Luna Lorienta’s gaze dropped, her world collapsing in the blink of an eye. Losing her Luna title meant losing everything she had ever worked for.
Her adversary was catching up quickly.
“What exactly does that mean? How can I be stripped of my title without sufficient or no evidence?” She mustered up the courage to disagree.
“Your opinion or disagreement is irrelevant; the first step is to strip you of your title and isolate you until the conclusion of our investigations.” The crime elder concurred.
Luna Lorienta bowed her head fearfully toward Alpha Carlos, her face flushed with anxiety. She hoped he would make a statement that would back her up.
“I do not mind the investigation, but I can not support my Luna being isolated or having her title removed.” He announced while turning to face the Elders, who looked at him puzzled.
“Alpha Carlos, I do not understand why you continue to support her; after all, she committed a serious crime of dishonesty, which no amount of pleading can resolve. Do you want to lead the pack this way?” The Crime Elder exclaimed, a surprised smile spreading across his face.
“I wonder what audacity you have to question my authority; I will not repeat myself.” He spoke, his voice icy and deep enough to instill fear and obedience in them.
Tension permeated the air, and their minds felt cloudier than the sky. The various questions that raced through their minds added to the tension. They believed that Alpha Carlos’ supports were motivated by something hidden.
No sane person will support a cheat, offender, or disgrace to the entire pack.
The crime elder took a deep breath and tilted his head back to calm himself. “What if we did not isolate or deprive her of her title?”
The other elders’ eyes widened, a sense of betrayal washed over them, but any doubts were quickly dispelled by the following statement.
“She will bring more disgrace to our pack, especially given her history of murder.” He delivered the shocking news. Everyone in the hall was stunned by the news. The news raised eyebrows.
“What in the hell are you talking about?” Luna Lorienta yelled, tears streaming down her cheeks uncontrollably.
There is no escape from this again. Her legs began trembling, causing her to lose balance and crash to the floor.
” Hey!” The crime elder held on as he was jolted out of his reverie by a nudge on his shoulder.
All eyes were on him, and he realized he would zoned out. He concentrated and cleared his throat.
” What exactly do you mean by murder?” Alpha Carlos inquired, his glares filled with curiosity.
“I said it out.” The crime elder smacked himself and repositioned.
“I am afraid it is true, Alpha. I have enough evidence, and it is overwhelming.” His voice was firm.
Luna Lorienta’s face tightened in anguish, “No… this can not be happening.” She screamed inside, her body shaking.
Alpha Carlos, who had been brushing aside his doubts about everything, took a step forward with a stern expression.
“I am afraid I will not be able to believe you again. I need to protect my pack, and the shame you brought to the Luna title is enough.”
Luna Lorienta’s eyes widened as she begged, “I have changed, I swear I have redeemed myself, it was not my fault, I did it out of…..” Words became stuck in her throat, and tears streamed down her face.
The crime elder shook his head and stepped down from the verdict stand.
“Redemption does not erase a crime, Luna. Your history of murder, combined with the recent crime you committed, cannot be-”
The barge on the door interrupted his statement. An older woman stepped in, and her striking resemblance to Luna Lorienta reveals their relationship without the need for words.
She walked closer to her daughter and helped her stand up.
“Her history of..”
“Enough!” Emily, Luna’s mother, yelled, her voice commanding attention.
“You will not speak of my daughter’s past without context, without a clear explanation of why and how it happened.” She yelled, eliciting gasps from the other elders and a jaw-dropping expression from Alpha Carlos.
Aurora focused her gaze on the crime Elders. “You are unaware of the circumstances that motivate her actions. She was defending our pack, our family!” She yelled loudly.
“I do not understand what is going on here. Who in hell did she murder?” Alpha Carlos inquired,
She revealed, adding to the tension and shock in the room, “Beta Victor of your father’s regime, he was my husband, her stepfather, and Mavana’s biological father.”
As Luna Lorienta looked at everyone’s faces, a glimmer of hope appeared on her face, and her trembling and fear faded.
The Crime Elder’s face stayed icy and doubtful, “Which pack is being protected? That wasn’t what the evidence portrayed”
“That man betrayed our late Alpha, He nearly killed your father and sold our pack out,” Aurora said fiercely, adding that she did not kill him for her good. Aurora turned to face Alpha Carlos, who was preoccupied with a variety of ideas. He was trying to collect his jumbled thoughts and was perplexed.
There were gasps and whispers throughout the hall as the elders demanded proof to support their beliefs.
“I came with the only living witness because I knew you were going to bring up the issue,” she said as she walked to the door and called in.
The air thickened with anticipation as a hooded figure entered the hall, drawing glares that penetrated his clothed skin.
He bowed after taking three steps into the hallway.
“Who is this?” Alpha Carlos batted an eyelash in question.
“His name is Ryan, and he is the only living witness to the events leading up to Luna Lorienta’s action.”
Ryan’s face was pale and scarred as he pushed the hood off his head. The elders gasped because they could still recognize his face despite the scars.
” I was there, I saw everything. The man Luna Lorienta killed, Late Beta Victor, was a traitor. He betrayed our late Alpha and nearly sold our pack to a rival pack.”
The crime elder’s expression hardened, and his brow furrowed.
“What proof have you got?” He inquired, taking care to control his tone.
Ryan removed a worn leather journal from his hood. ” Victor’s diary, he wrote everything in his hand, how he planned to kill the Alpha, overthrow or sell our pack to the rival pack.”
The hall erupted in chaos as the elders demanded to see the dairy.
“This changes everything. My daughter put her relationship with her stepfather at risk to protect this pack,” Aurora said, moving closer to her daughter and hugging her.
With tears streaming down her cheek, Luna Lorienta rested her head on her mother’s shoulder and mumbled a Thank You.
“What about the cheating issue now that the murder case has been settled? I mean, the offense still exists, and so will the punishment.” The crime elder proclaimed,
Luna Lorienta’s head snapped up, her eyes widening in alarm, and the hope that had been building in her crashed again.
Aurora’s grip on her daughter tightened, and her eyes darted around in confusion. “What are you talking about, Elder?”
“Luna Lorienta was discovered having sexual relations with her ex-mate, The Pack’s Gardener.”