Chapter 5

††††

Elena's POV

I came back from job hunting, and as usual, everything was against me again. It had been unsuccessful.

I immediately went to the kitchen to get something to eat. I was so famished. Today had been such a long day.

I didn't see any sign of Alaric at home, and I was grateful. At least I wouldn't have to see him until I went back to my room.

"Hello, ma'am," the head chef greeted as I walked in.

"Hello, Rosa. How are you doing?" I asked with a small smile.

"I'm good. And you?"

"I'm fine as well. So, what's for dinner today? I'm so famished," I said as I pulled out a kitchen chair and sat down.

"There's spaghetti and meatballs, and there's also macaroni and cheese. Which would you like?" she asked.

"I'll just go with the spaghetti and meatballs."

"Okay, I'll get it immediately."

She bowed slightly and turned to serve the food.

"Here it is. Enjoy," she said before leaving.

I dived into the food.

Not long after, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Wow, the barren ex-Luna. I thought you'd have left a long time ago. Why are you still here? Are you still hoping your ex-husband will take you back? Or are you planning to use voodoo to make him come back to you?" she said, laughing maniacally.

I didn't bother saying a word. I didn't want any more problems. I just wanted to find a job so I could leave this place in peace.

"Oh, cat got your tongue?" she laughed hysterically as she walked over, grabbed my plate of food, and dumped it over my head.

"So, are you going to talk now?" she asked.

I tried my best to keep my cool until she grabbed my hair.

I turned and gave her a resounding slap.

She fell to the ground.

I grabbed her hair and forced her to look up at me.

"I'm not the type of girl you can bully and get away with. You're not even strong enough," I said, tightening my grip on her hair and laughing maniacally just as she had. "Just one slap, and you're already on the ground."

She seemed hurt by that and struggled back to her feet. My grip was still on her hair.

She glared at me, her eyes blazing with fury. I knew for a fact that she was furious.

I released my grip.

At that very moment, I heard Alaric walk in.

In that same instant, Freya let out a heart-wrenching scream and collapsed to the ground, bleeding.

I stared in shock.

I immediately stepped back.

Alaric rushed over to her.

"What happened?" he asked.

"She pushed me," Freya cried as fake tears rolled down her face.

"She said she wanted me to lose the baby so she could have you back."

"What? That's not true!" I exclaimed, shocked by what she had just said.

He immediately bent down and carried Freya into his arms.

Before leaving, he turned to look at me, giving me a look of disappointment.

Without a word, he turned and left with her.

I stood there dumbstruck at what had just transpired.

I went back to my room to take a bath. As soon as I came out, I changed into my nightgown and was about to sleep when I heard loud knocks on the door, as though they were about to break it down.

"Come in," I said.

The guards walked in, with an elder—the one who had stood at the podium the other day—following behind them. He was boring holes into me with his eyes.

"You couldn't give our pack even one heir. Then, finally, there's someone who could at least bear the Alpha's child, and now you want to curse the child to die? Are you a witch?" he asked, his face twisted in disgust.

"I didn't! I promise. I could never hurt an innocent child," I cried.

"And you expect me to believe you?" he asked.

"You always hated me. Every one of you hated me. Why would you believe me?" I screamed right in his face. My throat was already sore.

"Did any of you in this pack ever think about what I felt whenever I was being insulted and mocked? Do you think I found pleasure in that?" I continued screaming.

The moment I said that, he slapped me.

"The next time you speak to me, don't scream at me like you're a rabid dog. Get a hold of yourself."

"The sooner I make that clear to you, the better it will be for you. No one will save you, not even Alaric," he said before turning to the guards.

"Take her away. She'll sleep in the dungeon tonight—until the Luna recovers."

"You can't do that!" I struggled against the guards. "I'm telling the truth! I didn't do anything to make her bleed!" I screamed as they dragged me away.

"If she doesn't want to comply, you know what to do," he said.

I stared at him with wide eyes and had no choice but to comply. I didn't know what he meant by that, but I knew it would be something terrible that I wouldn't like.

"Yes," they replied with a bow as they dragged me along.

We arrived at the dungeon. It was freezing inside. I could see the other prisoners looking at me with pity, but that wasn't what I needed right now.

I just needed to be set free and to tell them how I had been framed.

† Few Hours Later †

I was dragged from the dungeon to the hospital.

"Okay, Doctor. It's her. Check whether her blood matches the Luna's, and if it does, begin the transfusion."

I stared at the elder in fear.

"No... no, please. You can't do that. I didn't consent to it."

The doctor looked at me with pity before turning back to the elder.

"What? Get to work. If anything happens to the Luna, you'll answer for it," the elder barked.

"The Alpha already left for the hospital on the outskirts of the town to get it. I'm sorry, but I can't do that until he's back," the doctor replied immediately.

"You do not want to see me ruin your life, strip you of your position, and make sure your entire family suffers the consequences, do you?" he asked coldly.

I saw the doctor shake visibly, intense fear laced in his eyes.

"If you don't want that, begin the transfusion immediately."

The doctor immediately took blood samples from me.

I silently prayed that our blood wouldn't match.

A few minutes later, he returned to the reception with the results in his hand.

"The results are out."

He looked at the elder, then at me, before swallowing hard.

"So... does it match?" the elder asked.

"Umm..." the doctor hummed, staring at both of us nervously.