CHAPTER FIVE
1127 Words
“Artemis Starr, you’re under arrest,” one of the betas announced coldly, their voices devoid of emotion as they stepped into the stables.
“What?” My voice came out as a shaky whisper, my grip on Catherine loosening as confusion swept over me. Catherine wrenched her wrist from my grasp, her lips curling into a sneer.
“Why else if not for being a conniving, miserable liar?” Catherine spat, her words sharp as daggers.
I barely registered her insult before the betas closed the distance between us. One grabbed my arm with iron-like strength, and I winced, trying to pull away. “There must be some mistake,” I stammered. “What have I done?”
“You’ll find out soon enough,” the other beta growled, his grip tightening as they began dragging me away.
"Let me go!" I protested, thrashing against their hold, but it was no use. My struggles only seemed to amuse the crowd gathering around us. People pointed, whispered, and stared as I was paraded through the pack grounds like a criminal.
I wanted to scream, but I held my tongue. No one would listen—not when my word meant nothing here.
When we reached the council room, they threw me to the ground before Alpha Asher and Luna Aria. The room was cold and oppressive, the weight of judgment palpable. Asher's piercing gaze burned into me, his disappointment and fury clear.
“What now?” I whispered to myself, trying to steady my breathing. My body trembled, but my mind raced. Was this about my outburst two days ago? Or another one of Catherine’s schemes?
Luna Aria stormed toward me, her face streaked with tears. I braced myself, but the force of her slap still sent me reeling. Pain flared in my cheek, and my vision blurred as I struggled to stay upright.
“You thief!” she screamed, her voice raw and venomous. She clawed at the simple dress I wore, tearing at the fabric. Panic surged as I tried to shield myself, but her strength overwhelmed me.
“Enough, Aria,” Alpha Asher commanded, pulling her back so she wouldn't strip me naked in front of the council. She collapsed into his arms, sobbing loudly.
“I swear she stole it!” She wailed.
My heart sank. “I haven’t stolen anything,” I said, although my voice broke. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
“Lies!” Luna Aria screeched, but her words were muffled as the betas guided her back to her seat. “The servants saw you; they informed me. They have been with us for years and will never lie to us." She continued as she sobbed and was being led to her seat.
With Luna Aria away from me, Alpha Asher’s towering form was now shadowing me. “Where is the necklace?” he demanded, his tone sharp enough to cut through steel.
“I—I don’t have it,” I stammered, shaking my head. “I have never seen her with any necklace."
“Perhaps you’ve mistaken my patience for weakness,” he said, his voice lowering into a dangerous growl. “Where is the necklace, Artemis?”
Before I could respond, his fist connected with my stomach. Pain exploded through me, and I doubled over, coughing violently. Blood speckled the floor as I gasped for air.
But even through the haze of pain, my thoughts were clear. This isn’t about a necklace. Someone’s setting me up again. Catherine? Aria? Both? But why?
When Asher’s hand closed around my neck, choking my protests, I clawed at his wrist, desperate for air. My mind screamed, I have to survive. For Grandma. I can’t let them break me.
“Where is your respect for your alpha? Your Luna?" He roared, throwing me to the ground. My arm twisted awkwardly beneath me, and I cried out as sharp pain shot through my shoulder. “Hold her!" He commanded, and quickly, the betas grabbed me, both legs and feet.
The first lash of a whip caught me by surprise, searing my back with agony. But instead of crying out, I bit my lip, tasting blood. “Don’t give them the satisfaction,” I told myself. “They want you to crumble. Don’t let them win.”
The lashes continued, each one ripping through my skin and tears spilling down my face, but I forced myself to focus. Now more than ever, I wished Sia was around so she'd tell me something to get my mind as far away from the pain as possible, but she was just…gone.
When the whipping finally stopped, I lay trembling on the cold floor, every part of my body screaming in pain. The metallic scent of blood was all I could smell in the air, but my mind refused to shut down.
I heard footsteps of someone entering the council room, but I couldn't get up to watch, as any attempt of arching my back only sent pain shooting through my body.
“Your Majesty,” I heard Calum’s hesitant voice as it broke the silence. He stopped walking a few meters away. I could only see his boots from the corners of my eyes but not his face. “The necklace has been found… with the pack doctor,” he continued.
“N—no!" I tried to voice out, but I didn't have much strength to let my words go even beyond a meter.
A gasp rippled through the room, and Luna Aria surged to her feet. “She planted it there! Everyone knows the doctor is her grandmother! She must've given it to her.” She enunciated.
Asher’s gaze darkened as he turned back to me. “Do you deny this?”
“I didn’t do it,” I rasped, struggling to lift my head. “My grandmother wouldn’t—she couldn’t have…” My voice broke, and for a moment, despair threatened to swallow me whole.
But then I remembered her promising to do anything to free me and Catherine saying she would make it quick. It must've been her. “This is a setup,” I said, a bit firmly. “Someone’s trying to frame us both.”
Aria gave a mocking laugh and took a step forward. “How convenient. Blame someone else, as always.”
Before Asher could respond, hurried footsteps echoed through the hall. Catherine burst into the room. “Your Majesty,” she panted, her voice shaking. “The pack doctor… she’s dead.”
The world seemed to tilt as her words sank in. My chest tightened, my heartbeat seized, and a sob clawed its way up my throat.
“No…” I barked.
- Writer
