Unrelenting Destiny [COMPLETED]

15. Law and Order

Orianna Reid-Deveraux

The new Luna had been busy fending off questions about Ivan with Embry the entire morning and afternoon. She had excused herself to the pack house to take a break, sitting in her room. Bringing a wine glass to her lips, she swallowed her contraceptive pill. The slight tart taste drowned out by the smooth liquid. The sound of the door opening caused her to turn around, surprised to see her friend at the door, "Monica? What are you doing here?"

Orianna glanced over to her small jar of contraceptives, "Did you bring more? I just stocked up, remember?"

"Alpha Jasper asked for me." Monica fidgeted nervously, sticking her hands into her jean pockets, "Did you tell him about your birth control?"

"No, of course not." Orianna furrowed her brow, slipping the bottle back into her nightstand. She had been thinking about getting off the contraceptive since being named Luna. If there were heirs to be had, she would have to comply. Not that she had talked to Jasper about it. 

"Alright," Monica nodded, glancing back towards the hallway, "I just wanted to stop by before seeing him."

"I'll go with you." Orianna volunteered, wanting desperately to see her mate since he had dismissed her the night before. The pair walked through the pack house, descending the stairs to the basement. Orianna was suddenly washed with a feeling of nervousness as they opened the door to darkness.

Inside stood Jasper and Embry, Ivan still in the cell, and the witch Diana that she had seen a few times when visiting Monica. Their expressions were all solemn, "What's going on?"

Jasper shot her a look that she couldn't put her finger on. It looked like a mixture of surprise and a grimace. His Alpha voice filled the space, a tingle in her spine as she took in his astounding, dominant nature, "Monica, thank you for coming. Let me just get right to the point. We performed a ritual on Ivan to delve into his memories of yesterday morning. The results seem to point to your practice of magic."

"What?" Monica furrowed her brow, immediately defensive at the accusation, "I didn't do anything."

Diana inhaled sharply, "The magic that I detected was of natural origin. It seemed to suppress his human attributes and fed his wolf's more carnal desires. You are the only witch in the pack who deals in natural magic."

"That's insane! I didn't do anything to him!" Monica trembled, her lip quivering, "I wasn't even here yesterday. I was with Orianna. Tell them."

Orianna nodded rapidly, "I was with her two nights ago, she never left her house."

Silence filled the room before Monica quietly spoke up, "But you did..."

"What?" Orianna's eyes went wide as she looked over to her friend, "What do you mean?"

"You left the house after I gave you your pills." Monica's mouth twitched, her voice rising, "Around 1 in the morning, I remember. You woke me up when you snuck back in."

Every gaze shifted to Orianna, their expressions rapidly hardening. Jasper's voice was eerily calm as he asked, "What is she talking about, Orianna?"

The interim Luna's back stiffened, waving her hands in front of her as if to clear the air, "I've been taking some daily supplements to help with my migraines. I've been taking them for a couple of years now. They're harmless!"

"She's lying!" Monica suddenly burst, pointing an accusatory finger at her, "Orianna's been taking magical birth control to suppress her wolf because she didn't want to get pregnant." 

Caught in her lie, Orianna reeled as she backpedaled, looking to Jasper,  "O-okay. Yes, I was taking birth control. But only because I knew you didn't want pups!"

Monica's glare hardened as she continued, "Recently she started asking me if the opposite was possible - if my magic could suppress the human side of a werewolf. I didn't think much of it. I thought she was just high and talkative."

"What? Th-that's crazy! I never did that!" Orianna protested, panic beginning to rise in her chest.

But Monica only went on, "When Alpha Jasper left to bring that she-wolf to Sunset Waters, Orianna came to me that very day asking if I could make a heavy dosage of this counter-suppressant, saying she wanted to get pregnant now that the Alpha would want an heir."

"How would she know I would become Alpha and need an heir?" Jasper didn't even look at Orianna, his face a mask of terrifying calm.

"I thought she was just confused from the weed and the alcohol," Monica began tearing up, her words a tumble, "I thought she meant the Beta wanted an heir and I felt badly for her so I made some and gave it to her two nights ago."

"The same night Ivan was given magic that suppresses his human side." Diana practically snarled, fists clenching. She looked like she wanted to beat Orianna into a pulp.

"No! That never happened! I don't know what she's talking about!" Orianna cried out, moving to Jasper and desperately trying to look him in the eye, "Yes, honey, I was taking birth control because I knew you didn't want pups but I never asked her for these...suppressants or whatever she's saying. I would never do that to you! To Ivan or Sara!"

"Don't you dare say her name!" The previous Alpha was up against the cell doors, snarling, "You did this! You wanted Jasper to become Alpha and tried to frame me with magic! You made me murder my family! You heartless, conniving b***h!"

"No!" Orianna erupted in tears, practically clawing at Jasper who stood staring down at her with crossed arms. She spun around, hurling herself onto Monica, who screamed as they landed on the floor, "You lying b***h! Take it back! Tell them you're making it up!" Monica shielded her face, crying for someone to help her. Her body was pulled from the floor by Embry and Jasper, who forced her into an adjoining cell. She scrambled to one side away from Ivan, who was reaching out to her with hell in his eyes. 

Orianna grabbed at Jasper's arm before he could close the cell door, "Please, Jasper, look at me. You know me. I wouldn't do this!"

"I don't know what to believe, Orianna." Jasper's voice cracked a bit as he finally looked down at her, a turbulent mix of pain and confusion in his eyes as he dislodged her from his arm. He looked to his Beta, "Embry, search my room for these pills. Take Monica with you."

The two departed quickly, leaving Jasper, Ivan, Diana, and Orianna alone. Orianna's lip trembled as she continued to cry, "I didn't do this. I don't know what's happening, I didn't do any of this."

"Shut up, you drunk w***e. Even I can smell the alcohol on your breath." Ivan spat at her. 

Jasper looked at her silently, shaking his head before murmuring under his breath, "What is going on?"

The Beta and witch returned, Orianna's small bottle of pills in her hand, "We found this in her nightstand. Monica verified its the pills she gave a few nights ago."

"Th-those are just my normal birth control! They suppress my wolf, not my human side!" Orianna pleaded. But even as she said so, she felt the pulsating headache of her wolf stirring within her. Her wolf was usually quiet - likely due to the contraceptive - but Orianna heard her loud and clear now.

You've been defying nature far too long, Orianna. This is the consequence of your foolish attempt at being good enough for Jasper. Her wolf snarled, heavy paws thudding in her mind, You cannot deny now that those pills have only given me strength. 

Jasper Orion Deveraux

Jasper watched as Orianna's grip on the cell doors tightened, her light brown eyes swarming with black. 

"She must have taken one. Her wolf is stronger than ever." Monica said fearfully, hiding behind Embry's body, "She's going to get out!" Right as the words left her mouth, Orianna began to shift - the tufts of russet fur and sharp claws molding her body. Diana lurched forward, inserting a syringe into her shoulder. The wolfsbane coursed through the shifting body, causing Orianna to writhe with pain as her human form crumbled to the floor and silenced.

Diana sighed, "That counter-suppressant is strong. Hopefully the wolfsbane can keep her at bay until we can figure this all out." 

Jasper nodded, rubbing his eyes with his palm as he groaned, "This...what is even going on right now?"

"We need some law and order here, Alpha." Embry grumbled to him, "The evidence against your mate is piling up and the pack demands answers."

Ivan growled in agreement, "And you better decide quick. Before I tear her to shreds."