Five

ASPEN VESPER

If Lance had nothing to do with what was happening, what then was going on?

Was there a force, just like three years ago, trying to ruin her life? Does someone already know her true identity and has chosen to do something to shut her up forever?

“Can you give us more details?” Lance queried. “You can’t just arrest us without evidence, but since you have done that, at least tell us what’s going on.”

The guard leading the walk to the prison stopped. And when he turned to face others who had to halt their steps as well, he made sure not to hide his anger. “You need to stop talking. I don’t care if you are the Alpha King of your ridiculous pack. You are just a nobody and I am pretty sure you will be dead soon.”

Lance wasn’t moved by the man’s fury. While he relaxed into the grips of the men holding him, he let a little smile grow and said, “You are avoiding the question. Are you trying to frame innocent souls just because they are from a pack you do not like?”

The guard rushed at Lance, his eyes flared, he answered, “If you want to be reminded so bad of the terrible thing you have done, fine.” He took two steps back. “After the doctor left the room, the Queen woke up and started to spit blood. It’s still happening as we speak. Her life is at risk because you two have done something and-”

Aspen butted in finally. “That makes no sense. I was just checking her vitals. There’s nothing wrong with her so far.”

“That means you did something to her, then,” the guard responded with a somewhat high-pitched tone. “And whatever it is you did, we will find evidence and bring you to justice.” He finally turned and started to walk. “Perhaps this will serve as a lesson to those who are actively trying to hurt the king and his family. Once your heads are televised for all to see, they’ll get their senses straight.”

“Something is wrong, the Luna Queen is not-”

“Shut up. One more word and I will make sure you bleed before you reach your prison cell.”

“Don’t threaten my mate, you rude bastard,” Lance warned.

“Or what?” The guard scoffed. “You will strangle me? Before you get to do any shit, your mate’s face will be out for all to see. Whatever you are hiding will be disclosed and you lowly brats will have no freaking place to hide.”

“You-” Lance’s patience had run thin.

“Lance. Don’t.” So, Aspen blocked him before he could unleash anger and intensify the already unfair situation.

“Listen to your mate, Alpha King. She’s wise enough to know what to do.”

Lance looked at Aspen. Since he could barely see her eyes, she used the heavy silence on her lips to assure him that they would get out of that ridiculous dilemma soon. However, as Aspen quietly communicated this, she began to contemplate ways in which everything would go wrong. And if things indeed go wrong, she would lose the battle she was itching to fight without having to lift a finger.

