004

Elysia’s POV

“TYLER? You can't do this!” I cried as I felt my whole world crumbling at my feet.

They dragged me out, my protests drowned by the growing murmurs and whispers of those gathered in the halls. Within seconds, the crowd had multiplied.

I watched as a shocked Sarah ran in front of Tyler, “Alpha please, this isn’t right! You know Luna Elysia would never—”

“Enough you peasant, unless you would like to join her.” his voice was cold.

He didn’t even look at me, “Take her.”

"Luna!!" I heard Sarah cry out as I was dragged away.

The cell they threw me into was dark, damp, and cold.

As the guard's footsteps faded, I pressed my back against the cold wall, my hands trembling. My cheek still burned from his slap, but the real pain was what I felt in my heart.

"My luna... My Luna" his words rang repeatedly in my head.

I didn’t know how long I sat there, crying amidst my thoughts, but the sound of a door creaking pulled me back to reality.

"Tyler" I whispered.

Tyler was surely coming to explain why this was happening—or maybe it was all part of the plan. Perhaps he had only told her those things to make her believe him.

The heels clicking against the stone floor brought me back to reality.

Tyler wasn't coming!

It was dark, but I could see her outlined figure because of the dim torchlight.

She was definitely here to make fun of me, no doubt.

“Well, well, look at you— you look so miserable," she mused, stepping inside.

I said nothing.

She let out a mocking sigh. “Come now, don’t tell me you’ve already given up? Just a few hours ago, you were telling me how much you knew he loved you!”

“You already have your answer—just because he thought you hurt me, you’re the one sitting in this cell. Where was that fire of yours when he slammed you against the wall or threw you in here?” She tilted her head, feigning concern.

My hands clenched. “I don’t need to hear this from you.”

She laughed, soft and sweet, but laced with venom. “Oh, but you do.”

I refused to believe her. Even after everything, a part of me clung to the man I had known, to the five years we had shared. She saw the doubt flicker in my eyes and pounced on it. “Oh, you poor thing. I'd leave you to your imaginations, dear”.

“What did you do to him? Why did you even come here?” I asked just as she moved to leave, stopping her in her tracks.

“I'm not the one that did anything to you, but rather you did this to yourself?” She crouched down to my level, her smile widening.

“Oh, darling, did you actually believe he loved you? That’s adorable?” She leaned in closer, her voice a whisper.

She stared at me for a while "He said he can't have a wolfless Luna rule his people".

Her words hit me like as though an arrow was being shot at my heart.. She saw the doubt flicker in my eyes and pounced on it. “I swear to you”.

I swallowed hard. My mind raced.

“Then why keep me in the loop for five years?” I asked, trying to find closure.

“Oh, yes,” Alicia purred.

“Do you want to know why you’re still here and why he hasn’t gotten rid of you yet?” she tilted her head.

“Simple… You have something every Alpha desires. He’s spent five years searching for it, and the funniest part? You had it all along, you sly bitch.”

My breath hitched. “What?”

What was she even on about?

“He saved you to keep you close, making the other Alphas believe he already had it,” she mocked, pulling something from her pocket and shining the torchlight on it.

It gleamed, but all that was running through my mind was why they needed my late mother’s necklace so badly.

“Where did you get that?”

Alicia didn’t answer immediately.

“There are a lot of things you are oblivious to… I'm surprised you didn't know.”

“Know what?” I barked, getting annoyed at her cockiness.

“That this—” she began, lifting the necklace, “— was the reason you were cast out of your old pack.”

A cold chill ran down my spine. “What games are you playing… my Alpha—he accused me—”

Alicia giggled. “Of treason. Of murder, you don't even remember, but it was never about what you did darling. It was about what you had.”

Realization hit me like a speeding train.

“Tyler… he was never supposed to be there that night.” My voice barely broke above a whisper. “He didn’t save me. He was waiting. He wanted this all along.”

Silence stretched between them. She didn’t deny it.

And that was all the answer I required.

Tyler had never been my savior. He had been my captor all along.

My knees nearly buckled, “You have what you wanted, then,” I said, hating how her voice wavered. “What now?”

Alicia’s gaze darkened. “Now? I no longer need you.”

She turned to the guards. “Do it before the night runs out, he wants her gone by morning!”

“No!” She ignored my scream and smiled, “Don’t just throw her out of the pack. Throw her off.”

They nodded in silent understanding.

Her evil gaze flicked back to me. “Let’s see if fate is kind to you a second time.”

“No!” I screamed at her as they grabbed me while I thrashed against their right grip. “Tyler!”

“He's not here sweetheart but trust me, he can hear you!” She mocked.

“Just let me go, please! Don't do it!” I screamed into the night and watched as she slowly disappeared into the night.

“Tyler could never have approved this!” I yelled at them while struggling to break free. I knew where they were taking me.

The same place he had once saved me, but this time, there would be no one to catch her.

“Please,” I begged, struggling, but they were too strong. The edge loomed closer, the water falling down the waterfall, roared as they crashed against rocks and the pool below.

One of them whispered to me, “I’m sorry Luna. please live.”

They let go and I plunged into the abyss.

The impact hit like stone. The water swallowed me whole, dragging me down, down, down.

His voice echoed in my head as I fought against the core, but my body was weak.

“I swear to you, I will never choose her over you.”

LIES!

“All I need is time.”

LIES.

“I love you.”

For five years, he had fed me lies, the signs were there, but I was stuck believing he was the Prince Charming in my Cinderella story.

I ignored everything and now…

This was it, I let myself go and sank deeper.

“Mate…,” my wolf stirred before darkness enveloped me.