Chapter 15

With Alpha Eric standing in front of her, Lucy felt her heart drop to her stomach. She felt a chill run down her spine as his massive, menacing form stood tall in the doorway, his stern eyes locked on her.

Lucy realized at that very instant that she was in serious jeopardy. 

Lucy," Alpha Eric's voice boomed, cutting through the silence like a thunderclap. "What is the meaning of this?"

Lucy's throat went dry as she struggled to form a coherent response. She could feel the weight of his gaze bearing down on her, his piercing eyes seeming to bore into her very soul. She knew that she had to choose her words carefully, for any misstep could spell disaster.

"Alpha Eric," she began, her voice trembling slightly despite her efforts to maintain composure. "I... I was just..."

But before she could finish her sentence, Alpha Eric's expression hardened into a mask of displeasure.

"Save your excuses, Lucy," he snapped, his voice cutting like a knife through the air. "I will not tolerate this act of yours, insubordination in my pack, especially from one such as you." He turned his eyes away from her and nodded his head with his gaze pressed on Isabella.

"Isabella, what happened?" He questioned with a frown encroaching on his face.

As Isabella heard those words from Alpha Eric, her heart raced with excitement, her thoughts already racing with stories of trickery and deceit. This, she realized, was her chance to get rid of Lucy, the pain in her side that had been bothering her ever since the day she joined the pack.

"Alpha Eric," she said, her voice lilting with honey and brimming with fake earnestness. "I must speak with you about a matter of great importance."

Alpha Eric looked at her, a mix of trust and fascination in his gaze as he turned to face her. With a hint of frustration in his voice, he said, "What is it, Isabella?"

Isabella took a deep breath, steeling herself for the task ahead. "It's Lucy," she said, her voice trembling slightly despite her efforts to appear composed. "I'm afraid she's been causing trouble once again."

Alpha Eric's brow furrowed in concern. "What kind of trouble?" he demanded, his voice sharp with urgency.

Isabella wasted no time in launching into her fabricated tale, weaving a web of lies with practiced ease. She recounted how she had caught Lucy snooping around in places she didn't belong, how she had overheard her plotting against Alpha Eric and his son, Leo. She painted Lucy as a conniving seductress, a wolf in sheep's clothing who was intent on causing chaos within the pack.

As she spun her tale, Isabella watched with satisfaction as Alpha Eric's expression darkened with anger. She could see the fire of righteous indignation burning in his eyes, fueling his desire to root out the source of the trouble and put an end to it once and for all.

And there's more," Isabella continued, her voice trembling with feigned outrage. "She had the audacity to remind me of the incident with your son, as if she had done nothing wrong. I fear she may be trying to turn him against us, to sow discord within the pack."

Alpha Eric's jaw clenched with fury at the mention of his son's name. He had always been fiercely protective of Leo, and the thought of anyone trying to harm him filled him with a primal rage unlike anything he had ever experienced before.

"Are you of all the words that came out of your mouth?" Alpha Eric demanded, his voice a low growl that sent shivers down Isabella's spine.

Isabella swallowed hard, her heart racing with anticipation as she delivered the final blow. "Yes," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. 

Without another word, Alpha Eric turned on his heel and faced Lucy. 

Lucy!" he barked, his voice echoing through the empty corridors with the force of a thunderclap.

Lucy's eyes widened in shock at the accusation, her heart pounding with fear as she struggled to find the words to defend herself. "Alpha Eric, please," she pleaded, her voice trembling with emotion. 

"I don't know what Isabella is talking about, it's not true. I would never do anything to harm you or your son." She said her voice was kind of faltering.

Alpha Eric was in no mood to listen to reason. His mind was clouded with rage, his vision obscured by the words he had just heard.

Seeing the expression on his face, Lucy bowed her head and fell on her knees as she knew at the moment that there was nothing she could say that could change Alpha Eric's mind. 

She knew somehow that her fate would be decided and there would be no one to help her. Isabella watched him go with a triumphant smirk, knowing that her plan had worked perfectly.

In no time, Eric reached out and grabbed Lucy by the arm, his grip like a vice and pulled her up. His eyes shifted its color as they turned red. 

He pushed her against the wall, causing her to hit her head against the wall. She fell back on the ground with a loud grunt. She strived to get back on her feet as she shook her head swiftly.

Isabella stood with a devilish smile radiating all over her face. She watched as Marie rushed to help Lucy back on her feet but Lucy pushed her away and said "Don't touch me, just stay away from me," 

Marie wagged her head and stood back.

"I won't have to punish you myself, you'll be given twenty strokes of the cane," His voice echoed.

"Twenty strokes, she might not survive it… she's just a mere slave and does not have her powers yet," Isabella smirked.

Lucy raised her head slowly until her eyes came in contact with Isabella. She knew too well to believe Isabella would say such words. 

Isabella smiled at her, making gestures with her hands.

Alpha Eric was about to call in the guards but stopped when Leo stepped inside the room.