Chapter4: Wind Blows

"Why do you think I am dressed like this?" She scoffs. The same way she did the time she was bragging about her connections.

But I am still confused.

"I don't get it", I mutter as I try to conjure the situation. But nothing comes to my head.

It still doesn't make any sense.

But she seems so smug and proud about it.

"This time, I will get the alpha and we will be mates and I will have his son and be his Luna. You are not the only one who knows how to play dress up", she says and I frown as I am more confused.

Because it doesn't look like dress up.

Right on her shoulder is a red mark shaped like an iron and it looks pretty recent.

A wind blows through and she winces in pain.

There are bruises on her face too.

"So you did all of this to win the alpha's attention and have him sleep with you?" I ask her and she nods, looking quite satisfied with herself.

"Yes and it doesn't end there, you put all of this marks on me", she says.

"No I didn't." Her gaze flickers to the side before she smirks back at me and the next twenty minutes go by in a quick blur.

I'm confused, I'm devastated and above all, I am heartbroken by the Alpha's reaction to all of it.

Warren's POV

Granny comes out and tells me about how Heather has been acting tyrannical and making her cry everytime.

She goes on to keep me standing at the palace gate for almost 20 minutes which is quite unlike her, but I listen anyways and let her go on with it, because all this is unlike her.

Then after she has had her fill of giving me an update, she insists that we go in through the entrance.

"Sure Nanny Deliana, but how come you're not scolding me?", I ask as I walk behind her.

She easily dispersed the other soldiers to rest.

"That's because I trusted that you were probably going shopping", she says distractedly as if watching out for something or maybe someone.

"Oh well, that I was", I tell her even though that was the first set of words I greeted her with when she came to welcome me.

I knew that she would have questions about why I didn't give her a message about the situation of the war or my location.

And in truth, I had traveled to get gifts, just not specifically for her.

She was on my mind all through and as soon as victory was assured, I found myself looking for things that could entice her, because she didn't look like the happiest person.

For some reason, I want her to be one.

But Nanny recounted the total opposite of what I thought happened when I was away.

"You'll see for yourself and understand that you have to send her out. You have to send that witch away from the palace lest she brings in evil", she says as we take the steps.

"But you always wanted me to find someone", I say because I don't believe the accusations.

"You'll see for yourself why I wanted you to find someone worthy and not someone who bullies people and bosses them around because she thinks she owns the world."

"Oh grandmother, I don't think that little weak girl would do that."

"Okay then, explain this", she says as the doors are pushed open.

My grandmother gasps from the sight in front of her before rushing ahead.

But I do not expect what happens next.

Heather pushes grandmother to the ground because she was trying to separate her and another woman from a fight.

I take a step forward and instinctively reach out for the one who seems to be badly beating.

Not because I feel pity, but because I want to confront Heather.

All of this can't be real.

Just then, the other lady who I grab in my arms faints, but I recognize her as one of the daughters of the alpha's who try to curry favor from me.

Heather looks in my eyes and tries to explain as she wipes blood from the side of her face.

But Mara's body is even more bloodied.

She looks like she has been suffering abuse.

But I can not bring myself to think that Heather did it. She looked so weak and different.

"Heather did it, the witch did it!" Nanny says as she stands up in a jolt before ordering the guards to hold Heather.

Nanny continues," she has been so haughty and I have always suspected that the injuries on her body that day were a fake, it turns out so", while Heather is trying to struggle out of the hold of the guards.

"Let me go and stop lying against me. Those injuries were not fake", she fights while the weak Mara breaths weakly in my arms.

"Get her a doctor, call doctor Killian. Mara is a princess, yet I could not do anything to stand up for her when she was being bullied. Doctor killia can also prove the injuries." Grandmother says.

One of the maids rushes up to hold Mara when I almost let her go and all through this time, I feel Heather's gaze on me.

I am however too stunned to look her back or say anything.

Grandmother can not possibly be lying about all of this.

But something does feel suspicious.

Doctor Killian joins the gathering soon after to confirm Grandmother's story.

"It is true that the injuries were fake", he says and lowers his head.

"I should have told you before you left, but I didn't want you to worry about anything."

"Liar!" Heather shouts with her voice and eyes looking pained and betrayed.

"You told me yourself that I had more than a week to heal and that I had some internal bleeding as well." She says, but my grandmother casts a hard glare on her.

"You see what I was saying? She is a rude brat and talks rudely to everyone and does anyhow she wants. If you want, I can call my hand maid", Grandmother says and does just that.

"You don't have to do any of this and I don't have to deal with this either. I will go up to my room now", I tell Nanny, but she stops me.

"No, you chose her and you must send her out yourself, or else that would be treason on my part", she says and I sigh.

This isn't what's I was looking forward to at all.

But with all of the proof and evidence, I can not fight for her even though that is what my heart yearns to do.

I send a glance to her direction and the most painful and pleading gaze falls on mine.

We share eye contact and for those moments it felt like her eyes were boring into mine. It feels like she is trying to appeal to me.

Like she can reach into my heart and command it to do her bidding and for a minute, I think that is what is about to happen. Until Nanny's interruption.

"Look how she's glaring at you. She is conjuring her witchcraft."

"But you don't even believe in witches."

"I believe in evidence grandson and I have had enough to come to this conclusion. Oh poor Mara was bullied and treated so badly yet…", granny pauses as she sniffles and I let out another sigh.

"You know I didn't do it Mrs Deliana, you know I am being falsely accused, why are you doing all of this to me?" Heather's voice sounds pained and weak that for a moment I think she might fall.

But she doesn't.

She seems to stand her ground and become even fiercer.

Nanny clears her throat and shuffles her feet before standing up.

"That's right," she says, totally ignoring Heather's last words.

Something is definitely at play here's but I don't know what.

"I need to check up on the poor girl who hid all of this from me until it was too late", she says and walks away leaving the scantily spread guards and maids and Heather and me in the living room.

I make my way to my room too, avoiding any eyecontact again.

And when I have reached the top of the stairs that leads to my bedroom and made sure that I didn't turn back, I hear feet shuffling.

And a the sound of someone bursting into tears.

But by the time I look back, she is no where to be found.