CHAPTER TEN

EMMA'S POV

"Who are you?" the lady in front of me demanded, her voice cutting through the air. She was dressed in a purple linen gown, her ears adorned with silver earrings. With her poised demeanor, I could tell she was a respected figure in the Crescent Pack. She looked young—around my age.

"Thief!" she suddenly yelled, her words slamming into me like a punch. My head jerked back in shock, my heart pounding as I struggled to make sense of the accusation.

I stumbled backward, my heart racing as confusion and panic set in. "What? No, I'm not—"

Before I could finish my sentence, her eyes narrowed, and she stepped closer, her voice rising. "Guards! Seize her!"

Two guards appeared seemingly out of nowhere, their hands gripping my arms tightly. The lady's face twisted with anger and something else—maybe jealousy or spite. She looked unhinged, her eyes wild as she glared at me.

"Wait! There's been a mistake!" I tried to explain, but my words were drowned out by her shouting.

"How dare you enter our sacred halls and steal from us?" she spat, her voice trembling with fury. "You think you can waltz in here and take what belongs to us?"

"I didn't steal anything," I pleaded, struggling against the guards' iron grip. "I swear, I didn't."

The guards tightened their hold, and the lady took a step back, her eyes never leaving mine. "You will pay for this," she said coldly. "No one defies the Crescent Pack and gets away with it."

My mind raced, desperately trying to think of a way out of this. Just as I felt the situation spiraling further out of control, a familiar voice cut through the tension.

"What's going on here?" Madeline's voice was firm, yet calm.

The lady turned to face her, her expression shifting slightly. "This thief was caught trying to steal from us."

Madeline's eyes met mine, and I saw a flicker of recognition and concern. "She's no thief," she said firmly. "She's under the protection of Luna Marissa."

"And how do I believe the words from a servant?" I watched her questions, her eyes rolling as she strode towards Madeline. The tension in the air was thick, as my gaze revered around the view of her back which was currently facing Madeline.

"She is the Alpha's mate." Madeline spat, her voice faltering. I noticed a slight taint in her expression immediately, her face turned ashen in shock. She swivels back, her sharp gaze catching mine immediately.

I felt the heated gleam of her scrutinizing gaze as I noticed the sudden movement of her legs as she grew closer. Once near me, I watched her bend down to my level, her breath hitting my face.

My heartbeat increases, fear and uncertainty running freely in my veins as I anticipated her expression. Her face was now devoid of emotions, a cloud of sweats powdered on my forehead as she pulls back and immediately breaks down into a dark cackle.

"Hahaha.." I watched her continue as the guards grip over my arms tighten causing me to cry out in pain.

"How charming," she drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "A grand spectacle of pretending some random girl is the Alpha's mate? Really? As if we don’t all know the Alpha’s mate hasn’t been found and probably never will be. But kudos for trying. I happen to know him quite well, and this sad little act? Totally transparent. You must be grasping at straws if you thought this would work."

Noticing the pain I was enduring from the jabbering pains from the guards grip, Madeline countered, "I am saying the truth lady Pamela,"

I watched as Pamela— yes, that was her name— moved gracefully, her steps echoing with a subtle power I couldn't yet decipher.

"You're dismissed maid, and if I find you hovering around my chambers, I'll have you arrested alongside your so called alibi." Pamela sneered, her voice firm and demanding as she flashed her gaze over to me.

I watched as Madeline’s eyes wavered, her confidence faltering under the cool dismissal from Lady Pamela. The way Lady Pamela’s gaze swept over Madeline, indifferent and unyielding, was like a silent command that left no room for argument.

"Don't worry Lady Emma, I'll go get the Alpha immediately." Madeline rushed, her words skittering. I watched her veer off in the opposite direction leaving me all alone with the guards and the lady named Pamela.

"In the mean time, I'll have this faker questioned," My heartbeat falters upon her words, her tone rumbling with authority. "Take her in guards!" She finished with a slight wave of her hands as I was immediately pulled in an unknown direction. Before I knew what was going on and where I was headed, I was already sitting in a chair surrounded by four hefty guards.

Surrounded by the lavish decor of the room, I sat quietly, my mind racing. The elegant furnishings and soft glow of the lights seemed to fade into the background as I focused on Lady Pamela.

Her cool dismissal of Madeline had been so composed, so effortless, that it left me intrigued. Who was she? I wondered, glancing at the ornate details around me, trying to distract myself from the tension.

The way she commanded respect, and the air of authority she carried, suggested a deeper connection to the Alpha. I found myself drawn into a slow unraveling of thoughts, piecing together what I could about her. The more I thought, the more questions bubbled up, but no answers seemed clear. It was like trying to solve a mystery with only a few clues, each one leading me to more questions, leaving me in a whirl of curiosity and uncertainty.

The bronze door to the room I was in creaks slowly as it chimed open to the vaguely familiar figure of lady Pamela. Her commanding presence tickled an unfelt tug of emotions, shivers running up my spine.

Sweats trickled their way down my cheeks as she grew closer. "What do you want from me," I beamed, curiosity lingering in my veins. My neck hair stiffens as I await her response.

"I want the truth," She delivered with a dry smirk, her gaze boring into mine. "Who are you and what is your motive in this pack?" She quarried, her eyebrows furrowed.

"I swear I am Alpha Kai's mate," I yelled out, fighting to catch my breath, as the words rushed out of my lips. A thin silence evades the air, as I watched her cheeks pull into a dark smile, "Guess, you aren't going to say the truth peacefully."

"Well, I guess that leaves me with no other choice but to bring in the big guns." She muttered through gritted teeth as fear seeped into my bloodstream. "What do you mean? I'm telling the truth, I swear!" I cried out.

I followed her hands with my eyes as I watched her pull out a sword from behind and immediately started taking steps towards me. "Look at me girl, I know you aren't the alpha's mate and I know for a fact, that maid put you up to it so I'm giving you one last chance to redeem yourself and go free only if you confess."

"I'm saying the truth." I bickered, my heartbeat increasing by each fleeting second.

Her eyes were steely as she moved closer, the sword in her hand glinting ominously. “You’ve got one last chance,” she said, her voice low and unyielding. “Tell me the truth and I might let you go.”

I felt a cold sweat break out as the blade neared my throat, each step she took sending waves of fear through me. I had already told her the truth—about being the Alpha’s mate and how Alpha Kai had brought me here—but she wasn’t buying it.

Just as the sword was about to pierce the air near my throat, a deep, authoritative voice cut through the tension. “Leave her.”

The woman’s eyes widened, and she hesitated, glancing at the doorway where the Alpha stood, his presence commanding instant obedience.