Chapter 2 Noah's Truth

(Anna)

At some point, the ordeal became so much that I fainted. Without my wolf, the pain of rejection, the pain of seeing my father die and the pain of betrayal fried my brain sending me into a comatose state. To preserve my mind and body from completely falling apart.

I was jerked awake by smelly water being repeatedly thrown on my face. The stench from the cold water attacked my senses bringing me out of the tragic slumber I had fallen into.

As my eyes groggily opened and adjusted to the dim yellow light, they fell first on the face which I didn't wish to see in a thousand years. Every muscle in my body went taut to the point of breaking, seeing her disgusting face. It used to be a source of happiness for me before yesterday.

Her golden stiletto was clicking on the floor right in front of my face. The sound grinding on my raw nerves. I wanted to rip her head off for the betrayal.

"Look at you, how the princess has fallen," she taunted, flicking back her raven hair.

Drenched from the murky water I gathered myself and sat up straight, facing her with my head held high.

From the looks of it, they had locked me up in one of the cells in the dungeon. The chains held me against the wall so I couldn't scratch her smug face. My anger itching at my hands to claw out her face.

I asked. "Why? We were best friends Ruby. I trusted you. How could you do this to me?"

Ruby threw her head back and laughed mockingly. She haughtily answered.

"You are really naive. If you had paid attention then you would have understood that I only befriended you because of how strong your pack was. I could barely stand your jabbering about Noah and your perfect life."

Her lips and right hand mimed the movement of, "Blah, Blah, Blah," as if mocking me.

My body jerked forward as I bared my teeth at her, and a menacing snarl left my throat. All the veins in my neck went taut as I frustratedly yelled.

"You will burn in hell, you backstabbing bitch."

Her kick instantly landed on the side of my face, splitting my lip open. The blood gushed out as my head was propelled sideways by the force.

Clutching my golden brown hair, she yanked roughly to lift my head back up. Bending down her smug face was in my personal space.

"You think Noah loved you. He only pretended to do that. In reality, this was all his revenge plan against your father."

My head throbbed in pain as I tried to make sense of her words.

"My father?" I hoarsely asked.

"Yes, your father killed his parents and exterminated his whole pack. Only he was spared and later adopted by your father. He thought Noah didn't know but he remembered everything and now he will exact his revenge by executing you."

I couldn't believe the words falling through her lips. I knew my father, he was a benevolent and kind ruler who never took an innocent life. This was a huge misunderstanding.

"No, that's not true. My father could never do that." I tried to shake my head but her grip made it difficult.

"You are at my mercy now, there is no saving you. Noah is mine." She banged my head against the back wall so hard that I almost blacked out from the blinding pain that danced at the edges of my eyes.

I could understand that Noah was either tricked or lied to. I had to talk to him, to make him see the truth.

"Noah! Noah!" I desperately called out at the top of my voice, using all the strength my body could possess.

The barred iron door soon opened with a ringing sound and Noah entered with an icy glare. His glacial eyes held nothing but hatred and coldness for me.

Halting exactly in front of my face he went on a tirade.

"What would you do Anna if your parents and whole pack were butchered right in front of your eyes? I saw your father, snapping the necks of my parents and annihilating my whole pack. I promised myself that day I would seek revenge against my parents' killer and today I have fulfilled that promise. Only you left now."

"No, this is some big misunderstanding. You knew my father your whole life. He adopted you and loved you like his own son. This can't be true. Together we can uncover the truth," I pleaded. I couldn't let him ruin my pack. He had already killed my father, the least I could do was clear his name and get to the bottom of whatever this was.

He derisively let out a snort as if mocking me.

"Your father was a hypocrite. He adopted me because he thought I didn't know the truth, that I saw nothing that fateful night. But I was aware of every heinous crime John Carrol committed and I had planned for years, even acted to love you. But in reality, your face repulses me. The daughter of a killer is what you are."

