Untamable

Chapter 15 Prank

Edward’s POV

The room goes so silent you could hear a pin drop. Aiden's eyes widen slightly, and he grips his pencil as if it might rescue him from an awkward situation.

Meanwhile, I am left trying to figure out why everyone else seems to know more about the rogue than I do.

"Elizabeth?" I ask, hoping I don’t sound as clueless as I feel.

“No, Cherry has got it wrong,” Alpha Aiden snaps. He looks like he just swallowed a bug.

“I haven’t,” Cherry replies, her eyes wide as she glares at her husband. She seems agitated, insisting to me firmly, “That is Elizabeth.”

“Are you sure?” I ask.

“One hundred percent sure,” she replies, “I would never forget that bitch.”

The way she describes Elizabeth makes me raise an eyebrow.

“So, Elizabeth was part of your pack before?” I ask with increasing curiosity.

“Yes, she was my ex-wife,” Alpha Aiden admits.

Now I understand. Elizabeth is his ex-wife, which explains why he discarded the half-finished drawing! Aiden realizes I'm tracking Elizabeth and he is trying to protect her.

His attempts to shield Elizabeth both intrigue and annoy me.

I frown and say coldly, “You do know it's illegal to harbor a rogue, right?”

“There must be some misunderstanding. My ex-wife isn't a rogue…” Aiden says, trying and failing. He doesn’t sound defensive.

I don’t like him referring to Elizabeth as his ex-wife. It’s as if there’s still a connection there.

Even if their bond is in the past, it bugs me more than I'd care to admit.

Why does their relationship bother me so much?

There’s an odd queasiness in my gut that I can’t quite define… jealousy? Nah, couldn’t be. Or could it?

As I am wrestling with my emotions, Cherry turns to her husband and hisses, “Don't be foolish, Elizabeth has cut ties with our pack. If she isn't a rogue, then what is she?" Cherry says. She swivels toward me with determination, “Please, Your Highness, don’t let my husband’s misplaced nostalgia cloud your judgment. Aiden has always been loyal to the Lycans, bless his heart. But Elizabeth shamelessly took advantage of his generous nature…”

I raise an eyebrow at the accusation. “Any rational person would opt to arrest Elizabeth,”Cherry continues, as if presenting an unarguable fact. “She’s a dangerous, malicious woman, flaunting plenty of her unsavory habits back when she was with our pack.”

“Oh, really?” I ask, leaning in slightly.

“Stop it,” Alpha Aiden tries to intervene, but Cherry ignores him and barrels on.

“If you still have feelings for your ex-wife, that’s your business, but I certainly don’t,” Cherry scoffs, her tone dripping with disdain. She mutters darkly, “I’ll reveal all her misdeeds to His Highness. That b***h deserves whatever punishment is fit for witches—be it burning, hanging, or stoning…”

“I’m all ears,” I respond, unable to hide my intrigue. “What exactly are these crimes she has committed?”

"First of all, she doesn't respect me as the Luna," Cherry says. "After Alpha Aiden divorced her, I became the rightful Luna of the pack. But she tried to use her influence over the pack members to reclaim her title."

"That's not true," a shaky voice interjects. I turn to see it's the Omega from earlier, who fetched the pencil for Aiden."Elizabeth couldn’t care less about being Luna," she says. "If she did, how do you think you ended up with the title? All she had to do was refuse to leave Alpha Aiden."

Cherry's eyes burn with anger as she snaps, "Kneel, Aurora! Who gave you permission to speak—"

Clearly, she used the Luna voice, and the Omega's knees start to buckle.

"Stop," I command, using my Lycan voice to steady her. I meet Cherry’s gaze with a stern look."Is this how you treat your pack members, Luna Cherry? Using the Luna voice to bend them to your will?"

Cherry's face goes pale. She opens her mouth to defend herself, but ends up biting her lip in silence.

"Please, continue," I say to Aurora, softening my tone. "What else do you know?"

Aurora glances warily at Cherry, but I reassure her, "I’m here and she won’t try anything while I’m around." Relieved, Aurora continues, "Elizabeth was chosen by Alpha Hugh and welcomed by us as Luna. She was kind and approachable. I used to be her maid, but she never pulled rank. She’d join in on chores, chat, and comfort crying pups in the safe house. Sometimes, you’d forget she was Luna. Elizabeth felt inadequate because she didn’t have a wolf, but we didn’t care. We liked her."

Other pack members nod in agreement, rallying to Aurora's cause. Buoyed by their support, she proceeds with newfound confidence. "When Alpha Hugh was no longer with us, Alpha Aiden divorced Elizabeth and chose his fated mate as Luna," Aurora explains. "That’s when Luna Cherry started bullying Elizabeth."

"I did not—" Cherry tries to cut in.

"Quiet," Aiden commands in a serious tone and Cherry falls silent.

Aurora continues, "Luna Cherry ordered us to isolate Elizabeth, forbidding us from speaking to her. Anyone who defied her was punished. She made us kneel or locked us in the cellar without food. Once, I was shoved in the kitchen and broke a dish. Cherry didn’t bother investigating—she just wanted me whipped. Elizabeth tried to intervene, but Cherry twisted the story to Alpha Aiden, claiming Elizabeth was undermining her authority," Aurora recounts, her voice tinged with a shiver.

I frown. "And then?"

"Then… Alpha Aiden believed Luna Cherry. The whipping was set to continue, but Elizabeth shielded me with her own body. She took the punishment in my place."

I glance at Alpha Aiden, whose guilty expression corroborates Aurora's story.

"This is ridiculous," I say.

"Elizabeth fainted and was taken to the pack doctor. Not long after that, she left the pack. I guess she lost faith in us. She was alone and none of us could help her," Aurora says, starting to sob. "She must have been so let down. We wanted to help, but who can defy the Alpha and Luna?" She pauses before adding, "We were selfish. We were too afraid to do the right thing—"

"Hey, don’t make Elizabeth out to be the victim here. Before she left, she made sure to hint that Aiden visited her with roses. She threatened me, and even fabricated a lie that she was pregnant! It caused a huge fight between Aiden and me, and I scratched his face so badly he missed the annual royal feast. Elizabeth was behind it all," Luna Cherry says angrily. "Why don’t you bring that up?"

Ah, so that’s why Alpha Aiden didn’t show up at the banquet.

I can’t help but let out a hearty laugh.

Cherry shoots me a confused look, perhaps struggling to see the humor in it since she believes she's the victim.

"Quite the prank," I say with amusement.

"It was not just a prank,"Cherry says. "Elizabeth caused chaos…”

"Perhaps,"I interrupt her coldly. "But it was not really a big deal next to what you'd done to her. Don’t you agree, Luna Cherry?"