FOURTEEN
“I.” Pause “Said.” Pause “What the fuck is going on here?” His voice was deathly quiet. He slowly walked in, his eyes still focused on Connor.
“My king.. I..” My voice wavered. I felt Connor’s hand on my shoulder.
“It’s okay. Freya was just distraught and I offered her a shoulder to cry on”
“Who said you could offer any one of my candidates a shoulder to cry on?” I stepped back now, allowing the both of them to face each other. They both looked angry but the look on Rafe’s face could burn up an entire kingdom. Why was he so angry? It’s not like I was special to him.
“Oh come on, Rafe, I wouldn’t have had to offer that shoulder if you were treating your guests well. You know that!” Conner snapped at Rafe. He turned to me, his expression soft. “Can you excuse us Freya? Thank you”
I nodded without another word and hurried out of the dark library, making my way back to the gardens. I needed to clear my head from all this. I needed time away from this damned palace! As I approached the games yard, my gaze collided with Kelly’s and she smiled viciously at me, no doubt pleased with the sad look on my face. I had cleaned off my tears but I was sure my face was still damp. Fuck her for making me upset. And fuck the Alpha’s gamma who added to it. And the alpha himself!
I sat there, on the bench in the courtyard, watching as two werewolves faced off in a howling contest. The court was filled with people, cheering and laughing at the spectacle. But my mind was absent from what was happening right in front of me. My thoughts were consumed by Kelly. How could she do that to me? How could my own sister try to sabotage me like that?
Why would she spread lies about me having another lover outside the palace walls? Why would she stoop so low?
My gaze fell on Addy who was sitting next to me, equally transfixed by the game. She didn’t know about Kelly’s betrayal yet. I needed to tell her, but I couldn’t find the words. The thought of confiding in her, of admitting that my own sister had betrayed me, made my heart ache. As the howling duel came to an end, the crowd erupted into applause. The winner howled victoriously, his voice echoing throughout the courtyard. But it did nothing to lift my spirits. My mind was still clouded with hurt and confusion. About Kelly and about the alpha’s Gamma. I was trapped. How could I ever get out of this?
“Freya,” Addy said softly, nudging me gently. “Are you okay? You seem a million miles away.”
I turned to look at her, my eyes filling with tears. I knew I couldn’t keep it within me anymore. “Addy…” I began, my voice trembling. “Kelly… she… she…”
Addy squeezed my hand reassuringly, her expression concerned. “Your sister? What did she do?”
The floodgates opened, and I told her everything – how Kelly had fabricated stories about me, how she had tried to ruin my chances with the Alpha. As I spoke, the anger and hurt welled up inside me, and I found myself shaking with emotion.
“Oh, Freya,” Addy said, “That’s awful. I can’t believe she would do something like that.”
I nodded, wiping away my own tears. “I know. I don’t understand why she would hate me so much.”
Addy sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t know either. But we’ll figure this out, Freya. Together, we’ll get through this. I will make sure she tries not to hurt you anymore, I promise.”
Her words brought me some comfort, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of betrayal that weighed heavy on my heart. As we sat in silence, watching the rest of the court games, I couldn’t help but wonder if things between Kelly and me would ever be the same again.
The night had fallen, and the court was lit up by the flickering of a lights. I made my way through the crowd, my heart beating faster with each step I took towards Kelly. She was standing in front of the huge portrait of the previous Luna, Rafe’s mother on the wall, her back turned to me.
As I approached her, I could feel her gaze fill with hatred for me. It was like a physical force, pushing me back, making me want to turn around and run. But I couldn’t. I had to confront her. I had to know why she had done what she did.
“Kelly,” I said softly, my voice trembling. “Why did you lie to the king about me having a lover outside the palace?”
She turned to face me, her eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about, Freya?” she asked, her voice icy cold.
“Don’t play dumb with me, Kelly. You know exactly what I’m talking about. Why did you tell the Alpha that I had another lover? Why would you do something like that?”
Her expression hardened, and for a moment, I thought she was going to deny it. But then she sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. “I don’t want you to be his chosen Luna. I want that to be me.”
I stared at her in disbelief. “You would ruin my chances just so you could have a chance with the Alpha? How could you do that?”
Kelly’s eyes flashed with anger. “Because I love him already, Freya. And I will do anything to be with him.”
I screamed at her then, my voice echoing through the halls of the court. “Stop lying, Kelly! You don’t love him. You just want his power, his position. You don’t care about him at all!”
She stepped closer to me, her face inches from mine. “I don’t need to explain myself to you, Freya. You’re not my sister, and you never were. You’re nothing but a liar and a cheat, and I will make sure that everyone knows the truth about you.”
Kelly’s words were like daggers, piercing through my heart with each syllable that left her lips. I could feel my blood boiling in my veins, my fists clenching tightly at my sides. How dare she accuse me of stealing her spotlight? Of being the center of attention when all I wanted was to be left alone!
“You really don’t believe me?” I spat back, my voice laced with venom. “What more do you want from me, Kelly? Do you want me to grovel at your feet and beg for forgiveness? Well, too bad because you’re not getting it!”
Her eyes widened in shock, but only for a moment before they narrowed into slits of pure hatred. She took a step towards me, her face contorted into an ugly sneer. “I don’t need anything from you, Freya,” she hissed. “All I want is what’s rightfully mine – and that includes the Alpha.”
I scoffed, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. “Rightfully yours? Please, spare me the drama. You know as well as I do that this whole competition is rigged. The Alpha probably already has his chosen one, and it’s certainly not you or me.”
As I stood there, dumbfounded by her accusation, Kelly continued her tirade. “You think you can just waltz into this competition and steal everything from me? Not on my watch, bitch! I’ll make sure you regret ever setting foot in this palace!”
I stared at her in shock. My heart felt as though it had been ripped from my chest, and I could barely breathe. How could she hate me so much? How could she be so willing to destroy me just to get what she wanted?
As I stood there, trying to process what had just happened, I realized that things between Kelly and me would never be the same again. I had lost my sister, and I didn’t know if I would ever be able to get her back.