THE SECOND CHANCE LUNA

Chapter three

Sarah's POV

We got to the dining and I met a waiting throng of people.

“Witch! Barren woman! You want to ruin my son's life. You've succeeded in not giving him an heir since your years of marriage to him and now that he has one, you want to kill him, huh?” Alec’s mother rushed to me, and pulled at my hair.

“What are you saying, Mrs Moo?” I cried as I struggled to pull her hand away from my hair.

She continued pulling at my hair, “How dare you act innocent?”

I screamed, and suddenly someone pulled her away from me.

I looked up slowly, and met Alec’s dark eyes. He stared calmly at me. I was shocked. I’d thought he would glare at me but he didn't. He even stopped his mother, Mrs Moo, from attacking me.

Ms. Moo never liked me. Alec was always the one protecting me from her.

Hope filled my heart as I peered at Alec’s dark eyes. He protected me from his mother which meant he still cared for me.

“Sarah Keraman, you have been accused of poisoning Angela Cumi’s food in order to kill her and the pup in her womb, the Alpha heir of Bloodmoon pack. Do you plead guilty of this great crime or not?” Elder Larkin asked.

My heart stopped.

“What?” I muttered in confusion as my eyes grazed at the pack members.

My brain couldn't register all their faces but I recognised a few of them. Their eyes glared at me. Their hate for me had doubled. They all believed I tried to kill Angela and her unborn pup.

I was short of words.

How could they believe that I would stoop so low to try to poison Angela? I would never do that, but only I thought so. The others believed I did.

“Did you do it?” Alec asked in a low tone.

I looked at him. “No, I didn't, Alec.”

“I knew you would say that.” He rubbed his brow, something he did when he's annoyed about something.

“I would never do such a thing, Alec.” I tried to go close to him, but stopped when he shot me a sharp look.

“Were you also taking this?” He raised his hand, there was a bottle in his grip.

One I recognised.

My eyes bulged as I looked at the bottle in his hand. He didn't know I was taking it. It was a secret only I knew.

“Yes.” I answered, and a collective gasp sounded from the crowd looking at us.

I shifted my gaze to the crowd. They were all shocked.

The bottle in Alec’s hand contained a German syrup I started taking after experiencing my first three miscarriage.

The pack doctor advised me to take it. That it would help increase my fertility and strengthen my womb.

The pack doctor, he was the second person that knew I was taking the German syrup. He promised he would keep it a secret, which was why I was surprised when Alec held out the bottle.

I wondered why the pack reacted like I did something wrong by taking the syrup. It was part of the things every desperate she-wolf in my shoes would do to take in.

“You admit to terminating your pregnancies, but you don't admit to poisoning Angela and her pup?” Alec asked.

“Because I didn't poison Angel—wait, what?” the meaning of his first sentence dawned on me, “What are you saying? I didn't terminate—wait. You think I am the one causing my miscarriage?” My eyes fixed on Alec, tears gathered around them.

Alec of all people shouldn't be saying this. He knew the trauma I went through not being able to bear him an heir. How could he say I didn't want to have kids?

“Answer the question woman. Stop shedding crocodile tears! You admitted to killing your babies in the womb by taking that German whatever. It's obvious you didn't want the Alpha to have an heir because you wanted your bloodline to continue the Alpha seat. How do you think we will believe that you had nothing to do with poisoning Angela after knowing she was pregnant?” One of the elders shouted from the crowd.

“What? That's not true. I didn't do anything!”

“Of course, you did!”

“Admit it. Witch!”

“I never thought you would turn out to be this wicked.” The pack members continued to throw words at me from different corners of the room.

The chattering voices of everyone had resonated into a loud noise in the room.

My eyes remained on Alec and his on me. All I could see in his eyes was anger, hate, and an addition of regret.

“Did I commit an offence accepting the mate bond with you? What did I ever do to you?!” His voice thundered, jolting everyone.

Silence fell in the room, and all eyes were focused on Alec and I.

“No, Alec. You're getting it all wrong—”

“You know, I didn't want to be Alpha, especially since I wasn't born into an Alpha family. I pleaded with you several times to let go of the Alpha seat and follow me to a place where we would live an ordinary life but you refused. You refused, Sarah. You insisted that I become the Alpha of your pack. So why are you trying to destroy me now?”

