“No, Luna. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I swear. Alpha, please. I didn’t do what Luna is accusing me of.”
Mariah’s denials came in waves as Garth and Berg arrived shortly after. She tried again and again to defend herself, claiming that Vione’s accusations were completely unfounded and untrue. But it was all in vain as Vione remained firm in her conviction.
“Please,” Mariah pleaded, her face drenched in tears. She looked at Usher with pleading eyes. “Believe me, Alpha. I didn’t do anything.”
Usher paused, torn by the uncertainty that filled his mind. It had been so long ago, and even then, he hadn’t been sure if someone had really been watching them from behind the bushes, as Vione had once claimed-the person Vione now believed to be Mariah.
“Berg,” Usher didn’t want to act rashly. He had to find out the truth, and to do that he had to make sure the situation remained under control. “Secure her.”
Berg nodded and ordered two guards to keep a close eye on Mariah. Mariah cried even louder, instinctively trying to break free, but she couldn’t.
“Alpha, please don’t do this to me.”
Usher looked at Mariah. “If you didn’t do it, then you have nothing to worry about. Luna and I will apologise and clear your name. However,” he said, making Mariah freeze, “if it turns out that you did, then you will have to face the consequences of your actions.”
With that, Usher turned and was followed by Vione and Garth. They left the meeting room, which was in a bedroom, and headed for the connecting chamber, specifically the secret door.
The only way for Usher to discover the truth was to relive that moment. So, he took Vione and Garth to check the footage from the secret surveillance camera from some twenty years ago.
It took them some time to find the footage they needed. Garth played it immediately and it clearly showed what had happened that day, just as Vione had said-Mariah had indeed been hiding in the bushes, spying on Vione and Usher after sabotaging a boat.
Usher’s mouth tightened. The truth stirred a rage within him that he couldn’t control. Moments ago, Mariah had stubbornly insisted on her innocence, even going so far as to accuse Vione of making baseless accusations. But now, with the secret CCTV footage revealing the events of that day, everything was clear.
Vione, on the other hand, closed her eyes. A fact had been revealed, and although it had nothing to do with the spread of Bernathra’s magic, the event was still a crime-an act of betrayal.
“It appears that Mariah intended to kill you, Alpha.”
Garth’s words caused Usher to furrow his brow. Amidst his rising anger, his logical mind continued to function. The incident at the lake brought to mind other events that now seemed eerily similar. Then he shook his head once. “I don’t think she wanted to kill me.”
Garth looked confused. “What do you mean, Alpha?”
Usher didn’t answer. Instead, he said, “Try to find more footage, Garth.” He paused, making sure to specify the time frame. “Start about three months before Vione’s coming-of-age ceremony.”
Vione opened her eyes. “Usher,” she whispered instinctively. “What do you mean?”
“I need to confirm something,” Usher replied, his mind swirling with various speculations. “I’m sure we’ll discover the truth.”
Vione was even more perplexed, but decided to wait, at least until Garth found the footage Usher had mentioned. And then another shocking truth was revealed-Mariah had tried to kill her on the cliff.
The shock hit Vione hard and she grabbed the table quickly. The mixture of astonishment and confusion made her knees weak. But this was nothing compared to the other truths that would soon be revealed.
Ned Stewart, one of the young werewolves who bullied Vione, stumbled upon Mariah’s plan. He ended up following her, and fate dealt him a cruel blow. He was murdered and Mariah buried him in the forest.
“O-oh, God.” Vione quickly covered her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Ned.”
Regret surged through Vione’s chest and guilt flooded her mind. Their relationship hadn’t been good in the past-Ned had often bullied her. But that didn’t mean Ned deserved such a cruel fate.
Usher had a similar feeling of remorse. He had thought Ned had disappeared from the pack because of his mischievous nature. But the reality was something he had never imagined.
“We need to inform the Stewart family as soon as things are under control,” Usher decided, taking a deep breath. He put aside his regret over Ned’s death and focused on other unexpected matters. He turned to Vione. “I’m sure there are many other incidents where Mariah tried to kill you.” Another incident crossed his mind. “You remember when Buddy was poisoned after eating your bread, don’t you?”
“That’s impossible,” Vione whispered in horror. She shook her head repeatedly. “There’s no way Mariah poisoned Buddy.”
Usher’s gaze sharpened. “If she could kill Ned so easily, it wouldn’t have been hard for her to put poison in your bread. Especially since one of Mariah’s duties was to manage the logistics of the palace, including preparing breakfast for the staff.”
This time Vione couldn’t say a word. She was truly shaken, especially when she remembered the incident. Buddy had recovered after his treatment, but had disappeared a few days after his coming-of-age ceremony.
A terrible thought overwhelmed Vione and she couldn’t shake it. It was possible that Buddy’s disappearance was connected to Mariah, just like what had happened to Ned. Ironically, this suspicion was confirmed by Garth a few moments later.
Vione couldn’t hold back her scream as the footage showed Mariah brutally killing Buddy. She clung to Usher and closed her eyes.
Usher pulled Vione into his arms and tried to comfort her. “After this, I wouldn’t be surprised if we find out that she’s the reason for all the bullying you’ve had to endure.”
“But why?” Vione was genuinely confused. “What have I done to deserve that she keeps trying to kill me?”
Usher asked himself the same question. He continued to ponder while Garth continued to review more footage.
Something caught Garth’s attention. Since Mariah’s summoning had to do with the possibility of an infiltrator from the Nimbria Pack poisoning the palace’s food supply and aiding the Pack, he checked several hidden surveillance cameras at key locations.
Garth found what he was looking for and spoke quickly. “Alpha, take a look at what I’ve found.”
The footage showed Mariah entering the food storage room after hours. Her behaviour seemed suspicious. She made sure no one else was there. Then she took a bottle of powder from her bag and sprinkled it on several items of food. What’s more, she wasn’t acting alone. Someone stood guard outside, making sure no one got in-Greisy.
Usher’s emotions boiled over. His face flushed, veins bulging across his forehead. His eyes burned with uncontrollable rage.
“Garth.” Usher’s voice was low, but filled with seething anger. “Arrest Greisy. She and Mariah will have to answer for their actions tonight.”
*