STARLETTE
My whole life was crumbling, with no one coming to save me. What did I do to deserve such a fate? First, I was hated by my own father and maltreated before he sold me to the Alpha King as though I were an item.
I had hoped life would be better for me here when I realised the alpha king was my mate, only to have that hope crushed to pieces when he threatened to reject me after giving birth to his pups. I thought that was the worst fate; little did I know that I had something worse coming for me-An accusation I couldn’t save myself from despite being innocent.
“I am sorry. I am truly, truly sorry.” I apologized to Iris for the umpteenth time.
“I’ve told you several times to stop apologising.” She was as broken and scared as I was.
“I have to. I brought this upon us. I should have been smarter.”
“It is not your fault. It’s all Lauren’s fault. She’s the reason we are going through this, not you.”
“I know. But-but-” Reality overwhelmed me again, and I couldn’t hold back the hot stream of tears that rolled down my cheeks.
I suddenly heard faint footsteps echoing from the corridor. The louder the sound got, the faster my heart pounded. I wondered if they were coming to get me, if I was going to be executed, and the thought of that caused fear to completely immobilise me. I held my breath and shot my eyes tightly when the sound of the footstep came to a halt in front of my cell. That was my confirmation; they were here for me.
“Starlette.” A familiar voice sounded, and I snapped my eyes open.
“Lucius?” I called, confused. “What are you doing here?”
“To set you free.”
“Hahaha. Nice joke.” I didn’t find that funny at all.
He chuckled. “You think?” He stepped closer to the cell gate and held the huge padlock used to lock it. “Watch me.”
“This is not a time to joke, Lucius.”
“Who said I was joking?” He slipped a bunch of rattling keys out of his pocket and flashed them at me. “I have the key.”
My eyes widened as I watched him unlock the cell gate and pull them wide open.
“See?” He smirked. “I wasn’t joking.”
“How-how-” I stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence as lots of questions rambled through my mind.
“I’ll explain it to you on our way.” He said, extending his hand for me to take.
I shook my head in protest, not wanting him to get into trouble because of me. “Maximus would kill you if he found out that you helped me escape.”
He raised a brow. “And who says you are escaping? I am taking you to your room. You are really free, Starlette.”
“How-”
“No more questions.” He cut me off as he strolled into the cell and carried me over his shoulder. I didn’t protest. “Let’s take you to your room.”
I was still in total shock, my mind a haze, wondering what suddenly changed. Did Lauren miraculously repent and confess her atrocities?
As if Lucius had read my mind, he cleared his throat. “I know you must be wondering why you are suddenly free.”
“Yes.” I replied, still puzzled.
“It’s a long story, but to cut it short, I knew you were innocent, and I couldn’t let you die, just like that. So, I searched Lauren’s room and found a poisonous herb, fool’s parsley, and its antidote there. That served as evidence that she indeed poisoned herself and took the antidote afterwards. Everything she did was to implicate you. Anyway, you are now free now, and hopefully, she meets the same fate you would have met if this evidence hadn’t surfaced.”
“You believed me.” Was the only thing I could mutter after his explanation, tears rolling down my eyes.
“Only a fool wouldn’t.”
Once we were outside the dungeon, I breathed in the air of freedom, and a small smile spread across my lips.
“You saved me.” I sobbed.
“Now, stop crying.”
The tears came rushing out in full force. Just when I thought no one was coming to save me, just when I thought I had no one to fight for me, Lucius came through. At that moment, my heart opened a special place for him. No one had ever thought I was worthy of being saved in my entire life. But he did. And I was beyond grateful for that.
“I don’t even know how to thank you.” I cried.
“Then, don’t.”
Suddenly, Maximus’s scent hit my nostrils, and the next thing I heard was. “I’ll take her from here.”
He tried to take me from Lucius’s shoulder, but I protested heavily, wiggling myself out of his grip and, as a result, falling to the floor.
I whimpered in pain, but I quickly picked myself up before anyone could help me.
Maximus tried to grab my arm, but I quickly caught it. “Do not touch me.” I groaned, the rage burning within me palpable in my tone.
He disgusts me! I desperately pleaded for him to believe me when I was being accused. I desperately wanted him, my mate, to protect me, but he didn’t; instead, he asked me to be thrown into the dungeon. And now that Lucius had proved my innocence, he was suddenly trying to act like he cared. That was typical of him. He only ever cared when it was convenient for him to do so. He abandoned me when I needed him the most, and for that, I was never going to forgive him.
I turned to look at Lucius. “I am really grateful for what you did for me today. I really am. It means much more than you can even imagine. Thank you.”
He gave me a small nod, and with that, I turned around and hurried out of that place before Maximus attempted to stop me again. I could feel his footsteps trailing behind me as I made my way to the room. Once I got to the room and slipped inside, I shut the door close and hurriedly locked it.
I wasn’t going to share a bed with him! Never again.
“Starlette.” He banged on the door.
“Leave me alone.” I fired.
“I know you are angry about the whole situation, but I promise you, it’s not what you think.”
It was exactly what I thought.
Ignoring him, I strolled to the bed and tumbled on it. Everything that happened flashed in my head all over again, and I couldn’t help the tears that streamed down my face in full force.
What would have happened if Lucius hadn’t found a way to prove my innocence? Was the question that kept running through my mind.
Suddenly, I felt someone trying to get into my mind. I immediately knew that it was the invisible wolf that was trapped in the pack square. I had totally forgotten about him as I was too busy worrying about myself.
Exhaling sharply, I let him in.
“Hello, Starlette. Tell your king that he’ll hear from us again. Until then, bye.”
He shut me out before I could even respond. A terrible suspicion grew within me, and without hesitation, I rushed to the door, unlocked it, and yanked it open.
“Maximus.” I called breathlessly. “The prisoner. The invisible wolf. You need to get to him now!”