“Alec, please let me explain. It's not what you think—”

“Then what?” He growled angrily at me.

I jumped, whimpering in fear.

My inside shook as unsettling nerves unravelled in me. My heart raced as I watched my world crumble before me.

Everything was happening so fast. Everything I worked hard for was crumbling before my eyes.

“I'm sorry, Sarah. I made you like this. You were such a sweet soul. I turned you into what you are today. I'm really sorry.” Angela cried in front of me.

I glared at her, “This is all your doing.”

“Step away from her before she tries to strangle you.” Alec said, pulling her away from me.

My heart twisted as I watched him wrap his hand around her.

I stared at Alec unbelievably. He was truly different. This wasn’t the man I got married to. This wasn't the same man that promised to stay by my side all through our lifetime.

I wondered when he turned so cold towards me that he would think I would resort to doing something so unspeakable like he accused me of.

“Sarah Keraman, do you still plead not guilty for poisoning Angela?” Elder Larkin asked.

“I didn't poison her!” I stomped my fist on the table. “This is all set up by her!” I pointed at Angela.

“I don't believe you.” A voice from the crowd said.

“Me too.” Another voice said.

“You heard them, Sarah. Nobody believes you. There's only one way to prove yourself.” Elder Larkin said as I looked at him, waiting for his suggestion.

“Eat from Angela's plate.”

“What?” I mumbled.

“Yes. Do it!” A voice rang from the crowd.

“That's the only way to prove yourself!” The crowd continued to throw more words at me.

I turned to Alec.

“Do it, Sarah. That's the only way to prove to me that I was wrong about you, and that you were right. That you took the syrup out of ignorance for what it really does and didn't know you were terminating your pregnancies. That you didn't try to poison Angela. If nothing happens to you after eating from Angela's plate, I will believe you and accept you again. I will love you as my mate and wife, and will never leave your side again.”

My lips parted as Alec said those words to me.

Angela peered up at him, anger laced in her eyes. She didn't like what Alec was saying to me.

I closed my mouth quickly, realising myself. I wasn't going to fall for his promises again. He broke every one of his promises to me.

“Fine. I'll eat from her plate. This is just to prove that I didn't try to poison Angela. I didn't try to keep the Alpha seat for myself and family by trying to kill her baby. I will never do that.”

“Go ahead. Prove to us!”

I was shown Angela's plate, and I scooped a spoonful of soup from the plate. I was about to put the spoon in my mouth when a masculine hand held mine.

I thought it was Alec and quickly looked. I was disappointed to find it was Garret.

He shook his head at me, telling me not to do it.

“Let go, Garrett.”

Garrett shook his head again, he refused to let go of my hand.

“It's an order.” I stated, and he let go after much hesitation.

I scooped the spoon into my mouth and swallowed the soup. I took another spoonful and another. Nothing happened.

We waited for five minutes and nothing happened. My body felt the same. There was no stomach pain. No sudden throat itching or gagging. Just me staring at Alec.

I shrugged lightly, spreading my arms out to the side. “See, nothing happened.”

Angela looked at me with horror in her eyes. The crowd started to leave one after the other in shame.

Alec looked down in shame. He couldn't bear to look at me.

Relieve crossed Garrett’s face as he took a deep breath. “Thank goddess.”

I sighed in relief, hoping all was over until a sharp pain struck my belly. I placed my hand over my belly as I started to bend.

“Luna!” Garrett screamed, and held me.

My heart seized, making it difficult to breathe.

The pain in my stomach worsened, and quickly radiated into other parts of my body. I lost sense of where I was and my world turned black…

My eyes flung open. I couldn't see clearly. My vision was dim.

I groaned as a searing pain etched deep in my heart, and suddenly, I heard a soft gasp.

I listened.

“Doctor, I think she's awake.” A soft voice said.

“What?” A croaky voice asked, quick footsteps approached me, and I felt a presence by my side.

I turned to look at my side and met two figures standing beside me. I couldn't see their faces. My blurred sight didn't let me see what they looked like.

A louder gasp sounded. “Goddess! She's really awake!”

“Luna, can you hear me?” The croaky voice asked.

I couldn't reply. I tried, but my lips were too heavy to move. It wasn't just my lips, my eyelids too. My eyes closed, and I slipped back into darkness.