A SECOND CHANCE (I)

Zephyrine's pov 

I tried to run, my bare feet hitting against the cold pavement, in some futile effort to escape the angry mob. 

    Strong arms hauled me from behind and yanked me right back in the heart of the raging mob. All that I felt were shivers up and down my spine, sudden fear, when the man spun me to face them. 

"Let go!" I shouted, my blog itch hoarse with panic. I wrestled to get free, yet hands were like vices-hands that would not shift even an inch.

"No, you don't get to leave!" someone spat, "You are going to pay for what you did to him!"

They started screaming hurtful words at me, and the venomous words spat in a fit of anger and hatred pierced through my ears. I felt as if I was being bombarded from all directions, my eyes welling up with tears, but I fought them back, refusing to let them fall.

"Murderer!" someone shouted, his voice rising above the din.

"Cursed omega!" another chimed in, his voice dripping with malice.

Astrid tried to intervene, pushing her way through the crowd to get to me. "Stop it, all of you!" she shouted, firm but panicked. "Leave her alone! She didn't do anything! This is all a misunderstanding! Let my child go.”

But the crowd wasn't interested. They were too tied up in their anger and hate, refusing to hear reason.

"Oh, really?" someone sneered, face contorted with scorn. "Then why did Cormac end up dead? Why did she kill him? He was hale and hearty till the very moment he was cursed with this rejected omega!”

"I didn't kill him!" I protested, my voice shaking with fear. But nobody seemed to believe me. They kept on shouting.

Astrid tried again, but the crowd was just too thick. She leaned against the wall of people, her face set in determination. "Let me through!" she yelled, her voice rising above the din. "I need to get to Zephyrine!"

But the crowd was too strong, and they overpowered her with ease. I saw her attempt to grab onto someone's arm, but they shook her off, sending her tumbling backward.

"Get back, Astrid!" someone warned, his voice menacing. "You don't want to get involved with this cursed omega! You should have let her die in the forest!”

Astrid's face was twisted in a mask of concern and fear as she realized she couldn't get to me. She scrambled to her feet, her eyes locked on mine. "Zephyrine, I'm sorry!" she yelled, her voice barely audible above the din. "I'll get help, I promise!"

But I knew it might be too late. The crowd closed in, pushing and pressing, to work out all their anger and hate. The crowd closed in and had me surrounded; I couldn't get out. The heart raced in panic as I thought, "What will they do with me?

The more this went on, the closer the crowd closed in, there was one voice that suggested, "Take her to the alpha! He'll decide what to do with her!

It seemed the crowd agreed, and I was dragged away, my skin and feet scrapping the pavement.

“The alpha is a just man, he will give Cormac the justice he deserves.”

I was dragged into the pack's throne room; the space smelled of old wood and smoke. The room was dimly lit with only a few flickering candles lighting up the faces of the pack members gathered around me.

Ryker, the alpha, sat on his big, throne-like chair and stared at me with curiosity and disdain. He was tall and imposing, with a chiseled jaw and piercing blue eyes that could feel like they were going deep into my soul.

"So, this is the omega who's been causing all the commotion," he said, his voice low and smooth, like silk. "I must say, I'm intrigued."

There were mumblings and grumblings among the pack, a low hum of discontent. Ryker raised his hand, and the room fell silent.

"Tell me, omega," he said, not his eyes leaving mine. "What do you have to say for yourself? Anything to say against the charges leveled against you?"

I shook my head, trying to explain, but Ryker cut me off with an arched brow. "I'm not interested in hearing your excuses," he said. "I'm interested in justice. And justice demands that those who break our laws must be punished."

He leaned forward, eyes glinting in the candlelight. "I am a fair man, omega. I will allow you a chance to prove yourself innocent. We will convene a trial tomorrow morning, and you will get your chance to prove your side. "

The surge of relief that coursed through my veins was short-lived. It was Ryker's next words that chilled me.

"For tonight, however, I think it best if you are kept.safe. The crowd is restless, and I would not want anything to happen to you before your trial."

He nodded to one of his guards, who stepped forward to lead me away. "Take her to the dungeon," Ryker said, his voice oozing with fake politeness. "Make sure she's comfortable, but also.secure."

As I was dragged away, I saw Ryker's face for the first time: his eyes gleaming with cold, calculated intelligence. And in that moment, I knew I was in grave danger, and my trial was going to be a sham.

The cell was cold and dark, the wall was wet , moldy odors with each breath of air. Then, I was thrown into a cell, and the door slammed shut behind my back, at the mercy of whatever lay ahead for the following day.

But sitting here in the dark, it was hard not to feel that Ryker's words were laced with a silent menace, a threat that seemed to hang in the air like a challenge. 

"How do I prove my innocence? How I do prove I didn't kill him? I don't even have my mate mark… that’s just more trouble for me.”