2. Conspiracy

[Carys]

I ran back to the Spring palace.

Sneaking into the hallways, I watched from the shadows.

‘Where are you?’ Joshua mind-linked me. ‘Please reply to me, Carys. Please!’

I didn’t reply. There was a crowd in the party hall.

Edith sat in the middle of the crowd weeping. Joshua sat beside her as a doctor tended to her wound.

What the hell happened here?

“I still can’t believe this. Beta Carys is the traitor?” Carter, beta of the Summer pack, said.

“Well, we kind of knew that someone among us was leaking our intel to the lycans. It makes sense that beta Carys is working with them given her past—” Elijah Helios, alpha of the Summer pack, said.

“Alpha Elijah, let’s not come to a conclusion without proper investigation. You are talking about my beta,” Joshua said, glaring at him. “Beta Carys has always proved her loyalty to us and our pack. We can’t judge her based on a mistake she made in her teens.”

Elijah scoffed, “oh really? So where is she? When the lycans attacked, she should be here, protecting you and your to-be luna.”

“Moreover, these photos tell a completely different story. It clearly looks as if she is commanding the lycans. They are dressed as the same people who attacked us and injured your mate, Alpha Joshua.” Carter said.

“How did you even get this photo?” Joshua asked Dominic Percy, alpha of the Spring pack and Edith’s elder brother.

“As you know, for safety, a spy follows every guest in our palace. Of course, the guests aren’t aware of the spies, but these photos were from the spy who was tailing beta Carys,” Dominic said. “We are questioning the lycans we’ve caught. We’ll soon know what the truth is. Until then, I will request all of you to cooperate with us.”

I don’t get this. I just don’t get this.

Someone was clearly trying to frame me, but who and why?

Anyway, the right course of actions right now would be…

I came out of hiding and walked downstairs into the hall. The soldiers of the Spring pack surrounded me. I glanced at them and then at Dominic.

“You cannot take my beta into custody, not until you have stronger evidence,” Joshua said, and the soldiers stepped back, but they were still in position.

“Carys!” Joshua held my arm, and I briskly took it back from him. 

‘Don’t touch me,’ I told him through a mind-link.

Joshua tensed his brows as guilt flushed all over his face. Clenching his hands, he dropped them to his side.

“Where were you, Carys?” He asked.

“In the woods,” I said as every eye looked at me with the same suspicion and caution that they had held ten years ago.

“Why did you go there?” Dominic asked, strutting to me.

I looked at Joshua and then at Edith. 

“It was a little suffocating in the palace, so I went out for a run,” I said.

Dominic took out his phone from his pant’s pocket and showed the picture to me. “What is this? Who are these people?”

The picture that was clicked in the woods when I came across those black-robed men.

I looked into Dominic’s eyes and said, “I don’t know who they are. Yes, I encountered them in the woods and I suspected an ambush. But when they backed away, I thought maybe the palace was under an attack so I ran back here just to see that perhaps only princess Edith was attacked.”

I looked at Jax. He asked me to run away and running away in a situation like this would have put me into greater trouble. Was he trying to frame me? Or was he working under someone else’s command?

I skimmed my eyes from Jax to Edith. Edith had the same subtle but sly glow in her eyes.

“That’s not true. A few of my guards and butlers were injured as well. Although the lycans did retreat quickly,” Dominic said. “Their plan was weak given they dared attack the three alphas.”

“We will know their motives once the captured lycans start speaking,” Jax said.

It felt like I was getting trapped deeper and deeper into whatever conspiracy was going on against me.

“They are clearly bowing before you,” Carter said. “How do you explain that?”

“If this photo would have been clicked a few seconds ago, you would see me pointing a gun at them. The spy who sent you this. Can you call him here?” I asked, looking at Dominic.

“He’s missing. Right after he sent me these photos, he stopped responding to my mind-links and texts. My soldiers are looking for him in the woods,” Dominic said.

I smiled, “how convenient. Create a fake scenario, a fake attack and then clear all the evidence to make it look real. Someone is clearly trying to frame me here. I have nothing to do with the lycans.”

“Fake attack? Edith was hurt, Carys,” Joshua said, frowning at me.

