Accused

Leona’s Point of View

It’s cold.

My ribs hurt, and there’s a stench where I am. The room is dimly lit and cold.

I groan, trying to sit up when I feel chains move. What the fuck happened?

“Mom?” I shout, opening my eyes. Is this another nightmare?

“Quiet! We are trying to sleep!” A husky voice shouts. I jolt up, trying to sit up when I feel my hands shackled.

What the fuck?

“Mum?” I shout again.

“Keep it fucking down!” Another person shouts as I look around. I know this place. I know it very well; I have come several times with Mom to treat patients.

It’s the holding cells.

“No. No.” I cry.

I want my dad.

“Mum? Dad…” The words leave my lips as I try to pull on my shackles.

“Hey, keep it down after what you have done. You have no right to be crying for her right now,” she growls as I narrow my eyebrows. What have I done? What did I do?

Did I hurt Bastian? Is he dead?

I can’t believe this. No, I am not a killer.

I look up through the same window. It’s almost sunrise. I will speak to the guard and explain myself.

Hours go by, my eyes are heavy, and my throat is dry. No one has come, and from the gust of wind blowing through the window, it’s almost mid-morning.

I hear a clattering sound, then get up on my feet. “Please. I need to speak to my mother.” Rushing towards the iron bar, I hear footsteps approaching, and I see two guards.

“Let’s go,” he orders, unlocking the door. I step out. The cobblestone is so cold, I don’t have any shoes, and my sweatshirt and joggers are covered in blood.

“I need to speak to my mother. I have something to tell her,” I say to the guards, but they ignore me.

“After what you have done? You should be ashamed,” he growls, nudging me out of the holding cells. I squint my eyes, adjusting to the sudden brightness.

“I didn’t do anything. I need to speak to her,” I say when they drag me into the pack house. I hear people throw curses at me.

I am confused.

“Mom!” I shouted, trying to run to her, but they blocked me. There’s a look of disgust, but she quickly looks away, and Jaden clenches his jaw tight. What happened?

“Mom. I need to talk to you.” I try to walk towards her, but they pull me back, forcing me to the ground.

“Mum?” I raise a brow. Something is wrong.

I lift my gaze, meeting Bastian’s eyes. He clenches his jaw as he walks into the room. I swear I see him smirk when he walks by me.

“You bastard!” I growl, about to lunge at him, when someone hits my back with something, sending me to the ground.

“Do you believe me now?” He asks, raising a brow as I look at my mother. What did he tell them?

“Mom”

“She would never do that. Right, Baby?” Mum’s voice comes as I look at her. What is she talking about? I have no idea what to say to her.

“Your mother’s husband? Have you got no shame?” One elder asked me as my eyes fell to Bastian. Of course, he lied. But what lie did he tell them?

“I told you. My husband would never do that,” my mother was the one defending me. But my heart raced; there was something wrong here.

“Bastian, can you tell everyone here what you found?” The alpha’s voice comes as Bastian shakes his head.

“When I went to pick up the doc, she left me with Leona so that she could change into something. So, I decided to wait outside,” he starts.

I know he is lying. Something about this seems off.

“So, I waited. Then I heard voices in the house. I figured it took longer than she was supposed to take, so I went inside her room.” He shifts his attention to me. I swear I can see a smirk on his lips as I narrow my eyebrows.

“That’s when I saw them,” he says, shaking his head. “His hands were all over her body when she lay on the bed. She was telling him to be fast cause I was outside.”

“What?” I gasp; my heart is pounding hard. “You are lying !” I growled. Trying to get up, but one guard slapped me so hard.

“No, he is lying.”

“Shut up!” Alpha Paul growled.

“It’s true. I saw them. Father and daughter. Having sex. When they heard me, she told him No one can know.” He lies as I gasp, shifting my attention to my mother. Is this what he told everyone?

“He’s lying!” I shouted, trying to free myself, but the guard kicked me in my stomach.

“Mom, please. That’s not what happened! He... He...” I try to plead with her, and she just stares at me. “Please, you have to believe me.”  

“When I tried to leave. Mr. Hawthorne attacked me. I tried to fight them off, but he was too strong. To protect myself, that’s when it happened.”

“He is lying! He tried to hurt me! He came to my room, and then he attacked me. I had—”

“Enough!” Alpha Paul growls. “I expected better from you, Leona.”

“Please… Mum… I didn’t… He tried to rape me… please,” I plead with her, and there’s a pitiful look in her eyes. I don’t know what to say.

“How can you think I would sleep with my father? A man who raised me?” I cry, my throat tightening.

“Call Dad. He will explain. Please, Mum.”

But Bastian nods to David, who passes around pictures, and then the rest to Bastian, who throws the pictures in my face.

The picture in front of me looks like it’s Dad naked at the beach. Some of them we are kissing. It looks like him and me and him, but it’s not.

My mother slowly picks up the pictures before lifting her gaze to look at me, an accusation in her eyes. If she had any doubts, these pictures just made it clear.

“I always thought you just preferred him because he was always so loving and understanding, but sleeping with my husband? How disgusting can you be?” she asks me as I shake my head.

“Mom”

My heart sinks. She believed them. She believes this liar over her own daughter.

“I didn’t do it. Please Mum. You have to believe me. Please, Luna Kelly,” I plead, turning to her, I am desperate. How could I ever sleep with a man who raised me? Who changed my diaper? The man who taught me how to ride my bicycle?

“Please, Dad would never do that.”

“Then how do you explain him getting you this?” she asks, throwing the pictures in my face.

“Now this makes sense,” she says, clenching tight to the gold and black present bag.”

“Mom, please,” I plead with her, but she throws the present bag in my face.

The bag drops to the ground, then some lingerie comes out of the bag with some things I can’t even recognize.

“What?” I heard murmurs around the room. I don’t even know what they are.

“Oh, my goddess! Such a shameless person,” murmurs fill the room as I glance at my mother.

“Mom, please, you have to believe me. Dad would explain everything. I don’t know everything.”

“Enough, Dad? Have you got no shame?” She growls as I gasp, looking at her. She really doesn’t believe me. Tears rolled down her face.

“Where’s Dad?”

“He is dead. I killed him,” Bastian smirks as Mom looks away, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“You killed my father?” I ask him, and he shrugs his shoulders like it's nothing. “He tried to kill me for you, so I defend myself. Killing an alpha heir? That asshole,” he spits, his voice laced with disgust.

“I will fucking kill you!” I growl, lunging at him, but the guard whips my back again so hard, and I fall to the ground, whimpering loudly.

“Enough! We will pass judgment. What Bastian says is true. Therefore, we can let her pay for it. And get this over with,” the alpha growls as I lift my gaze to meet Bastian’s. I hope he doesn’t let me live because one day I will fuckin kill him with my bare hands.

“See? This is why I had to reject her. I knew this bitch was a fucking whore,” he growls, pointing at the crowd, who agree.

“Kill her! Burn her.” People are demanding my death, and the alpha just stares at me. I can see the look of disgust on his face.