Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR 

FALSE ACCUSATIONS. 

Helena walked past her, back toward the party. Back toward Isla and the twins. Back toward Marcus and the life they'd built. Back toward the family she preferred.

Lyra stood alone in the small room, shaking. Every part of her hurt. Every breath felt like swallowing glass. Her hands trembled. Her knees felt weak.

The door opened again. 

For one stupid, hopeful second, Lyra thought her mother had come back to apologize. To say she didn't mean it. 

To act like a mother should.

But it was Sera.

Her little sister stood in the doorway. Except Sera wasn't little anymore. She'd grown up in the five years Lyra had been gone. She was a woman now, not the teenager Lyra remembered. She looked just like Helena, blonde hair falling in perfect waves, delicate features, big blue eyes.

Those eyes were currently filled with tears.

"Sera," Lyra whispered. Relief flooded through her.

 At least her sister was here. At least someone was happy to see her. "I'm so glad you're here, I don't know what's going on?"

"How could you?" Sera's voice shook. Her whole body trembled.

Lyra frowned. "What?"

"How could you do this to them? To those innocent children?" Sera's tears fell harder now. They streamed down her cheeks. "I knew you were selfish, Lyra. I knew you were jealous. But I never thought you'd go this far."

"Sera, what are you talking about?"

"The twins!" Sera sobbed. Her voice rose. 

"They're in the medical wing right now. They're violently ill. The doctor says it's poison. Wolfsbane poison. They might die, Lyra. Those children might die!"

Lyra's blood turned cold. 

Ice flooded her veins. 

"What? No, I just got here. I haven't even seen the twins. I would never such a thing. How can you say this?"

"Dr. Reed found this in your travel bag." Sera held up a small glass vial with shaking hands. Even from across the room, Lyra could see the dark liquid inside.

 Wolfsbane. Deadly to werewolves. 

Especially deadly to pups.

"That's not mine," Lyra said immediately. 

Her voice was firm.

 "I've never seen that before in my life."

"Your fingerprints are on it." Sera's voice hardened.

 The tears stopped flowing quite so fast. "The guards found it after you gave them your bag and as they were searching your things at the border. And I" 

She swallowed hard. Her throat bobbed.

 "I saw you today. How you stared at the twins, like you wanted to kill them. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but now..."

"Sera, no." Lyra stepped forward. Reached out. 

"You know me. You know I would never hurt children. You're my sister. You know I…."

"You raised me, yes." Sera's tears stopped suddenly. 

Completely. Like turning off a faucet.

 Her blue eyes went cold.

 Empty. 

"You raised me because you had to, after Dad died. You always resented it. You always made me feel like a burden. And then you left. You abandoned me just like you abandoned everyone else. Just like you abandoned the pack."

"That's not true!"

"Isn't it?" Sera's voice was quiet now.

 Deadly quiet.

 Soft but sharp as a knife. "You were always so focused on being important. On being special. On being better than everyone else. You never cared about anyone but yourself. And now those children might die because you couldn't handle that Marcus chose someone better. Someone who actually cared about being a mate instead of being important."

The words were knives. 

Each one found its mark. 

Each one cut deep.

Lyra opened her mouth to defend herself. To explain. To make Sera understand. But footsteps echoed in the hall. Heavy, formal footsteps that she recognized.

Elder Theron entered the room.

Relief flooded through Lyra like warm water.

 Elder Theron. 

Her mentor. 

The man who'd taught her everything about negotiation and strategy. The man who'd encouraged her mission. The man who'd believed in her when no one else did. 

He would believe her now. He would know she didn't do this.

"Elder Theron, thank the Moon Goddess," Lyra said quickly. The words tumbled out. "There's been a terrible mistake. Someone planted that vial in my bag. I would never hurt those children. You know me. You have to tell them I couldn't…"

"Silence."

The word hit like a slap. Like a physical blow. Lyra actually stumbled back a step.

Elder Theron's weathered face was hard. Harder than stone. 

His grey eyes, usually so warm when he looked at her, were cold as winter death.

"The evidence is clear," he said. 

His voice was formal. 

Final.

 "Your fingerprints. Witness testimony. The poison in your possession. The children fighting for their lives in the medical wing."

"But I didn't"

"I taught you better than this," Theron continued.

 His voice was heavy with disappointment. 

With shame. "I taught you strategy. Honor. How to serve your pack with dignity. And this is how you repay that teaching? By attempting to murder innocent pups out of petty jealousy? Out of wounded pride?"

"No!" Lyra's voice cracked. Tears finally spilled over. "Please, you know me. You've known me my whole life. You know I wouldn't do that.."

"I thought I knew you." Theron shook his head slowly. 

Sadly.

 "But perhaps Helena was right all along. Perhaps your ambition has poisoned your heart. Perhaps I failed you as a teacher by encouraging that ambition instead of teaching you humility."

More pack members filed into the room now. The pack council, their faces grave. 

The elders, looking disappointed.

 Marcus and Isla, holding each other. Helena with a satisfied expression on her face. 

All of them staring at Lyra with judgment in their eyes.

"The pack council has reached a decision,"Theron said formally. 

He stood straight. 

His voice carried the weight of law. "Lyra Ashwood, you are charge

d with the attempted murder of pack pups. This is one of the most serious crimes our laws recognize.” 

“And the sentence for this crime is….” 

“Death…."