04

Valeria

The burden of the accusing eyes feels like a physical blow. I can hardly breathe as the Beta’s voice echoes through the hall, his finger pointed directly at me.

“Valeria,” he snarls, his voice sharp and cold. “You’re the reason the Alpha King and his family are dead.”

What the…?

I stand frozen, the words crashing into me. My chest tightens as disbelief floods my veins. How could they possibly think I had anything to do with this? My heart pounds, but I keep my head high, refusing to show the fear bubbling inside. I open my mouth to speak, but Aiden is faster.

“That’s ridiculous!” Aiden’s voice cuts through the tension like a blade. “Valeria didn’t do this. She couldn’t have. We all saw what happened—their deaths were unnatural.”

Rylan steps in next, his tone dangerously low. “There’s no proof tying her to any of this. Accusing her without evidence is reckless.”

I glance at them, relief softening my shoulders. At least I’m not alone in this. But as my eyes shift toward Kade, hoping to find the same fire of defence, my stomach twists. His expression is unreadable, a storm brewing behind his eyes. His silence speaks louder than anything. He doesn’t trust me.

“I didn’t do this,” I said, my voice steady but pained. My eyes were fixed on Kade’s as I struggled to contain the hot tears that threatened to fall. “I swear, I had nothing to do with their deaths.”

My eyes were pleading for him to say something— anything, to come to my defence, to believe me. But the uncertainty in his eyes crushed me further. Just last night, we had a moment. The proximity of our closeness was intoxicating, but now, his eyes looked at me like I was a stranger… a murderer.

The doubt in them was enough for me to believe that I might have had a hand in this situation, it was enough to convince me that maybe I really did kill the Alpha King and his family. Kade’s doubt was dangerously strong and I had to look away before I began to feed myself with the seed of doubt.

The Beta steps forward, eyes narrowing on me. “It doesn’t matter what you think you saw,” he hisses. “I know this all started when she came back. She’s upset the balance, and now, the Alpha King is dead. She’s the only one to blame. You returned out of the blue, how do you want us to believe that you didn’t come back for revenge?”

“I don’t know what happened to the Alpha King and his family, but I didn't do this,” my voice was shaky but firm.

“If it’s not you, then who is the murderer?” He questions.

“How would I know who the culprit is?” I fired back. “I am innocent for goddess’s sake!”

The Beta’s lips curl into a sneer. “You expect us to believe that? You return after being away for so long, mated to three Alphas, and suddenly the Alpha King and his family are dead? It’s too convenient.”

My stomach churns. “I had nothing to gain from this! Why would I even think of doing such a horrible thing to them?”

“Enough!” The Beta’s voice booms, silencing me. “You will be arrested and held until we decide what to do with you. And the goddess knows that I want nothing more than for you to join them in the afterlife.”

Aiden steps between us, his eyes blazing with fury. “You can’t just throw her in a cell based on baseless accusations. There are proper procedures to do this. At this point, you are concluding based on your emotions.”

Rylan follows, his tone equally deadly. “If you arrest her, you’ll have to go through me first. No one treats my mate like crap and gets away with it.”

The Beta’s expression hardens. “Stand aside, unless you want to start a war right here. Whether Valeria is your mate or not, she is a suspect until proven guilty. Unless you want the other wolf pack’s to hear about the situation we are in and wage war on us at our defenceless state, allow the Alpha king’s subordinates to carry out the proper judgement.”

“But I didn’t do it! I am innocent!” I cried out.

“We will find out soon enough. Guards, take her away!” The beta commands.

The guards approached me, but Aiden and Rylan stepped in the way.

“Move, Alphas! We don’t want to face the consequences of our actions, do we?”

Aiden’s fists clench at his sides, but he doesn’t move. Rylan’s eyes flicker toward mine, and in them, I see the struggle—wanting to protect me but knowing they can’t risk a full-blown conflict with the wolf pack.

After a tense beat, Aiden steps back, his voice low but filled with promise. “We’ll find a way to get you out of this, Valeria. I swear.”

Rylan follows suit, giving the Beta a glare that could freeze fire. “We’re not done here,” he warns, before stepping back with Aiden.

“No! No! Let me go! I’m innocent!” I cried.

I can barely register what’s happening as the guards seize my arms, dragging me away. My heart races, panic clawing at my throat. I glance back one more time, hoping—praying—that Kade will step forward, say something, anything to defend me. But his face remains a mask of uncertainty. That doubt, that flicker of distrust, crushes me more than the Beta’s words ever could.

As they dragged me away, I looked around me. The werewolves who were present looked at me with nothing but a look of contempt. I’m pretty sure that they would have killed me on the spot if they had the opportunity. So, this was how it felt like to be accused wrongly.

The immense feeling of guilt that I felt, not because of what they said about me, but because I solely believed that if I hadn’t returned, I wouldn’t be in this messy situation.

They shove me into the dark, cold cell, the heavy iron door slamming shut behind me. The darkness closes in, and the silence is deafening. I sink to the floor, my body trembling, not from fear of what’s to come, but from the deeper pain—the betrayal in Kade’s eyes.

The uncertain look in his eyes crushed me further. His silence was deafening and deep, portraying his doubts about me. But who wouldn’t doubt me?

I thought coming back to the pack was the right choice. I thought I could find my place again. But now, as I sit here, alone and accused, I can’t help but wonder if it was all a mistake. The regrets shook me violently and I wished I could go back in time and just stop myself from coming back here. But I couldn’t. The reality hit me harder than I thought.

Is this what I came back for? To be cast aside, blamed for a crime I didn’t commit? To feel loved and appreciated, only for everything to be crushed in a space of 24 hours?

I close my eyes, trying to block out the sound of my racing heart. Kade’s face flashes behind my eyelids, and a tear slips down my cheek. He was the first person I noticed when I had arrived last night, the first mate whose scent had a lot of effect on me. The one I had thought was the reason why that undeniable force pulled me back to my wolf pack.

The one person I thought I could rely on, the one who’s always been the strongest… he doesn’t believe me.