Surely, she needed to make sure she survived the storm that was about to overpower her. Only, she wasn’t sure how to do that just yet.

~~~

The moment they tossed Aspen and Lance into their respective cells which were thankfully opposite each other, an unwarranted sleep befell them and they didn’t wake up until hours later.

As Aspen stretched her stiff body and rose from the cold ground, her mind quickly reminded her of the pickle she was in. It mentioned that anytime soon, those trying to frame her will demand that her mask be removed.

This threw Aspen into a full thinking mode.

“They won’t be able to remove the mask today,” Lance commented from his cell.

Aspen looked up. “How did you know I was thinking about that?”

She was certain that Lance was not a mind reader. So unless he really was her mate, he should not be able to tell the things that go through her mind.

“You are touching the mask. Certainly, those trying to pin the attempted murder on you will demand for your face to be revealed. You masking your face is enough grounds for suspicion.”

“What do we do?” Aspen asked while she caught the shadow of one of the guards. “I won’t be able to do anything if I am killed for something I didn’t do.”

“The mask won’t start losing its adhesive strength until after three days and thankfully, the dissolver that would remove the mask is rare to find. So, don’t worry we will find a way out of here soon.”

“We are locked up, Lance. We can’t do anything.” Silently, she added, ‘We can’t carry out our mission.’

“I know, Sabrina. I know.” Lance gave up his sitting position and sprawled on the dirty ground. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

“That’s enough chit-chat,” Kailin’s voice walked into the heavy conversation.

The moment his face appeared, Aspen resisted dragging her breath in anger while her heart pounded again as though Kailin Blackwood was the only reason her heart beat.

“Our wonderful Lycan King,” Lance sat up, his voice laced with premium sarcasm, “it’s a delight to have you here. Don’t tell me you are here to laugh into our faces.”

“Hardly.” Kailin placed his hands into the pockets of his rather fine suit. “You attempted to take the life of my Queen.” He purposely faced Aspen. “It is only right that I make sure that you are well punished.”

“You have no evidence,” Aspen stated. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Well,” Kailin smacked his lips, “we will find out soon. Anyway, as your smart brains have figured out, the first step of action is to reveal the identity of our precious doctor. I can’t help but feel that you lied about your name.”

“We shall see,” Aspen replied smugly.

“We shall.” The Lycan King took a few steps back. “Should I do the unveiling here or should I find you a bigger audience?”

Aspen sensed a little certainty in Kailin’s voice. It could only mean that he found a way to get rid of her mask faster. That was not a good thing.

So, she replied, “I would only reveal my face if you were the only one in the room.”

“Why should I allow that?”

“Just do it, Lycan King Kailin.”

The man scoffed in disbelief. But he gave in either way. “Whatever. You’ll be doomed either way.” He faced the guards. “Open the cell and take her to the place.”

“She had better come back in one piece, Your Majesty,” Lance spoke from his cell.

“Or, what? Alpha Lance?”

“You’ll find out if you try any shit.”

“Please,” Kailin started to walk out, “you are a nobody.”

Aspen, with the guide of two guards by her side, walked behind the Lycan King, her eyes focused on Lance who gave her a solid look of assurance which she grabbed onto without hesitating.

It took a while for them to reach their final destination and this was to Aspen’s liking.

But when their steps halted and the final door they walked past closed, she and Kailin were left alone in the room, and Aspen’s soul felt a little troubled. She could not think of one way to save herself from the impending reveal.

Yes, she could break the mystery by mentioning who she truly was before the mask could come off, but doing that would wound her pride. So, while she found no way to save herself, Aspen fell to her knees and waited for the worst to happen.

“The mask is a very creative one,” Kailin commented while his hand displayed a little bottle. “It can never come off easily unless this dissolver is used.”

“It can come off itself if you leave it for a few more days. Besides, as Lance said, the dissolver is a rare one, you don’t want to waste resources.”

He held her chin and looked down at her as though showing her the might of his power. “Don’t yap too much, Doctor Sabrina. Focus on finding a good excuse that will save you from the charges found against you.”

“Once again,” Aspen gritted her teeth, “I am innocent. Whatever shit you have on me is a big fat lie.”

A wicked smile grew on Kailin’s lips while his fingers skillfully opened the cap of the dissolver.

“Call me a liar one more time and I will drag you outside for all to see.”

Kailin was insanely different from the man she knew him to be. And that scared Aspen a little bit because it could only mean that Kailin was probably in on the game some people were using her life to play.

Kailin took Aspen’s silence to mean that she accepted defeat, so with satisfaction, he said, “I won’t be rough while taking the mask off. I happen to be a good king.”

“Is that what you tell yourself when you go to sleep?” Aspen snickered. “That’s cute.”

“Doctor Sabrina,” he let go of her chin, took a step back and queried her with a lifted brow, “have we met before?”

“Why would you ask that?”

“You have anger written all over you. And that anger is annoyingly directed at me.”

“Boo freaking hoo, big surprise. Did you think every single person in this country adores you? Some of us have better-”

His face zoomed closer to hers with a speed she could not fathom. She could see the details of his eyes and that made her a little uncomfortable because it roused intimate details of the past in her mind.

“Doctor Sabrina, your hatred towards me is admirable. But it is annoying at the same time.” Kailin pulled back. “If you are found guilty of trying to murder my mate, your hatred will work against you.”

Aspen bit into her lip. She had nothing to say to that, not when her heart bled a little when he used the word ‘mate.’

Kailin reached for her chin once again and with seriousness all over his face, he started to drip the dissolver over the mask. Aspen clamped her eyes shut, her heart raced and her hands pulled into fists as she could feel the hardness of the mask loosen.

‘I guess this is it,’ Aspen thought. ‘Once this mask comes off, my plan begins to unfold no matter what-’

“Your Majesty!” a feminine voice cried from the entrance.

The moment Kailin was distracted by that, Aspen placed her hand on the mask and pressed it so that it could hold a little longer. No matter what, she was not ready to roll out her plan, it was too early.

“Mother, what are you doing here?”

‘Mother? Kailin has a mother?’ Aspen thought and faced the woman who sounded more distraught than she looked.

“Kailin, you have the wrong person,” she said.

“What?” Kailin was now focused on his supposed mother. “What are you saying?”

“She is not the culprit. I know who it is.”

“And who is it? Who tried to kill Raven?”

The woman let out a ragged sigh. “It is me. I did it.”