CHAPTER 4

ATHENA

The guards did as they were commanded. They all wore an expressionless face. I tried to free myself from their grip but they held me tightly and pulled me away. We continued to walk forward and saw the looks on people’s faces as I was dragged down the hallway. I was matched to Enzo’s chamber and was forced on my knees by one of the guards.

"What is going on?" I managed to ask but a strong hand forcefully met my cheek. It was coming from Enzo. I cladded my cheek with both of my palm and looked around the room. I saw Ginny sobbing while my father comforted her.

What is she up to?

My father was staring back with such disdain. My mother was as pale as paper, and Ginny's face was puffy and pink.

When her eyes met mine, she gave me a wicked smile and continued sobbing.

“What have you done? How could you?” my father’s voice came. Before I could reply, another slap met my cheek, this time harder than the first one that I fell to the ground. Enzo grabbed me by my hair to get me on my knees and then slapped me again. I let out a shout of pain as my body met the floor. He kicked me hard in the stomach and I saw my mother trying to come stop him but was held back by Darrel. I still didn’t know why I was being assaulted.

Through the haze of pain and confusion, I looked up to see Enzo looming over me, his expression twisted with rage and contempt. His actions spoke volumes, confirming my worst fears.

"How could you be so cruel? How could you go after an unborn child! How could you kill a child?”

Ginny's sobbing became louder this time.

I was still trying to take in what he has said. I can’t even kill a spider let alone kill a child and he knows that. Ginny has this all in play.

I looked around, trying to find one person that could stand up for me. No one. My mother tried, but I could see the death stare my father gave her and the strong grip holding her back.

"You are evil," Enzo spat out, his voice dripping with venom. "I never thought you would stoop so low as to harm your Luna and our child."

His words cut through me like a knife, each accusation piercing deeper into my already broken heart. I wanted to scream out in protest, to defend myself against his baseless accusations, but I couldn’t.

"After all that I did for you. You begged me to let you stay by my side and I accepted because of how pitiful you were. And now this…"

My ears were ringing with his lies. I have had enough of it. I never begged to stay by his side, he did. Yet, here he was lying. Destroying whatever was left of my dignity.

"I never begged you!" I growled in pain with my hand wrapped around my tummy. "I did not do any such thing and you know it. It’s all a lie. Your Alpha is a liar. He asked me to stay back so…” I directed my words to the guard this time.

“Silence!” Enzo’s voice reverberated through the chamber walls. I saw the look in his eyes as he feared I might start spilling his little secrets.

My father came forward then and slapped me across the face.

"You dare to speak such lie against your Alpha?" my father bellowed, his voice booming with authority. He turned sharply to face my mother. "You did this. You thought to be this evil and look where it has gotten her too. She is now a killer, an unborn child murderer and a liar. You are both a disgrace to the pack," He spat.

"I did no such thing!" I yelled.

"Is that so?" Enzo asked. Then he turned to Beta Darrel. "Get the guard."

He did as he was ordered. Just then, a man was soon thrown right beside me. His face was swollen shut, and his skin scarred with welts from a whip. Blood trailed down from his head to his eyes.

“Repeat what you told me earlier," Enzo said to the obviously tortured man beside me. The man was quite for a bit and turned toward me immediately.

"She suggested that the Luna be poisoned so that she could accuse the Alpha of being the father of her unborn child."

What? Where is this whole thing coming from?

“Who is the father of her child?” Enzo asked. The chamber was dead silent to hear the reveal and I seized my breath too.

“Who is it?!” Enzo’s voice thundered.

“I am,” the guard said and everyone gasped. I turned immediately to stare at the man whom I have never seen before blow out such a big defamation.

“That’s a lie,” my voice came out as a whisper, as I looked around the room to know if someone would believe but they all looked at me with disgust except for my mother who was staring back at me with tears in her eyes.

I managed to stand on my feet and winced at the sharp pain I felt below my tummy.

“This is all a lie. I swear by the moon goddess that I have never known any other man except for Enzo. The Luna must have plotted this with the guard,” I said to them, remembering Mira, Ginny’s handmaiden. Maybe this was why she wanted me to leave the pack but she didn’t have the time to explain everything I details.

“How could you, sister? Hurting my unborn child wasn’t enough for you, now you are laying accusations against me,” Ginny wailed and Enzo immediately walked towards her and gave her a comforting embrace.

“I have a witness,” I said.

“And who could that be?” My father spoke.

“The Luna’s hand maiden.”

I saw the look on Ginny’s eyes but something doesn’t seem right.

“Bring her in,” Enzo ordered his Beta.