Ch 4. Sentenced to Death

*Aurora’s P.O.V.*

"What's going on?" I asked in confusion as I stood in front of her.

"You are asking me what is going on? You evil bitch! I always knew you were not an ordinary maid; I knew you were up to no good," Sabrina said.

"What are you talking about? I don't quite understand," I inquired.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I knew you would act all innocent and clueless," she said and moved aside as Isabella walked into the kitchen carrying a tray with a golden chalice.

Isabella's face was stained with tears as she closed the gap between us and took the chalice from the tray, tossing it to the floor, making me flinch.

"Smell it," she declared, lowering the chalice to my nose. I glared at her and moved closer to her, placing the bridge of my nose over the cup as I sniffed it. The strong scent of wolfsbane hit me like a ton of bricks, making my stomach churn. I stumbled to the middle counter with my hand over my nose.

"Why did you ask me to smell it?" I asked her.

Isabella's face contorted in rage as she walked toward me and tossed the chalice to the floor, then gave me a hard slap across the face.

"Your highness!" Leni yelled from behind me.

"How dare you poison Alpha Finn?" She ranted, starting to hit me. I put my hands over my face to block her blows as she rained curses on me and continued hitting me.

Two warriors rushed over to her and pulled her away from me. "Your highness, you have to calm down. She will get the punishment she deserves," one of the warriors assured her. She allowed them to pull her back and stood beside Sabrina, who had an evil grin on her face. Then, it dawned on me that Sabrina had orchestrated this entire situation.

"I hope you know your fate, considering you tried to kill the future alpha," Sabrina said with a smile, gesturing toward the warriors.

"Seize her!" she declared, and two warriors rushed to me, gripping both of my hands. They started hauling me toward the kitchen entrance, while Isabella and the others cleared a path for us to pass.

"Let me go!" I shouted as I struggled against their grasp. "You are making baseless accusations. How could I have poisoned the Alpha when I wasn't even present at the fucking coronation? I didn't even serve the drinks!" My protests fell on deaf ears as the warriors dragged me along with their solid grip.

My legs could barely move as they forced me down the hallway. I looked back to see Sabrina and Isabella trailing behind me, with Leni following them, her eyes filled with tears.

A tear slid down my cheek unnoticed as I was forcefully dragged into the expansive living room of the packhouse. It was packed with guests and tables, and all the pack members stood, their faces twisted with disgust as they began throwing raw eggs at me.

"Witch! You attempted to kill the alpha, you deserve to die!" a man shouted, throwing an egg at me. It struck my face, breaking and injuring me as other eggs assaulted different parts of my body, ruining the pathetic dress I was wearing.

"Bitch! Die, you are nothing but a disgrace to this pack. How could you try to kill the alpha!" another person yelled from the crowd as, yet another egg landed in my hair.

My gaze accidentally flicked to Alpha Finn. He sat on one of the tables, his white suit stained with blood, while a doctor and his father tended to him. He locked eyes with me briefly, frowned, and then averted his gaze.

Alpha Griffin's furious voice cut through the chaos. "You all know what to do with her, take her to the courtyard!" he declared. My heart shattered into a million pieces at the thought that this would be the end of me. I had endured a lifetime of suffering as a slave, and now, I would die a slave in a miserable way.

Hot tears streamed down my face, burning my eyes, as the warriors dragged me out of the packhouse. The pack members followed us like an angry mob, hurling insults at me. A coronation had turned into a death sentence in the blink of an eye.

As the warriors hauled me outside into the dark night, the moon hung in the sky, a silent witness to my impending doom. I gulped as they brought me to a guillotine erected in the middle of the courtyard, two warriors standing watch by its side, their gazes fixed on me.

The guillotine was a towering wooden frame with a menacing, sharp blade suspended above. They laid me down on the board, my face turned toward the moon, my head resting on the wooden board beneath the blade. I whimpered at the sight of the looming, deadly blade above me.

A warrior positioned near the machine grasped the rope, preparing to release the blade and cut off my head. I whimpered further, tears continuing to stream down my face, as the pack members' chants for my execution echoed in the air.

With my head pressed against the wooden board, I had surrendered all hope. This was to be my gruesome fate. I closed my eyes, bracing for the unavoidable.

"Stop!" A commanding and authoritative voice rang out, causing my body to go still, as if compelled to obey.

"Stop the blade release; that maid is my mate." The word "mate" echoed in my ears as I opened my eyes, hope flickering in my heart once more.