GOING UNDER (THE LAST LUNA) S2

A BROKEN-BOND

Sophie had betrayed Stella, her last pieces of hope.

"How could you do this to me after everything we'd been through?"

Stella said as tears flows in her eyes. A discouragement. But Sophie remains standing as if she didn't hear what Stella said. Like other witnesses, they seem like idiots and blind if justice is done against her. She was kicked by a fact that no one took her side and believed that she was innocent, of all the charges against her.

Sophie's eyes began to fill with tears as her voice wavered into the crowd.

"For Stella, I saw how this began to erode at her sanity; something I'd seen was already dwindling prior. Whilst under her employment. I saw her experience several fits of hysteria, laughing at the most horrible of things. Her mood swings were even worse. Sometimes she was so sweet, and switch to become irritable and angry without warning."

Sophie added. She was taking one small incident and magnifying it, warping it with more lies to suit the agenda. Had she really disliked Stella this much the whole time?

"She persuaded me to try and escape with her, but I know now she didn't tell me the whole story. I thought I was going to be helping a poor girl who needed someone to care for her. Instead, I ended up abiding a criminal with something so heinous."

Now, she turned her teary eyes to Thea, crying while she was speaking. Her voice broke off into sobs and the crowd was whispering among themselves. They all believed her. They believed every lie she was telling. And there was nothing Stella could do.

Thea suddenly stood up and everyone became silent to watch, anticipating a violent scene towards the woman who had poisoned her. Her walk was shaky and unsteady as she strode up to Sophie, as if to emphasize on her recent hospitalisation. However, to everyone's surprise, when she finally reached Sophie she engulfed her in a hug. They hugged as if they'd known each other as good friends.

When Thea finally broke away she smiled benevolently up at the older woman, grasping Sophie's hands in her own.

"I.. forgive you, Sophie," Thea said, making a show of her mercy.

"I can hear your words ring true under the light of the Goddess here tonight. I know you did not mean me or my baby any harm, and so I can't blame you for the sins of your superior." Thea added to say

As Stella looked out into the crowd to see they were enamoured by everything she was saying. They were hanging on her every word, their faces full of admiration for her.

"This may be too soon to announce, but...," she looked towards Richard who was just as enchanted at everything she was doing. He gave her a nod of approval for whatever she had been silently seeking permission for and she smiled brilliantly back at him.

"Richard and I have been talking and he wishes for me to step up as Luna once all of this unpleasantness is behind us. I see how pure and loyal your heart is, Sophie. I see how deeply you care for others. I know the Goddess must feel the same."

What she was doing now ? They had some sort of deal.? Now, Stella understand a few ideas.

Sophie's co-operation and false testimony in exchange for her freedom post-trial. This was all a charade to win the hearts of the pack, to make them look up to her like she was a merciful goddess.

　　And Stella... ? was the devil, a baby killer, a murderer.

"Sophie, I may not be this pack's Luna yet, but I would love it if you would attend to me and show me the same loyalty and love you had mistakenly entrusted to the wrong person."

Sophie bent her knee immediately and kissed her hand, bowing her head in respect.

"Miss Millandres... no, Luna... it would be my greatest honour to serve you and spend the rest of my old life atoning for my mistakes."

Thea smiled and brought Sophie to her feet, hugging her once more. The crowd instantly erupted in applause at the scene they had just witnessed. Their new soon-to-be Luna had shown great love and forgiveness to the person who admitted to poisoning her. She was beautiful, kind and strong.

Stella knew they had never felt those things about her. She had always held their respect, but never their adoration.

"I think we've seen enough," Richard said gently, standing back up.

He walked up to Thea and wrapped an arm around her possessively. It was then that Stella saw it. Something that made her blood boil.

During their embrace, Thea flicked her hair back. It was her strategy. She wanted Stella could see it. Wanted her to feel the pain it caused her one last time before the conviction. On her neck, was Richard's mark. Something he had never given to Stella, something he had always refused her even after their marriage. He had marked Thea as his own, showing the world his favour for her. For one week, all had "Going Under".

Stella was angry and furious. The mate-bond was broken. So there's no reason for her to beg for Richard's mark and love. It's enough for her to see the marks on Thea's neck that he give in one week, unlike her, she begged it for four years.

Now Stella hated Richard the Alpha, Thea Millandres, Sophie her attendant. She even hated the whole pack. Sophie, she hated her the most. Her false testimony was the final nail. Richard will stand by it.

Stella wrongly loving them including the Alpha. She had given everything to them and it had turned to poison against her dignity. Stella glance at the sky, talking to herself.

