THE FORSAKEN LUNA

THE JOURNEY TO THE UNKNOWN

As the men left, Sir John knelt beside me, his voice gentle but firm. “Flora, who did this?”

Tears streamed down my face. “Beta Marcel and his friends.”

Sir John’s jaw tightened. Without another word, he stormed out of the clinic.

The next week passed in a blur of pain and exhaustion. I remained in the hospital, too weak to do anything but cry and sleep. My body ached, my spirit shattered. The whispers in the clinic were endless—some pitying, others filled with doubt.

When I was finally discharged, Sir John invited me into his sitting room. His face was unreadable, but his voice carried a weight that sent a chill down my spine.

“I went to the Pack House,” he said. “I told the Alpha and the council what happened.”

Hope flickered in my chest. Maybe… just maybe, there would be justice.

But then Sir John exhaled heavily. “They found Marcel innocent.”

The world around me blurred.

“He’s filed a counter-action against you for defamation and assault.”

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think.

The words barely registered. How? How could this be happening? My head pounded, my vision swam.

Sir John clenched his fists. “The rumors have spread across the pack. The council is trying to cover it up to protect Marcel’s future.”

A knock at the door. Two messengers stood at the entrance.

“The tribunal has summoned you,” one of them announced.

The blood drained from my face.

Sir John’s hand rested on my shoulder, steadying me. I felt the warmth of his presence, his silent reassurance. But it wasn’t enough to stop the fear from consuming me.

The tribunal would be led by Marcel’s father.

The very man who wanted to protect his son’s future.

Tears welled in my eyes, and for the first time since that night, I broke.

Sir John watched me, allowing me to cry. When my sobs quieted, he pulled me into a comforting embrace. His voice was soft, unwavering.

“It’s okay, Flora. You’ll be fine.”

I wanted to believe him. But I had heard those words before, and things had never been okay.

Yet, in Sir John’s arms, just for a moment, I allowed myself to hope. Maybe… one day, it really would be okay.

CHAPTER FOUR

The following day, Sir John and I went to the pack house to answer the allegations against us. The place was magnificent, more beautiful than Sir John’s house, but it lacked the warmth of a home. Sir John’s house was serene, a place of safety, whereas this was a palace of power, a beautiful chaos.

As we entered, I noticed something unexpected—Sir John commanded a level of respect I had never seen before. The guards bowed before him, the Alpha’s Cabinet rose to welcome him, and even the Alpha himself shifted uncomfortably in his presence.

Sir John was more than just a teacher; he held influence over the pack, and that realization gave me a flicker of hope.

We were led into a grand hall where the tribunal was waiting. One of the interrogators, a tall man with sharp features, stepped forward. His voice was laced with mockery.

"Young lady, why did you go to the market to defame our noble Beta?"

"I didn’t go to the market to defame him," I said firmly.

The interrogator scoffed. "But you told our great teacher that the crown Beta of this pack battered and r***d you!" He leaned forward, his gaze darkened with accusation.

"Yes, he battered me," I corrected, my voice trembling, "but I never said he r***d me."

"Shut up, you pathetic liar!" he snapped.

Murmurs rippled through the room. The interrogator turned to address the tribunal. "You have all heard it directly from her mouth. She has admitted to defaming our honorable Beta.

In this pack, an attack on the character of the Alpha or his family is an attack on the pack itself. I therefore seek the Alpha’s order that she be stoned to death in the public square."

Gasps filled the hall. My breath caught in my throat. Was this truly happening?

Before the Alpha could speak, Sir John took a bold step forward.

"This is unjust!" he declared, his voice echoing through the hall. "If the Beta is accusing her, then he should be present to state his case himself. Justice demands both sides be heard."

A tense silence followed. The tribunal exchanged hesitant glances, and after a reluctant nod from the Alpha, Beta Marcel was summoned.

When he arrived, he painted himself as the victim. "She has been obsessed with me for months," he began, his voice carrying a practiced sorrow. "I told her I wasn’t interested, and she swore she would ruin me. She threatened me in class, saying that if I did not give in to her advances, she would tarnish my name. When I confronted her, she attacked me."

The entire cabinet murmured in affirmation, as if they had already decided the outcome before this trial had even begun.

I looked at Sir John, my heart pounding. His jaw was clenched, his hands curled into fists. But even he, with all his influence, could not stop what was coming.

A cold dread settled over me. No one was going to save me.

A witness stepped forward—a friend of Marcel’s. “I saw her in the market,” he declared. “She told the vendors that the Beta r***d her. I warned her, but she boasted that Sir John—her lover—would protect her.”

A fresh wave of gasps. I clenched my fists. “That’s a lie—”

“Silence!” the Prime Minister cut me off. “You’ve had your turn.”

Sir John bristled. “She deserves to defend herself.”

The Prime Minister’s gaze darkened. “Sir John, you are implicated in this case. If you continue, we will have no choice but to try you alongside her.”

The message was clear—stay silent or share my fate.

I was found guilty of defamation and assault.

Tears burned my eyes as I stood there, accused and condemned for surviving. My chest tightened, my breath shallow.

Somehow, Sir John persuaded them to spare my life. But mercy came at a cost.

“Flora is hereby banished from this pack for the rest of her life,” the Alpha declared. “If she is seen within our borders after nightfall, she will be dragged through the pack until she breathes her last.”

The gavel slammed. My fate was sealed.