ARIELLA’S DIVINE WILL

2

Ariella’s POV

I turned and walked away, feeling his eyes on my back. I didn’t look back. I couldn’t. I felt like I was losing every piece of myself.

That night, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering what I would do next. My heart felt heavy, but I knew I needed to leave. I couldn't stay here, where every corner reminded me of him and the pain of his rejection.

“First thing tomorrow, I'm going to leave this stupid place, far away from him. Bastard!”

***

The next morning, I woke up, and everything felt fuzzy. I blinked, trying to adjust to the bright light filtering through the curtains. Confusion swept over me as I sat up. Where am I?

I looked around—this wasn’t my room. Panic set in. This was a stranger's bed, and the walls of the room were unfamiliar. “What happened?” I whispered to myself, rubbing my temples.

I stared around and it felt like I was in a dream, but it was a nightmare. I had just discovered I was Dexter's mate, only to find out he didn't want me. Now, I was lost in a stranger's bed, and I had absolutely no idea what the f**k was going on.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and in walked Lydia, Dexter's fiancée, her expression a mix of anger and mischief. “Ariella!” she exclaimed, feigning surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“I…I don’t know,” I stammered, still trying to piece together the night. “I think I drank too much at the party before I left. Is this your room? I'm so sorry, I'll leave now.”

Lydia narrowed her eyes. “You think? It looks more like you were sneaking off to do something else.”

Confusion washed over me. “What do you mean?”

She smirked, stepping closer. “Oh, I’ve heard the whispers, Ariella. You went off with someone, didn’t you? Is that why you woke up in this bed?”

“What? No! I didn’t do anything!” I protested, panic rising. “I swear!”

“Really?” Lydia’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Then why am I finding you in a strange man’s room? You’re not good enough for my mate, you know.”

“Lydia—” I tried to explain, but she cut me off.

“Let’s see how Dexter feels about this,” she said, her smile turning cruel.

Before I could react, Lydia grabbed my wrist and pulled me out into the hallway. “Everyone needs to know what a disgrace you are!” she shouted, dragging me toward the council chamber.

“Stop! You’re making a mistake!” I yelled, barely able to keep up. My heart raced with fear.

When we reached the council chamber, all eyes turned to us. Dexter stood at the front, surrounded by the council members. He looked surprised, but that quickly shifted to a mix of confusion. when he saw Lydia dragging me in.

“What’s going on?” he asked, stepping forward.

Lydia smirked, positioning me in front of him. “Look what I found! Ariella, your little orphan of a mate, caught sneaking out of a stranger's bed!”

Gasps filled the room, and I felt my knees weaken. “That’s not true!” I shouted, but the room erupted with noise.

“Ariella? Is this true?” one of the council members, an older man named Councilor Mark, asked. His gaze was piercing.

“I… no!” I stuttered, looking desperately around the room. “I didn’t do anything! I don’t even remember how I got here!”

Lydia stepped closer, her eyes narrowing. “Of course, you don’t remember. You were too busy ruining your life with your affair.”

“An affair?” Dexter echoed, his voice shocked but then shifting to anger. “Ariella, is this true?”

“No!” I cried out, tears forming in my eyes. “I swear I didn’t do anything! I’m not cheating on you!”

“You are a disgusting woman! How dare you try cheating on me?! You are my fated mate.”

His words felt like a slap on my face. Had he so conveniently forgotten that he had rejected yesterday?! In the presence of everyone by declaring his marriage and calling me a poor orphan?! Was he trying to make a mockery of me?!

“Please, you have to–”

But the council wasn’t listening. They conferred in hushed voices before Councilor Mark turned back to face me. “Ariella, you have been accused of dishonoring the pack and engaging in an affair with another man. This is a serious charge.”

I shook my head, panic swelling. “You have to believe me! It’s all Lydia’s lie!”

Lydia smiled smugly, clearly enjoying this. “She deserves to be punished. Such a disgrace should not be allowed to live among us.”

“What should we do?” another council member asked, looking grim. “Adultery cannot go unpunished.”

The council members exchanged harsh glances. I felt sick to my stomach. “You can’t seriously believe her lies!” I pleaded. “I’m not a disgrace!”

“What should we do?” Councilor Mark repeated, his voice grave. “It is our duty to uphold the law. We must make an example of her.”

I felt my heart drop when they started to speak of punishment. “No, no! Please!” I begged, but no one was listening.

“The penalty for such betrayal is death by stoning,” Mark announced, and gasps filled the room once again.

“No! You can’t!” I cried, my voice shaking. I looked desperately at Dexter. “Please! You know me! You can’t do this!”

But Dexter’s expression was cold now, and he didn’t speak. I felt the weight of despair settle on me. Would my life end here, just because of heresay?! I don't even remember what happened.

Just then, the doors burst open, and a tall figure stepped inside. He was a stranger, with sharp features and intense eyes that seemed to take in the whole scene in an instant. “What’s going on here?” he demanded.

“Who are you?” one of the council members snapped.

“I came to see what the commotion was,” the man replied confidently.

I could hardly believe this stranger had come in at the right moment. “Please help me!” I shouted. “They want to kill me for something I didn’t do!”

The stranger moved toward me, his eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. “You’re accusing her of cheating?” he said, turning to Lydia.

Lydia sneered. “Yes! She was caught in bed with another man!”

“Really? Where's the evidence?”

“She was caught in a stranger's room with clothes that weren't hers.”

“And who caught her? You? Didn't I hear that she was mated to your fiancé? How convenient it is that you were the one who caught her and now, you are also clamoring the loudest for her punishment. It's almost as if…”

He walked closer to me and stared right in my eyes as he said the words, “as if you want her dead.”