Chapter 34: Chapter 34

Sierra pov.

The world around me grew quieter and quieter, until all I could hear was the pounding of my heart. I knew, in that moment, that I had made the biggest mistake of my life. My eyes darted around the castle, taking in the furious expressions of the men who were now advancing towards me.

But just as they were about to unleash their anger, William stood up and faced them. "It's okay," he said. "She didn't mean it."

Though his words seemed to pacify them somewhat, their scowls did not fade entirely. And then, suddenly, one of the men spoke out. "In the history of all werewolves," he began, "it has never been said for a woman to lay a hand on a man, especially when he's an Alpha."

I tried to speak up, to explain myself, but they raised their hands in protest, silencing me. "You were chosen to be his mate," they continued, "but you failed in your duty to provide him with a child. And then, you went so far as to kill the child of Luna Alex. And now, you stand before us, having slapped the ruler of the Lycan Kingdom. Law 12 states that whoever does not respect his Alpha will face a great punishment. Today, a shocking pic was sent, and it seems that you are having an affair with the Alpha beta."

My mind reeled with confusion. What was he talking about? Before I could ask, however, he raised his hand once again. "You have broken so many rules and laws," he declared. "And because of that, you will be punished, along with the beta. From this day onward, both of you rights as the Alpha's wife and the beta have been taken away from you. You will have no right to return to your family or friends, for you will become a slave to the real Luna and serve her until your punishment is over."

As I stood there, everything around me seemed to go quiet, leaving only the sound of my heart pounding in my chest. I tried to make sense of the words that had just been spoken to me. Was this some kind of punishment or was I in hell? I looked up and met the shocked eyes of those gathered around me. I wondered, was I a slave or a wife?

I couldn't bear the tension anymore, so I looked down, hoping to wake up from this nightmare. But the throbbing pain in my chest was too real. I placed my hand on my heart, hoping to ease the ache.

Suddenly, Henry appeared before me, his eyes blazing with anger. He spoke up, his voice echoing in the silence. "She doesn't deserve any of this," he yelled. "She is a kind and lovely lady. What you people are doing to her is unfair. She was chosen by the goddess to be the mate of our Alpha who was once a beast. I remember everyone feared him. She was the only one who stood by him, and now her right as a wife is taken away from her? Why did she have to suffer when we all know she didn't do anything? The only person who deserves to suffer is the evil New Lune. It's not sad news that she lost her child. It's great news that she lost her child and has to suffer."

I felt Henry's hand on mine, but I could sense the danger in the air. I looked up at him, silently pleading for him to stop, but he stood his ground, fearless.

The man in charge stepped forward and lashed out at Henry with a swift slap to the face. "You dare to disrespect your elders?" he scolded. "After the sin you have committed, you still stand before your Alpha and the elders of the Lycan pack to speak such words. You will face the greatest punishment of all."

Fear gripped my heart as I watched the scene unfold before me. I didn't want Henry to suffer because of me. I begged him to stop, but he stood there, resolute and unafraid.

As the man began to walk away, William just stood there, doing nothing. Henry spoke up one last time. "I'll take any punishment you give me, but I won't stay silent. She doesn't deserve this."

The tension was palpable, the air thick with unspoken words. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears as I wondered what fate awaited me.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, William," he said, not being afraid that he forgot to say "Alpha". I could see the elder was angry as they walked over to William.

"A lady who stood by you all this while, I can't believe you will treat her like this. I thought you were brave, but I was wrong. I regret ever being a beta to you in the first place."

"I could see the elder's eyes burning with fury, and his voice grew louder and louder. The sound of his voice was like thunder in my ears, and I could feel the ground shake beneath my feet."

"I run over to William as I kneel, not minding what they say or do. Henry was the only friend I have in this castle, and if he's taken away, I might never be happy."

I could feel the rough stone floor beneath my knees as I begged Alpha William to spare Henry. "Please Alpha, don't do it. You can punish me all you want, but leave Henry out of this. He was only trying to help out, and it was my fault for pushing it too far. Please, I beg of you, don't let him suffer because of me."

Tears streamed down my face, and I could feel the salty taste on my lips. The pain was unbearable, and I could feel my heart breaking.

William moved away from me, and I could see him looking angry at Henry without a shred of pity. He turned his back towards us, lifted his hands up, and the guards all held Henry from behind. I tried to stop them, but William pulled me back.

"Why do you always like to be around him? Tell me?" he yelled, and I just didn't know what to answer him.

"I thought you were going to be patient with me, waiting for me to find out what all this frames was. But all you did was go behind my back and flirt with my beta."

I looked up at him, not knowing what else to do. Was he trying to say I was actually flirting with Henry? Even if I had done that, it was all a mistake.

He pushed me on the fall, and I looked up at him. He walked away, going inside, and Henry was dragged out of the castle along with the elders. All I could do was cry with a broken heart.

The pain was so intense that I felt as if my heart was being torn apart. The castle felt cold and lonely without Henry, and I knew that things would never be the same again.