I felt an unfathomable burn in my chest, seeing his concern for her. Now, every time I looked into his dark eyes, all I could see was betrayal. 

Suppressing my emotions, I walked to Edith and examined her wounds, clicking the photos before the doctor bandaged it.

“These wounds are shallow. We have faced several lycan attacks, haven’t we, alpha Joshua? Everyone here knows very well that when a lycan attacks, he doesn’t merely tear off the skin. They tear limbs right off the body…”

“That’s because Joshua saved me on time,” Edith said. “The lycans came under-prepared this time.”

“There’s a thing about lycans. They are far more intelligent and cunning than us. They are never under-prepared and if they are, they don’t attack,” I said. “And attacking a party with three of the strongest werewolf alphas? I don’t think lycans are that stupid.”

Edith smiled, “you speak as though you are close to the lycans. As if you know everything about them.”

“There’s a saying: keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” I said.

“Yeah. Everyone here knows how close you were to your enemy. Is that also the reason no lycan ever attacks you? Forget about attacking. They never even dare lay a finger on you,” Edith said, and I felt a burning clench in my chest.

I glared at her, feeling my age old wounds open up again.

“Enough! Whatever it is, we will soon find out. Until then, beta Carys will be confined in her room under heavy surveillance,” Dominic said. “I hope you cooperate with us,” he looked at me.

“Sure,” I said.

*****

I paced in my room that had turned into a prison. There were cameras in my room with voice recorders.

I was trying to figure out what was actually happening when the door opened.

“Joshua—”

“I bet you wish it was him,” Edith said as she shut the door and walked to me. “Tell me, why are you trying to kill me? What have I ever done to you?”

I narrowed my eyes at her words.

“I have seen bad acting, but yours is the worst,” I said and Edith widened her eyes in shock.

“Oh my, how rude. Why do you hate me so much, Carys?” Edith let out a fake weep.

“That’s my question, Princess Edith. It seems like you hate me more,” I said, crossing my hands under my breasts.

She suppressed a chuckle and walked closer to me. She hugged me, breaking into tears. “No, Carys. I don’t. Why are you so cold to me?”

I pushed her away from me. “What are you trying to do now?”

She pretended to look clueless. “What do you mean?”

“It was you. You faked this attack on yourself, didn’t you?” 

“What?” she placed her hands on her mouth. “What are you saying? First you ask your lycans to kill me and now you are trying to blame it all on me? Why would I pay some rogues to attack me and hurt myself?”

Rogues? Were those lycans rogues? If so, then… anyone can hire them to do their dirty work without political consequences because the rogues worked on their own and were answerable to none.

Sobbing, she sat on the bed.

“Please leave,” I said.

“I am sorry, you think so lowly of me… but I have nothing but respect for you… being a beta isn’t easy at all and I have always admired you for that. You have been my idol, Carys.” She got up and held my hands. “I forgive you. I will take this attack as your welcome gift and forget everything about it. I will tell my brother to forgive you as well. Let’s start anew. After all, I will soon be your luna. We must have a good relationship, right? What do you say?”

I flicked her hands away from me.

“My luna?”

“Yes,” her smile reached her ears. “Didn’t you hear? Joshua and I are getting married and that too in a week.”

She held my arms.

“I am so excited to be a part of the Autumn pack and work with you and Joshua. Let’s forget about this childish mistake of yours here. All I need is your apology and I will forget everything about this attack,” she said.

For a second, I lost all control over my rage and jealousy and I pushed her away from me.

She yelped as she collided with the table and fell to the ground. She looked at the scratch on her wrist because of the fall and then glared at me.

I didn’t push her that hard.

“Why should I apologize? Why should I take responsibility for something I haven’t even done? There will be a thorough investigation on this matter, and I will make sure the real culprit is caught and punished.” I said.

Edith glared at me through the hair that had covered her face partially. She smirked, holding my gaze. She rubbed her wrist wound. It seemed as if she was caressing it, but in reality she was making the scratch worse with her nails.

“Does that mean you really didn’t plan this attack?” she asked in an impassive tone as she got up from the floor.

“I will prove my innocence. You may leave now,” I said.