His words cut deep and hurt even deeper, but I had to try to make him see sense. To escape from here and form a plan. I couldn't just die, the moon goddess must have something in store for me.

Leaning forward I clutched his leg, begging him with an overly aching heart as my tears flowed in abundance.

"Please! Noah, don't kill me. Let's work together and I am confident we will be able to catch the real culprits. My father is innocent. Just give me a chance to prove it."

With a jerk, he set his leg free from my grasp and stepped back from my range. Ruby triumphantly watched from his side, her index finger twirling a lock of her onyx hair on it.

"There will be no chances for you except death. Goodbye Anna," he spoke with so much hate that my insides churned.

The face of my beloved father roamed in front of my eyes. Noah left the cell with a very content-looking Ruby, banging the door closed behind him.

There was this chasm of darkness in my chest and I could feel myself slowly getting lost in it. My whole life whirled around me and I wondered what had I ever done wrong.

Memories of my loving father made me sob as I gathered my legs against my chest and openly cried.

I tried to connect with Sable but had begun to understand they must have injected me with Aconite (a substance known to inhibit one's wolf).

***

Near dawn I sensed Sable stirring within me. A surge of energy invigorated every cell of my body and Sable woke up from her slumber.

'They dared hurt us, I will show them. But first, we need to leave here, Anna,' she spoke to me but I could sense her sadness.

I was more than ready.

'Let's go, we need time to make a plan and understand what has really happened.'

But before we could act the door opened and guards entered to take me for my planned execution. Their angered faces revealed their disgust for me.

"Get up traitor, it's time for you to pay for what you did," one of them snarled at me, dragging me up. He had known me since childhood and yet all it took were a few words from Noah to change his mind.

The mere thought crushed my heart at how the people I had known had turned their backs at me.

They yanked me outside the cell and up through the stairs towards the pack grounds where they must have arranged for my said execution.

Soon the raised platform with the hanging noose came into view along with an angry-looking Noah and a smirking Ruby.

I knew it was time to escape since the forest adjacent to our pack was near. They thought Sable was still under the effect of aconite so they had put me in ordinary chains.

'Time to go, Sable,' I whispered to my wolf.

Sable didn't need to be told twice. My beautiful gown was shredded to pieces as the bones began to twist and change. Some lengthened, others shortened as I transformed into her and stood on all fours.

The chains broke and cluttered on the hard surface of the cell. Sable jumped forward and began to gallop. Our main goal was to escape the pack territory.

The guards panicked and followed behind but Noah's loud command held them at bay.

"She is mine to capture."

Sable didn't pause, or waste any time since it was dawn most of the pack members were sleeping and I knew where the guards were usually positioned and avoided those places.

Our destination was the cliff overlooking the Vaium Sea. If I could jump, the water would take me far and they wouldn't be able to follow.

As quickly as her legs could carry, Sable ran through the forest adjacent to our pack. Her feet were agile making no noise on the ground. We ran for our life.

But soon I could sense two werewolves behind me. A large brown one and a smaller black and grey one. The ones I knew too well, Noah and Ruby. They were on my trail.

We skidded, and cut the corners but kept running as the wind whooshed past us and branches broke under Sable's paws.

The cliff was near but so were Noah and Ruby. His voice filtered through the mind link.

'Stop running Anna or I will punish you severely.'

I didn't respond, a few more meters and we had arrived at the pointed cliff. Down below the wild waves angrily crashed against it.

Noah and Ruby's werewolves came to a halt about 15 feet away from us.

'Give up, Anna. Your attempts are futile,' Howler; Noah's wolf growled baring his teeth at me. Even he was with Noah on this.

'How did you even escape?' Ruby's voice came through the mind link. 'You have nowhere to go now,' the triumph and self-assurance in her voice bordered on pride.

But I was done with these two hypocrites.

'I will be back with truth and revenge,' Sable snarled back at them before she turned and jumped head-first into the roaring blue waves below and let the cold water engulf us.