A thousand deaths

Aidora's POV

Aidora's POV

The hall was bigger than I last remembered, but the seats - I counted as my eyes took it in. The seats were now 8 instead of 10.

I balled my hands into fists as I took note of that. They deliberately didn't let anyone else take their position. They were eradicating every trace of my parents.

I was the only trace left.

Slowly, the hall began filling in, and soon enough every seat but one was filled up. I recognized only one person but I dared not meet her eyes, not when she looked like she was barely restraining herself from charging at me.

“The alpha would join a little late. He has given his order to start without him.” Beatrice said, her eyes pinned on me and I released a breath of relief

“Aidora Sinclair,” my name bounced off the walls and I froze, “you stand here accused of aiding and abetting treason. Your crimes are deserving of the death penalty, do you agree?”

The question felt like a jab to my heart. I was only 10 when it happened, I was innocent.

I raised my head just enough to look at the people deciding my fate. They expected only one answer, which was ‘yes’ but saying that meant agreeing to death, and accepting that my parents were in fact traitors.

A tense silence filled the room as they all awaited my response..

I was not going to die a traitor.

Instantly, my back straightened, I ignored the pain burning hot like lava against my spine, and knelt straighter.

“No, I do not agree and I do not plead guilty to those charges.”

A growl filled the room. Beatrice stood to her feet and slammed her hand heavy against the table. She had lost her husband, the next alpha to the evil that happened.

“How dare you?”

Under her gaze, my resolve weakened a bit,

“Please sit back down.” One of the elders said when she tried to charge at me.

Her hands balled into fists, and she forcefully forced herself to sit back down. Another deafening silence filled the room.

“The council is offering you a chance at redemption, Sinclair. You have to admit to the charges. You will only be asked once more, if you maintain your stance, you shall be branded unrepentant."

My stomach flipped. Unrepentant Traitor?

No. Never. I am none of that, neither were my parents.

“Aidora Sinclair, you stand here accused of aiding and abetting treason. Your crimes are deserving of the death penalty, do you agree?”

I reached for my wolf, seeking some sort of comfort, but she seemed even further away from me. It felt like she agreed with them, that we were traitors.

My shoulders sagged, and I weighed my options.

“You are expected to answer!” Beatrice’s voice sliced through the silence.

“What I believe is what I have said. I am not guilty of…” the rest of my words trailed off when a sudden heaviness and coldness came down the hall.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood erect. The elders who looked so scary a moment ago seemed smaller now. I didn't hear his footsteps, nothing except the heaviness in the room gave away his presence, but when I looked up, there he was.

Hadrian, the lanky boy I grew up with was now a man. An alpha, whose mere presence had me trembling.

The elders all shot to their feet, and he towered over them all. He was massive, the scar that ran from the bridge of his nose halfway to his cheek was menacing.

His dark eyes were pinned on me, and I wanted to cower away, but something kept me pinned, staring back into his eyes even though my heart pounded erratically 

“Sit.” His voice seemed to bounce off the walls. The elders instantly complied and sat down, then he followed suit.

Even while sitting, he towered over everyone else, my neck strained as I tried to look up at him. I couldn't look away even when I tried, as though something was forcing me to keep looking at him.

My wolf who has been shrinking away for years was suddenly within reach, stirring and pacing restlessly.

“Has she admitted to the charges?”

I held my breath at his question. What would he do when he finds out I didn't agree to it? He had been the most betrayed, I saw it that night, in the coldness of his eyes.

A lifetime of friendship had come to an end

“She didn't. She claims not guilty.”

His face immediately darkened at that response, his eyes narrowed and for three heartbeats, he stared at me like he expected it. A denial, another betrayal.

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to not succumb to the need to appeal to him, to not agree I was a traitor.

My heart drummed erratically and so loudly I could swear everyone in the room could hear it.

Without breaking eye contact, he stood to his feet and headed straight to me.

Every step he took was torture. My wolf paced restlessly, beads of sweat formed in my pits and forehead as he descended from the five flights of stairs, slowly breaching the distance between us.

"I was right to not expect any better,” he said when he finally stood just a few feet away from me.

An ache settled deep in my heart, but I refused to let it show.

“You don't expect me to abandon myself, my family, just because everyone else did.”

He laughed, but there was no humor behind it.

“You still deem yourself worthy of consideration after all that happened? You knew what they were plotting, and you kept silent. Yet, you…”

“14 years!” I snapped, tears rolling down my eyes. “14 years! I have suffered and bled. I have died more than a thousand times in the past 14 years for a crime I am not guilty of, so yes. I think I am worthy of consideration.”

A muscle in his jaw ticked.

“Bring it in.” 

The door creaked open and a guard walked in, carrying two scrolls which he immediately opened, they were so long it almost rolled to the other end of the hall.

“You died a thousand times in 14 years,” he picked up the other end of the scroll, his eyes flickered through the list before it landed on me, hate simmered in them, “ but, a thousand died in one night because of your parents. So, tell me, do you still think you have suffered enough?"

My tongue grew limp in my mouth and I just stared at the scroll.