She sneered at me through the veil of her hair. She stepped closer to me and hugged me.

“I knew you couldn’t do something like that. I just wasn’t sure, but now I am sure…” she lowered her voice into whispers only I could hear. “Of course you didn’t plan this attack, because I did.”

I widened my eyes at her confession and looked at the camera. There is no way the voice recorder will catch such a low frequency of sound. They even seized my phone.

“Two years, Carys. Joshua and I met at the royal gala and we found out we were mates. You didn’t attend the gala that day. I thought he would mark me right away after we fucked all night, but no. He didn’t mark me. He kept hesitating and after fucking me, instead of satisfaction, he had guilt on his face. I kept wondering why he was reluctant to accept me, his own mate. Clearly, his wolf craved me, but Joshua seemed aloof. So, I monitored his daily life, and that’s when I found out about the secret relationship you were having with him.”

My heart was beating erratically at her every word. Nothing felt right. It seemed as if every part of my body was aching.

“He loved you so madly, he almost rejected me. You can’t even imagine what I went through that day. I somehow stopped him from rejecting me. And that’s when I realized you were the real problem. He might have been pulled towards me because of the mate bond, but he loved you. I swear I tried killing myself that day because of how worthless I felt. But why should I kill myself for a worthless whore like you?”

She spoke through her gritted teeth.

I tried to push her away from me, but she hugged me tighter. 

“You are the beta of the Autumn pack, so I knew it wouldn’t be easy to take you down. I needed something big. This is my big. I honestly hate you. You have no idea what I have in store for you. You can never get out of my trap because now even Joshua is on my side. I promise I will throw you out of my mate’s life soon. Not just my mate’s life, but from the pack as well. Pack up because soon you’ll turn into a rogue.”

She parted from me and smiled, wiping off her tears.

“I hope we can be friends, beta Carys,” she said loudly.

Anxiety knotted in my stomach. More than fear, I felt a rush. 

Two years. Joshua had been sleeping with her for two years. Behind my back? How did I not notice?

All the sudden meetings and trips to random places without further notice, the constant buzzing of his phone. How did such obvious signs go unnoticed?

I smiled.

“I understand you, but I pity you, Edith. I have been rejected by my mate and I know what it feels like. I understand your fear. I know the pain,” I said. She frowned. “I never wish anyone to go through the pain I went through, not even you...”

The door opened again and this time, Joshua entered. He looked at both of us with a pale face. He lowered his gaze and shut the door.

“Edith? Why are you here?” Joshua asked.

“Josh!” she walked to him and wrapped her arms around his biceps. Joshua’s heartbeats escalated, and I knew their mate sparks were at work. “I just came here to mend things with her. I know how broken she must have felt after seeing us together like… that… but I guess Carys really hates me a lot.” 

Once again, her fake tears streamed down her cheeks. She lifted her scratched hand to wipe her tears when Joshua seized her hand. 

“Is this a wound from the attack?” Joshua asked Edith. “Why didn’t the doctor treat it?”

The concern in his eyes for her was genuine. Tears stung my eyes as I peered at him, holding her in his arms as if he meant it.

Clenching my fists, I looked to the side.

“No, it’s… it’s nothing…” Edith glanced at me.

“Don’t tell me…” Joshua glared at me. “Carys, did you hurt her?” He demanded an answer.

“No, she didn’t. It was an accident. I stumbled and fell—”

“There’s no use trying to protect her, Edith. I saw it through the camera. Beta Carys clearly pushed her.” Dominic entered the room with Jax and his soldiers.

“Did you?” Joshua’s eyes glowed as his wolf, Xander, growled at me.

“She did!” Dominic said. “The lycans finally spoke. Beta Carys was the one to hire them to kill my sister! This is the proof! The money she gave them had her fingerprints on them.”

“That’s impossible! They are lying! I didn’t—”

“How dare you hurt my mate!” Xander growled.

Xander surfaced, and Joshua was pushed behind. The next moment, my head crashed into the wall. Xander clenched my throat.

“I should have put you in your place two years ago, fucking bitch!”

All I remember is I couldn’t breathe for a second or two. Blood drained into my eyes. The room turned red and then pitch black.