Kneel

BELLA

"Why did you do it?" His low but cold menacing voice reverberating through our large room made small by his presence_his nose flaring. I rub my sweaty palms against my thighs with my eyes fixed on the floor.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you Bella!"

I flinch.

I can feel his cold stare boring deep inside me, chilling my bones. I hate that he's feeling this way, because of me.

"Brad, I know you think I pushed her but that's not what happened, I..."

"I know what I saw."

"No you saw what you wanted to see Brad! Why do you think I would want to hurt my sister?"

"I don't know, why don't you tell me?" He raises his eyebrow, daring me to state an obvious motive. I hug myself and let out a slow breath, I can't afford any more distress.

"Brad, we've been together for years do you think I'm capable of hurting anyone?"

"Everyone is capable of anything especially when they feel threatened."

"What do you mean?"

He doesn’t reply but we both know what he meant and the look in his eyes twist the spike that was already in my heart. I blink back the tears filling the corners of my eyes.

Brad walks past me to the window, his back hunched and stiff.

My voice quivers. "You don't mean that."

I let the tears fall freely.

"I love my sister, and I'm glad she's safe, I'm not unaware of your affection towards her I..."

"Pushing her out the window was a sure way to show that love,” he cuts me off coldly and continues, “ if she hadn't shifted midway through the fall when....The height is dangerous, even for a werewolf."

I noticed she shifted too. A smart way to hide the mark because it won’t show in her wolf form. She’s definitely hiding something. I need to find out what happened while she was away and whose body was that in the car that day?

If that mark isn’t Brad's, that only means one thing. She's been marked by someone else. Does Brad know?

The ambush....Ariana had always been selfish, telling me to go get help that day was unlike her, she never puts anyone first.

"Are you even listening to me Bella?"

"I..."

"Your actions today will not go unpunished." Brad’s frown stays in place as he proceeds to pass his sentence.

My heart thumps in my chest, waiting for the next words that will fall out of Brad's mouth, how he'll choose to punish me for something I didn’t even do.

"According to pack custom… intentionally harming a pack member gets you twelve strokes of the silver whip, or injected 12ml of wolfsbane. Your choice."

"I want a full trial." I whisper, unsure if I said it out but it’s the only way I can prove my innocence. At the trial, I’ll appeal for a trial by Alpha command, then everyone will know I’m not lying. I didn’t push her because it’s impossible to lie under an Alpha command.

"What did you just say?" Brad glares at me, the daggers from his eyes lodging deep into my chest, causing me unbearable pain.

How can he do this?

"I said I want a trial," I speak boldly this time.

"That's not happening. Trials are only when cases are in doubt. I saw you,” he uses that finite tone of command that dares me to say one more word.

I grit my teeth, heaving and shaking in rage that I can’t express as the tears fill my eyes.

He saw nothing! He’s only assuming because Ariana ate this up perfectly to make me a culprit and her a victim.

“She had a m—”

The door to our room opens making me stop and two guards step in.

“Bring her to the private hall,” Brad says, walking out of the room without sparing me another glance and he mindlinks me, “a trial before the entire pack will only bring us more shame, your actions have brought enough.”

Standing in the middle of the private hall, I look at the faces of everyone present and I can tell they already decided I'm guilty, My parents are beside Ari with my mother closest to her, her look of pure hate is quickly replaced by worry and tenderness when she turns to look at Ari to make sure she's okay. On Ari's right sits Brad's mom, her contempt mirrors my dad's, but I could see the glint of glee in their eyes as they wait for the satisfaction they'll get from my pain.

I peek hard at Ari’s neck but just like the first day she returned, the mark is gone. Does she cover it with makeup?

Even if I call her out now, none would believe me.

Four of the pack's elders sitting on either side of Ariana look both bored and annoyed.

Brad climbs the podium to sit next to Ari.

"Alright, we'll make this quick. Luna, you have been charged guilty of causing deliberate harm to your own kin. According to the custom, you will choose between 12 strokes of the silver whip or...."

I watch in horror as a new guard places a silver whip in front of me, and a tray of syringe half filled with wolfsbane.

Instinctively I place my hand to my belly, what will happen to my baby if any of this is used on me? Silver will cause physical harm and my healing will be slow. Wolfsbane will cause internal damage…it’s even worse for my pup.

I have to protect it.

"I want a trial, how can you find me guilty before giving me a chance to prove my innocence?”

I look at Brad, tears pooling in my eyes but he matches my teary gaze with a cold one, the stare eating away at my heart, reminding me that when it comes to Arian, I will never be anything to him.

"If you don't choose, then I'll leave you at the mercy of the one you have wronged, let her choose for you,” Brad replies, ignoring my plea for a trial yet again.

His mind is made up and it hurts so much that he of all people thinks I’m a monster capable of doing such.

Everyone looks at Ariana and my heart pounds in my ears, fear and dread laying siege to it.

If Ariana is the one who will decide my fate then I'm definitely doomed. If she can go to such lengths to have me punished unjustly, what stops her from doing more?

"Ari?" Brad helps her up as she smiles snuggly at me, ready to seal my coffin.

"Bella, I trusted you, I have always put you before myself. Even when I was captured by those Rouges, I was happy that you were safe, away from the pain and torture. Then I broke free, happy that I'll see you again and you try to harm me? I don't know what to think anymore."

The rest of the council is falling for her theatrics with their nods and hums but we both know I did nothing.

"But since we're blood and wombmates, I can't bear to see you suffer. I'll forgive you if you admit your crime and beg for forgiveness."

I blink sharply, disgust rolling off my eyes as I stare at her. Brad is the one who put me at her mercy and nod I have to beg for forgiveness?

I don’t want to but if this humiliation is the price I have to pay to protect my pup, then I will.

"Ariana, she tried to kill you. You can't possibly just let her go,” Brad’s mom doesn’t hide her displeasure.

"It's alright Mama, I'm sure she regrets her actions and will never do it again. Will you Bella?"

"No I won't, Ari. I'm so sorry for what happened earlier..." I force the words out of my mouth, looking at Brad who’s expression I can’t really read.

"You mean when you tried to kill me."

"Yes, I don't know what came over me, I'm sorry."

"Are you really sorry Bella?” Ariana asks in an airy tone and my stomach sinks. I know her too well, she’s not done.

"Yes. I am.”

"Hmm, then prove it. Kneel."

"What?"

I look around the small council to see if anyone will object or at least be surprised at Ari's bold request. No one, not even Brad.

I’m his Luna, I can’t kneel to anyone but him. A Luna is subject only to her Alpha.

"You can't be serious, Brad?" I look at the Alpha, hoping for help. He's the one who doesn't want to be humiliated, surely he won't let his Luna be treated this way.

"Be grateful,” he says and looks away from me, disappointed, as if he doesn’t want to see my shame.

I swallow the bitterness, the pain, the shame, the rage, all of it and slowly, I bend my knees, seeing the satisfaction on Ariana's face.

"Ariana I am so sorry, for everything, please forgive me." Tears threaten to down my cheeks as I see the glint of satisfaction in her eyes but I hold it back, I won’t give her the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

Brad's mom looks at me with disgust, feeling disappointed she won't get to see me in real pain. My parents spare me no glance, their attention is on Ariana and Brad stands up and walks out.

Yet again, I have brought him disgrace.

I step out of the hall but I don’t go to my room. I head to my car and drive straight to the nearest law firm that I can find.

If today taught me anything, it’s that I’m worthless to Brad, he’ll always see me as something to tolerate and before he decides to finally kick me out, stripping me of the last shred of dignity that I possess, I’ll do him the honors.

I’m getting a divorce. Ariana can have him.