Was this always my destiny? Was I fated to live and die as only a means to help the pack?

Way back on my sin before, what if I didn't kidnap and let Abby Jezz live happily in this world? Even she was my enemy, I knew she care, and honest . Is this the final judgement of goddess for all my sin?

My own hard work and dedication for the pack, is like a book opened for writing. but the mysterious author did not finish it and just tore it up and threw it in the trash, without no reason. Either, there was no space for me. I wasn't needed.

"I think the evidence here has weighed in an obvious result. Do you have anything to say in your defence, Stella?" Richard asked.

Stella cleared her mind and took a deep breath to calm herself. There was no point in trying to dispute the allegations anymore, there was nothing she could do or say that would change their minds.

"I..Stella Ortega, sincerely hope that the Goddess will overlook your sins. You accused me of a crime that I did not commit. Betrayal is not a happiness, or a victory. I believe that whoever is really guilty, I know you hear me. For one day, whatever you did to me, will come back to you"

Stella said bitterly.

"There is nothing I can do anymore to prove myself not guilty, against the stacks of false evidences you brought for me. But deep down... I hope you will all suffer, from the time of my death.

And you.. Richard, you were all alone, I hope, I haunt you. I hope my face is what you see when you finally meet your demise. Loving you, is my big mistakes."

There was a silence...

No one speaks.

No one moved.

Stella in heart, she was still a Luna of the pack. She wouldn't force herself to ask for forgiveness. Nor bow her head, begging for a second chances.

Stella turned to look at Thea and to her surprise, she looked straight back to her amused, a smirk on her face, wearing an evil smile. She looked at her as if she knew all along, that this would be the happened.

Stella realized then, that she had planned all of this from the start. Her analysation to Richard, Sophie... who knows.? She had pretended to be clueless so no one suspected her. With a disgusting realization, Stella wondered if she'd even killed her own unborn baby for the sake of one position. Or she never get pregnant after all?

Richard cleared his throat bringing everyone's attention back to him.

"Very well. In accordance with the correct procedure, the ranked members and elders will now vote." He turned his attention to the members behind him.

"Will all who find Stella Ortega's guilty of the murder of the alpha heir, and for the intended harm to Thea Millandres, please stand up?"

Stella watched them in horror for one of them and after, as expected they all stood. Eàch rows of the members faces was down on her, and her eyes caught in two seconds. They were all staring at Stella intently.

But, one of the elder remains seated. it was Elder Luke.

"Elder Luke?" Richard asked, pointing out he was the only person not standing. He looked indifferent, uncaring as to whether he was singled out or not.

"I don't believe she did it. It seems like a possible frame job to me and most of the evidence was circumstantial at best," he said, his voice unwavering and confident.

"The former Luna is right. I don't wish to see her face haunt me by convicting her to this death. You might all be complacent but I will not sell my soul for the sake of popularity."

Whispers around can be heard. The shocked remarks scattered through the crowd as everyone couldn't believe, that someone didn't find Stella for being guilty. Richard seemed angry that someone had voted against the majority, though he tried to hide it well.

"It doesn't matter,"

Richard said, his voice tight.

"We hold the majority vote for the proceedings. Please bring me the broadsword."

He indicated to a random attendant to the side and they quickly began to unbox the sword. The sword was mostly ornate considering it wasn't used for proper combat. The hilt comprised of several blue and white jewels and carvings related to the moon.

Richard grabbed the sword tightly and inspected it to ensure it was still sharp. The edge gleamed towards Stella, as if begging to come closer, to greet it.

When he was satisfied with its condition he turned to Stella, his eyes as sharp as the sword.

This was it. This was the end. Everything had been for nothing. What a bitter, sad life of Luna had led. So empty, so lonely.

"You have been found guilty of the charges against you. The murder of the Alpha heir and harm to another pack member carry the harshest sentence,"

Richard started.

"Therefore, with the power held within me, I, Richard your Alpha of the White Stone Pack, sentence you, Stella Ortega, former Luna of the White Stone Pack, to death. Your sentence is to be carried out immediately."

Stella didn't want to be scared, but it was. As every step closer Richard took to her, the more she wanted to run. She wanted it more than anything.

"Why had I waited so long before trying to escape? This man had been my death sentence, long before now, but I had been too blind to see it." Stella told herself

Stella knelt down with shaky legs before the wooden stump. She didn't need to be pushed or shoved. She willingly placed her head on the block and closed her eyes, waiting. She felt like she couldn't breathe, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. She had built herself to be one of the smartest people in the country, but in the end it seemed she was actually the densest.

The air shift, the faintest sound of the sword swinging... and then, there was darkness.