Chapter 5: Judgement

Ella’s POV

“I swear I didn’t poison him! I’d never do something like that—”

Darius and Marcus seize my shoulders and hurl me into the dungeon.

“Save it,” Marcus snaps. “No one’s buying your act!”

Marcus slams the rusty cell door shut before I can even finish explaining.

“You planned this, didn’t you? You made a deliberate attempt to offer the apple and you know that Alpha Alden is kind enough to take it. You took advantage of his generosity to poison him!” Darius accuses.

“I didn’t! I don’t know how… I don’t know how the apple was poisoned!”

“How dare you lie when you were caught in the act?” Darius grits out.

“That’s enough.” Cassius declares as he emerges from the darkened hallway behind them.

“B-Beta…!”

“Leave us alone,” Cassius orders.

“Y-Yes Beta!”

Darius and Marcus hastily march away.

I desperately cling to the cell and reach out to Cassius.

“Cassius, you have to believe me! I didn’t poison Alden!”

Cassius takes a deep breath and shakes his head.

“I wish I could believe you, Ella. But the pack doctors have inspected the apple—along with all the fruits from your tray earlier. All of them are laced with Moon Soul Poison. It’s a very potent poison capable of severing the bond between a werewolf and their wolf. It’s also very deadly when ingested in large quantities.”

Cassius rakes his hair with his fingers. He’s walking back and forth in front of my cell like he’s trying to calm the anger bubbling inside him.

“I don’t know where you got that poison, Ella—”

“I didn’t!”

“Enough!” Cassius snaps.

I jump away from the cell in fear. His eyes glare in intense crimson as if at any moment, he’s going to transform in his wolf form and tear me apart.

“He’s not just my Alpha, Ella. He’s my brother! And I’ll never forgive anyone who tries to harm him.” His fist clenches. “It’s a good thing Vera and her father, Elder Vincent, had the antidote. With his experience as the pack’s doctor, he was able to administer it in time.”

“H-How is he now?”

Cassius strokes his temples, trying to calm himself. Slowly, his eyes revert back to their normal colors.

“The antidote stopped the poison from spreading, but Alden is still in critical condition. He’s unconscious and under constant observation by the pack doctors.”

My heart feels like it’s being torn apart. The thought that his life is in danger hurts more than the fact that I am being accused of a crime I didn’t do.

“Anyway, I came here to inform you that you’ll remain in the dungeon for a few weeks until you stand before the Council of Elders for your trial. You still have time to reflect on what you’ve done until then.”

Cassius doesn’t spare me another glance before turning around and walking away.

Feeling defeated, I slump weakly against the wall while stroking my stomach.

What am I supposed to do now?

**

At least three weeks have passed and I grow weaker with each day. The guards don’t even bother hiding their resentment toward me. They toss the food that I get twice a day, letting it slide across the floor until its barely edible contents spill into the filth while they laugh among themselves.

The food itself is awful, but I force it down anyway. I can’t afford to starve… not when I have my baby to think about.

One day, they finally open the door to my cell but I’m too weak to even celebrate.

“Stand up. It’s the day of your trial, traitor.”

“If I were them, I wouldn’t even give you the chance to defend yourself,” Darius declares, spitting on the floor.

I don’t have much energy to argue. Three Gammas and Five Sentinels drag me out of the dungeons and I barely register what’s happening until they dump me in a room. It takes me a few moments to realize that I am in the presence of at least ten of the council of elders while standing in the middle is Alden.

He still looks a bit pale, but definitely better. Thank goodness!

“Ella Stone, you stand accused of poisoning the Alpha,” Elder Lucius begins. “It is the highest form of treason in any pack. Do you have something to say about yourself.”

I shake my head, not taking my eyes off Alden. “I didn’t do it,” my voice comes out as rasp, almost audible. “I-I didn’t…”

“Explain yourself, then! How did you get your hands on the fruits laced with Moon Soul poison?!” Another Elder, Grant, demands.

“I don’t know.” I shake my head. “P-Please believe me…”

Alden stares down at me without any trace of sympathy in his eyes.

“You have nothing. No proof, no witnesses, nothing that clears your name. Every single piece of evidence points straight at you, and somehow you still expect us to believe you’re innocent?”

