't know if he heard me or if my words reached him, but I needed an immediate escape from this hell, I just needed to do something.

I heard the whip slice through the air, signaling another blow about to land on my back. I closed my eyes, mentally preparing myself for it, when I heard Nathaniel's voice say calmly, "Stop." The room fell into immediate silence, and I was relieved that the whip did not strike me.

"It doesn't matter if she pleads guilty to the crime or not," Nathaniel said, his voice cold and final. "She is a traitor to this pack and has killed the old Alpha. All evidence points to that." There was an unusual silence before he added, "And for that, I, Nathaniel, son of Griffin, sentenced her to death. She shall be burned alive on a pyre in eight days, and everyone will gather to witness the death of a traitor." He paused before saying, "For now, take her away and lock her up without food or water.”

Some guards came forward and grabbed me, escorting me out of the courtroom. As we made our way to the dungeon, a knot formed in my stomach and a sharp pain stabbed through me leaving me breathless. I screamed as my legs buckled, and felt myself being pulled down. That's when I noticed it – a warmth spreading between my thighs, followed by a trickle of liquid. I tried to process what was happening, but my mind was a jumbled mess. Panic set in, making my heart race.

Everything went fuzzy after that. The pain faded into the background, replaced by a numbness that seeped into my bones. I felt weightless and disconnected from my body. My thoughts fragmented, leaving me with only one coherent thought: What's happening to me?"