Chapter 3
1523 Words
Elena’s POV
The main hall felt different the moment I stepped inside. The atmosphere was tight like everyone had been holding their breath for too long. People crowded shoulder to shoulder and whispers broke through the room like little bursts of lightning.
Something terrible happened.
That was the only explanation.
I squeezed through a group of warriors who jostled me without even looking. Omegas like me might as well be ghosts.
“What was stolen.”
“Who would dare.”
“From the Luna’s vault. That is insane.”
My heart thudded painfully at those words. The Luna memorial vault was sacred. Only the Alpha’s family and the elders could approach it. The Luna’s keepsakes were protected tighter than the Alpha’s throne.
Someone stole from that place. Someone stole the silver moon bracelet.
I swallowed hard. My throat felt dry, painfully tight. I clutched my tiny bag against my chest even though there was nothing inside worth stealing.
“Everyone stay calm. No one leaves.”
The elder’s voice boomed through the hall and the entire pack fell silent within seconds.
I moved to the side, hoping to blend into the wall. If I stayed quiet, stayed small, stayed invisible, maybe today would not swallow me whole.
But then Mira stepped forward like she had been waiting for her cue. She pressed a hand to her chest dramatically and gasped loud enough to echo.
“Oh no. The silver moon bracelet. That was meant for the future Luna.”
People nodded. Some murmured blessings. Others whispered nonsense like Mira was already chosen for the role even though the new Alpha had not even arrived yet.
Mira looked down sadly, blinking her eyes in that fake trembling way she always did when she wanted attention.
“It was meant to symbolize love and unity. It was meant to be cherished. I cannot believe someone would take something so precious.”
Of course she played the victim. Of course she implied it was hers. Of course everyone ate it up like sugar.
I stared at the floor. I did not care who Luna was supposed to be. I did not care about bracelets. I just wanted to survive today.
The elders stood at the front, their robes heavy and faces stiff.
“We will find the thief,” Elder Rowan said.
He was Mira’s father. The former Beta. The one who stepped down for the current Beta only because the Alpha was returning soon. His face was carved in stone, jaw tight, eyes burning like wildfire.
“Anyone who steals from the Luna is cursed,” he said slowly. “And whoever did this will be punished publicly.”
A nervous whisper rippled through the hall.
I tried to step backward to hide behind a pillar, but someone bumped into me hard.
My bag fell to the floor.
A worker scoffed. “Move out of the way, omega.”
I muttered a small apology and knelt to pick my bag up again. No one offered help. Not that I expected them to.
I hugged the bag tighter than before, even though it had nothing inside except a piece of cloth and the broken string from earlier. Somehow holding it made me feel less exposed.
“As of now,” Elder Rowan continued, “no one leaves until we search all of you. The vault was sealed this morning. This happened recently. The thief is here in this hall.”
Murmurs filled the room. People shifted nervously. Some glared around like they were ready for a witch hunt.
Warriors lined everyone up. They checked pockets, sleeves, boots, belts, everything. Another group of guards ran off to search the rooms simultaneously.
My hands felt clammy as I stood in line. My heart kept skipping beats. I knew I did nothing, but logic did not matter in this pack. Innocence and guilt meant nothing. Rank decided everything.
The line moved slowly until it reached me.
A young warrior stepped in front of me. I recognized him vaguely. He had trained with Aiden before. He smirked slightly as if he found this whole process amusing.
“Bag,” he said.
I handed it to him.
He checked the outside first, then slipped his hand inside. He rummaged through it carelessly, pulling out my cloth and tossing it aside like it was trash.
I felt my stomach twist. Please let them finish. Please let this just be another humiliation and not something worse.
Then his hand stilled.
Everyone suddenly leaned forward.
He pulled something out slowly. Something silver. Something shining.
My breath caught in my throat.
In his hand rested the silver moon bracelet.
Gasps exploded everywhere.
My entire body went cold.
The warrior lifted it higher. “Found it.”
For a moment my mind refused to understand. Then my stomach twisted so sharply I nearly choked. Mira. Her stupid warning earlier.
Be careful. Thieves get punished. She planted it. She really planted it. My hands shook so hard I almost dropped my bag. She set me up. She wanted this.
Found it. In my bag. In my pathetic, useless bag.
I stared at it in shock. My voice caught in my throat and when the words finally came out they were small and broken.
“That is not mine. I did not put that there.”
Laughter erupted around me. People clapped their hands. Some pointed. Some shook their heads with disgust.
“What a disgusting omega.”
“Stealing from the Luna. She must think she is special.”
“You should be ashamed.”
My ears rang. My knees felt weak. I tried again.
“I did not steal anything. Someone put it there. I swear.”
Mira stepped forward, her eyes wide with fake sadness.
“Elena,” she whispered, sounding so heartbroken it made the whole room lean in. “I trusted you.”
My chest tightened painfully. It should not hurt. I knew she was no longer my friend, but hearing it said like that made something inside me crumble a little more.
“I did not do it,” I repeated. My voice trembled badly. “Please believe me. I would never steal from the Luna.”
Some people rolled their eyes. Others hissed under their breath.
Then the new Beta stepped forward. The younger one. The one who arrived few weeks ago with the soldiers. The one who kept things strict but fair.
Beta Elias Gray.
He stared at me with an unreadable expression. Not pity. Not anger. Something else. Something careful.
“Let her speak,” he said calmly. “Everyone quiet.”
Silence fell instantly.
My heart pounded painfully. This was the first time in years someone in authority asked me anything without looking disgusted.
“I did not take it,” I whispered. “I swear I did not. Someone put it in my bag. Maybe when I dropped it earlier. Someone bumped into me. I do not know why. I did not do this.”
Elias watched me quietly. His eyes moved over my bruised cheek, my shaking hands, my ripped sleeve. It felt like he was piecing something together.
But Elder Rowan stepped between us like he owned the entire hall.
“This is ridiculous,” he snapped. “She is an omega. A troublemaker. Look at her. She is lying. If we let her speak, she will twist the whole story. That bracelet belonged to my late Luna. There is no forgiveness for this kind of crime.”
Elias opened his mouth to respond, but Rowan cut him off again.
“Young Beta, the Alpha is absent. Today the elders hold authority. We cannot let this disrespect go unpunished.”
The other elders nodded. Warriors murmured in agreement. The pack fell into the rhythm of Rowan’s words like they were gospel.
Elias hesitated. Only for a second. Only long enough to give me a flicker of hope I never should have felt.
Then he stepped back.
“Punishment will proceed,” Rowan announced.
My heart dropped to my stomach.
Everything felt far away. The hall. The lights. The people. Their faces blurred into one ugly mass.
Warriors grabbed my arms and dragged me forward. My feet stumbled against the floor. My breath caught in my throat.
“No. Wait. Please. I did not steal anything. I swear. I swear on the Moon Goddess.”
No one listened.
No one cared.
As they pulled me across the hall, Elias spoke again, voice low but firm.
“The Alpha is still absent. Until he returns, authority rests with the elders. Let the punishment be carried out.”
A cold shiver ran through me.
They were really going to do it. They were really going to punish me in front of everyone.
For something I did not do.
For something Mira framed me for.
I turned my head just enough to see her standing in the crowd. Her lips curled into a small satisfied smile. Soft. Sweet. Poisonous.
And then she mouthed two words.
Told you.
My entire world tightened around my throat.
And everything goes black.
- Writer