My hands are trembling but not from fear… it’s from exhaustion. Every fiber of my being feels so weak that it’s taking every bit of me to even stay upright.

“Why should we pardon you? Why should we show you mercy when you can’t even stand there and fight for yourself?”

“That’s right! If you truly weren’t guilty, then say something. Defend yourself! Give us one reason not to condemn you for your crimes.”

I take a deep breath and ignore the murderous eyes of all the people in the room. My eyes remain on Alden.

“Because… I-I love him.”

I hear some gasps, which is shortly followed by sounds of scornful laughter.

“Did you hear that? She has no shame!”

“Right. How can a mere Omega profess her love to the Alpha! What a joke.”

“It’s like she didn’t learn a thing after getting rejected.”

Their laughter and insulting words swirl around me, but I ignore them. My legs wobble as I try to reach for Alden.

“Please believe me…”

“Don’t take another step, Omega!” Darius threatens while blocking my way.

“I loved him!” I scream. “I’d never thought of hurting him even after… e-even after he rejected me. I didn’t poison him! It wasn’t me!”

The coldness in Alden’s eyes falters and something that almost looks like pain flashes in his eyes, but not enough for others to notice.

“Aha! So the truth finally comes out of your mouth! This was all because the Alpha rejected you, wasn’t it? Your wounded pride couldn’t handle the humiliation, so you poisoned him to get your revenge!” Elder Grant accuses.

“N-No!”

“Silence!” Elder Grant snaps.

“Alpha Alden,” Elder Lucius says as he turns toward him. “What will be your judgment for the accused?”

My chest tightens. I stare at Alden and cling to the last thread of hope inside me. He knows me. He knows I would never do something like this. He has to know!

Alden’s cold gaze lingers on me for a moment before he looks away and turns his back on both me and the crowd.

“Anyone accused of treason who cannot present evidence to prove their innocence will be judged as guilty under pack law, and traitors only face one punishment in this pack, so Ella Stone will face the same fate.”

It feels like the floor vanishes beneath me.

Alden walks past the council without sparing me another glance.

“You heard the Alpha,” Elder Lucius declares. “The traitor, Ella Stone, will face the ultimate judgment for attempting to assassinate the Alpha. Execution.”

“No!” I scream as panic tears through me. “I’m innocent! I didn’t poison him! Please listen to me! I’m pre—”

A rough hand suddenly clamps a piece of cloth over my mouth, and a strange scent floods my nose before my body weakens almost instantly while the room tilts around me and the elders’ voices fade into noise until my knees finally give out and darkness crashes over me before I can finish the words.

**

I wake up and immediately recognize the familiar interior of the dungeon cell.

They brought me back here.

“Ella, you’re awake.”

I turn to the person standing outside my cell. It’s Vera. She’s looking at me with pity in her eyes.

“I wanted to check on you, so I asked the guards to give us a little moment.”

“V-Vera! The council… they—”

“I know. I’m sorry, Ella. They will follow Alden’s decision.” She sighs. “You’re scheduled to be executed two days from now. “

Executed? No, no… this can’t be happening!

“They can’t do that!”

“I’m afraid the Alpha’s words are law. If Alden orders it, then no one can do something to stop it.”

“You don’t understand! I can’t die… I can’t. I’m…” I shakily reach for Vera’s hand through the narrow gap between the metal bars. “Vera, I’m pregnant and Alden is the father.”

“What?” Vera’s eyes widen and her mouth gapes open.  “You’re… pregnant? With Alden’s child?” she almost chokes on the words.

“Yes. Believe me. That’s exactly why I wanted to talk to him before. I wanted to tell him that I am carrying his child. I can’t die here. I can’t let my child die with me. Please, Vera… you have to help me.”

Vera is stunned. Her eyes drift to my stomach.

“This changes… everything,” she mutters.

“You have to help me, please! Maybe if Alden knows that I’m carrying his child, he’d think twice about his decision to execute me. No matter how angry he is with me… he couldn’t possibly want to kill his child, right?”

Vera takes a deep breath before nodding.

“You’re right. You can’t die here. I’ll help you.”

Hope flares in my chest.

“R-Really?!”

Vera nods. “I’ll get us some help.”

Vera reaches for me and strokes my belly.

“I will help you escape tonight.”