Chapter 7

Alicia began crawling backwards, fear engraved on her face, as she wanted to let her eyes meet Trent but she couldn't. The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't look up to see who he was.

“Who is he?” She muttered under her breath; her heart was thumping loudly. The tears that were streaming down her eyes were not pretentious. Everything about this man screamed danger, and her heart nearly came out of her mouth. 

She quickly mind-links Dane.

“Mate! Please help, I'm with the visitor together with Zora. Zora told me to bring wine for the visitor, and I did,” she said to the mindlink.

Dane could sense unease in her voice. Before he could ask if she was alright, Alicia had severed the link, causing Alpha Dane to panic. 

Though he felt no danger from Zora through the mark bond. But something was not adding up. His mate was in danger. He would have felt her pain if he had marked her; a werewolf couldn't mark two she-wolves at the same time. Since Zora had his mark. Alicia would forever be an intruder unless he rejected Zora for her. She had pledged to be a member of the Moonclaw pack; that was why she couldd-link. If not, if she died there, Dane wouldn't have known on time. 

“Could it be that Zora has found out who he was and used Alicia to replace her?” He thought, his mind racing with uncertainty.

Back to where Alpha Trent and others were.

Fear was evident on Brandon's face when he saw Alicia in the blood. His concerned eyes roamed to Alpha Trent, his mouth ajar when Trent wasn't affected by the stench of Alicia's blood. And he asked.

“Alpha, there is blood and no reaction. Are you okay?” he asked, squinting his eyes. 

“Yes, I am. It seems this woman here was the reason I have no reaction,” Alpha Trent replied, sniffing the air in the room. 

“Do you mean the pregnant woman on the floor?” 

“No, their Luna,” Before Trent could explain further, Dane barged in, his eyes full of dark emotions: fear, anger, and panic.

His heart sank when he saw blood coming from Alicia’s leg. He clenched his fist and mind-linked Zora.

“Zora, you know this is our only chance of becoming a parent, and you are doing everything possible to stop it. You are so wicked!”

Zora rounded her eyes. “Fool! You are the only one becoming a parent; I have no hand in the bastard child of yours. Oh! Your mistress said I failed her down again, or what?” 

“Shut your lies, you manipulative woman! Don't worry, you will soon meet your Waterloo,“ he said and bent to carry Alicia on the floor. He scooped Alicia into his hands and faced the exit. 

“How dare you!” Alpha Trent growled, his hoarse voice sent a shiver down the spine of everyone in the room. 

Zora, who was unfazed initially, began to quiver.

Alpha Dane halted on his track; he spun and dropped Alicia on the floor. He knew he had disrespected Alpha Trent; he carried Alicia without taking the protocol. Who follows protocol when a life is at risk?

He dropped to his knees and pleaded with a shaking voice. He didn't miss out on painting Zora as a villain. 

“I'm sorry, Alpha Trent, please forgive my woman for her insolent behavior. That is how she behaves. The woman I offered was Luna, not my mate. Allow her to entertain you.” 

Alicia's blood ran cold; the mentioning of their visitor's name sent a chill down her back. She hid her face on the floor.  'He mustn't see her!' she thought.

Zora felt a sharp object piercing through her heart. Anger boiled from within her. She couldn't believe Dane would put the blame on her. Her eyes turned crimson red instantly. She had dealt with Danes’s betrayal, and now he was stabbing her. Among the three, she was the only one on her feet. 

“You know that I don't forgive; I must punish whoever treats me with disrespect!” Alpha Trent said, letting out a growl.

If there was someone to be punished, there was no other one but Dane for not being able to control his women. 

“Who should I punish among the three of you?” He asked, facing Dane. 

“Sir, punish her, drink all her blood; if she deserves death, let the fate take it cause!,” Alpha Dane said, pointing at Zora.

“Dane!” Zora shouted.

“Yes, if you had done your duties right, this never would have happened. You brought Alicia here, knowing what would happen, and now the future heir of this pack is in danger. You’ve done this to yourself.” Alpha said through his gritted teeth.

Alpha Dane stood, his voice low and heavy with frustration. “I, Alpha Dane of Moon claw pack reject Zora as my wife and Luna of this pack.”

Zora seized the opportunity to free herself from him. Her voice was steady, almost relieved. “I, Zora Diva, accept your rejection. The bond between us is broken.”

Neither of them reacted. They had long since stopped loving each other, and they weren’t mates to begin with. If it weren’t for the command Alpha Dane had used to bind her to him, she would have left long ago.

Alpha Dane stared at Alicia, her body writhing in pain. His heart ached, and without thinking, he pleaded with teary eyes, “Alpha Trent, my mate is carrying my pup. Please, allow me to take her to the hospital.”

Alpha Trent’s gaze was unreadable, his face a mask of cold indifference as he stared at the stupid man before him. He didn’t speak immediately; he then stared at Zora, whose eyes were glued to the floor.

"Now I have someone who can receive your punishment," he said at last. "You can leave, but don’t regret what comes of this. I won’t spare her."

“I will never regret it,” Dane replied, his cold gaze met Zora, his stare shot her a dagger, “If death is her fate, grant it.”

With those words, he scooped his mate and dashed out of the room, Alicia cradled in his arms.

The echo of his words, If death is her fate, grant it, repeated in Zora’s mind as she stood motionless, tears began to flood her face. What has she done to deserve this from Dane? Was it more than the mate stuff, or  was there something else behind it?

Zora staggered; she walked backwards to the door trying to escape, but in a flash moment, Alpha Trent was at her back. 

Her body began to tremble as she stood rooted to a spot. She rolled her eyes to the side of her and wanted to look at the alpha, Trent, who stood at her back, but fear engulfed her. 

Alpha Trent circled her like a predator. He let out a howl whose sound rippled through the pack like a shockwave. Wolves from miles around would feel it in their bones: a monster had awoken. 

Zora’s legs buckled slightly, her body trembling uncontrollably. The howl sound pierced straight through her soul.

Her voice was barely a whisper, shaking, the bead of swear formed on her forehead. Geting to her back without walking and howl sound sent a cold chill down her spine.

“W-Who are you…?”  Trent asked blowing her neck hot air.