Chapter 12: I'm not a Spy

LYRA’S  POV

My heart was beating fast, too fast.

I slowly fell against my bed, eyes stuck on the ceiling as I wondered what exactly happened between the rogue king and I in his office.

Caelan. That was his name.

I felt a strange sense of excitement grip me as I whispered it, and then I felt it slip away again.

He almost kissed me and suddenly acted as if I was repulsive.

Anger raced through me.

What was he trying to prove, and most of all, how could I have been stupid enough to fall for his tricks? Of course he was playing around with me, trying to prove that he could control me.

I blame myself for thinking for a minute that maybe he truly desired me. He never did.

A sudden sense of urgency gripped me as my ears picked up a strange noise from outside.

I sat up.

Almost immediately, the door to my room burst open, and warriors rushed in, with a man leading them.

I recognized him as Thorne, the man Caelan introduced to me in his office.

I stood up.

“What is going on?” I asked, flustered, that my privacy could be invaded on a whim.

“Seize her!” Thorne barked it out.

Everything happened too fast for me to comprehend.

The warriors wasted no time and came at me. They were a lot. Two of them held me, one on both sides, as they chained my wrist with silver.

I screamed, feeling it burn into my flesh.

They pulled me along, dragging me till they got outside where most of the pack members were gathered, a look of horror on their faces.

The warriors threw me to the floor, and with as much effort as I could gather, I struggled to stay on my knees.

I had no idea what was going on. What did I do wrong to deserve this?

My mind went numb dealing with the pain I was trying to endure. As if that was not enough, Thorne stepped forward and gave me a slap. I gasped.

“How dare you!” He growled.

I whimpered; pain reeled through me in waves.

“I have always known it was a bad idea to keep you alive. The king should have killed you as soon as he laid eyes on you.” He sneered into my face and roughly grabbed my chin with his hand. “I will make sure to teach you a lesson.”

The hatred in his gaze burned through me.

“Thorne!” Caelan's voice echoed through the air. “What is the meaning of this?”

Thorne’s lips curled in displeasure as he left me alone and faced the king.

“We have a situation, my king.” He said with a slight bow.

Caelan gave me a quick glance. I looked away. He obviously felt the same hatred for me, seeing how he dismissed me from his office earlier in the day.

“What kind of situation will cause you to do this?” Caelan growled.

“A girl is missing, and we believe that this woman—” he points at me. “Is responsible for it. She is a spy!”

My shock held me speechless.

Spy? What spy?

“I'm not a spy!” I said as soon as I could say something.

Thorne turned on me. “Before your presence in the pack, nothing of such has ever happened. But now that you are here, the enemies suddenly know our pack, and one of our girls has been kidnapped. It's too much of a coincidence to just ignore.” Thorne chuckled bitterly.

“I swear. I don't know what is happening or who kidnapped the little girl, but I am not a spy.” I cried out.

Tears dropped from my eyes as I looked back at the eyes of scorn staring back. They all seem to believe Thorne.

“She says she is not a spy.” Caelan growled. “Let her go at this instant.”

The warriors began to move towards me when Thorne yelled. “Wait!”

“Are you going against my order?” Caelan snarled.

Thorne bowed. “No, my king. Just take a look at your people.”

Caelan looked around while Thorne continued. “They believe she is a spy. If you let her go, no one would feel safe.” Thorne smiled. “If she says she is not a spy, let her prove it.”

“Don't be ridiculous,” Caelan snapped.

My mind raced. Thorne was right. There was no way I would ever be free of this accusation except if I proved I was not a spy.

“I will do it!” I said it out loud.

The crowd went quiet. Caelan looked at me. “How do you plan to do that?”

I winced slightly at the burn of the silver on my skin as I moved. “Let me go, and I will rescue the girl.”

The crowd gasped.

“I will not allow that,” Caelan snarled again. “My men will search and find her. It's too dangerous for you.”

“Please. That is the only way I can clear my name.” I cried out.

Thorne laughed. “She's right.”

Caelan went silent; after a few seconds, he nodded. “Fine. Do what you think you can to clear your name. But I will not be responsible for your death.” He added coldly.

I nodded.

“Also, you will go with a group. If you truly are a spy, my men will end your life in an instant. But if not, then they will protect you.”

I wasn’t sure how to feel about this, but at the very least I knew I couldn't do it all alone.

“Thank you.” I said, but Caelan was already gone.

Thorne sneered at me. “Bitch!” he cursed out, spitting on the floor.

He walked away while the guards released me.

I stood up, rubbing my wrist as I faced the displeased crowd.

“I swear on my name that I had no hand in what happened. I don't even know the little girl that got kidnapped, but I promise to find her to prove to you that I am not a spy. However, I need help, I need you to join me.” I finished “please.”

I waited for a few minutes, but it didn't look like any of them were willing to join me.

Maybe I was alone in this.