CHAPTER 25: THE EX-FACTOR
Maya’s POV
I overslept.
I jumped out of bed, fearing the worst.
I was late for the Luna Trials. I did not even know if I would make it on time for whatever was planned for today.
“Look at you, lazy as always. Late for something, dear?”
I crashed into the worst person possible.
Leo did not change. He was as ungrateful as before. I woke up before dawn every morning just to cater to his needs so that everything was ready before he woke up and I left for the infirmary. Clearly, he had taken me for granted.
His mere presence irked me. Thinking of this ungrateful murderer made my blood boil. Not wanting to get into trouble for harming an Alpha guest in the palace, I tried to sidestep him and run to the designated venue. However, he caught my wrist and forced me against a pillar.
“My mate,” he rasped, catching my wrists in one hand and forcing them above my head. “I missed you,” he nosed his way into my neck, trying to scent me and find his mark.
I tried to push the big and burly man away but his hold only tightened over my wrists while he pushed himself further into me. I felt sick. His improper touch burned me like poison and his scent made me nauseous.
There were times when I yearned for even a speck of his attention. Now he just plainly disgusted me.
His lips attempted to catch mine but I turned him away and his lips awkwardly caught my cheek.
“Maya,” he gritted out, clearly getting frustrated with my actions.
I looked back at him, fury gleaming in my eyes.
“Leave me alone,” I mouthed and struggled to break free. However, I was a wolf-less creature, close to a human, with no weapons. And he was a superior warrior wolf, an Alpha nonetheless. I could not match him in strength. Helpless, I tried one desperate attempt to kick him in the nuts but he was quicker to understand my intentions and easily warded off my attempt.
However, it just made him madder. He grabbed my hair in a painful grip, clawed out my blouse and exposed my neck. His wolf’s eyes gleamed when he saw the bare skin ripe for marking.
I paralyzed in shock. Surely, he was not going to mark me! That too after rejecting me and mating with Quinn!! At times like these, I wished I could scream for help. Horrified and helpless, I could only pray the Moon Goddess for a saviour.
Leo’s wolf took over and excitedly chanted, “MATE!” and “MINE!”
I gulped when I saw his fangs.
I did not want to be tied to this notorious, double-timing wolf. He had already ruined my life. I did not want him to ruin my future as well.
The wolf’s fangs went crashing down.
I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for impact but it never came!
The Alpha wolf recoiled hard as if an invisible force from my neck punched him away.
“Y-You! A-Are you already marked? What the fvck?!” He roared, explosively, his anger hitting the roof. “Did you cheat on me?” The hypocrite asked.
I scoffed. Was he serious?
I took the opportunity to make a dash past the shell-shocked Alpha but he snagged me back to him at the last minute. I gulped when I saw the look on his face. Now I feared for my life.
“Omega,” he hissed, disgust and venom dripping in his tone. Like most wolves, rank mattered the most to him. That was also one of the reasons why he loathed me and loved Quinn.
Quinn was a Beta from a rich and noble family. Their influence reached far and wide in neighboring packs as well.
She was one of the most attractive she-wolves of his pack and her “spoilt princess” attitude charmed the egoistic men who wanted to worship the ground she walked on, especially when she didn’t give them the time of her day. They simply loved the chase, like Leo Maxwell here.
“How dare you let another man mark you?” He growled, his fingers tightening over my neck. “Are the pups his as well? Did you go behind my back to have someone else’s bastards? How immoral can you be?”
My eyes widened. Either from lack of air or shock.
How could he pin his crimes on me?
Did he have no brain cells left? Or any conscience? The pups were his, yet he refused to claim them. Shame on him.
I coughed and gasped for breath but he was hell-bent on constricting my the air flow. My legs dangled in the air.
“I knew you were useless but I didn’t know Quinn was right that you were cheating behind my back!” He revealed. “Clearly, rejecting you was not enough punishment. You disgraced my real mate and her twin sister! I will make sure you pay for your sins with your life!” He shouted, determined to wring my neck the next second.
However, he was pushed back full force. I fell crashing on the ground, hacking a lung, coughing. My lungs greedily gasped for air while my eyes teared up. Everything was a blur for me with foggy vision.
When my vision cleared and my heart calmed down, I looked at the ensuing scene in horror. The evil Alpha shifted into his large, dirty brown wolf while the royal soldiers simply took out their silver tipped spears.
“Watch out!” I screamed when Leo lunged at the royal guards but they stood their ground and simply brought down the wolf with their spears.
Leo shifted back, shivering and screamed as if he was the victim.
“HELP! SOMEBODY HELP! THE OMEGA BRIBED ROYAL GUARDS TO ATTACK ME!! THIS IS AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT!”
Royals and soldiers poured in from all directions. I tried to cover my chest but Leo had torn off my blouse in a fit of rage. The humiliation crashed upon me in the form of tears. I sobbed, trying to pry away from unwanted stares but I could not get up without exposing myself.
Noooo! I wanted to scream. Leo was lying!
“Look at her clothes!” Someone whispered in the crowd. “How indecent.”
“Yes. Looks like she tried to seduce the Alpha at this hidden spot.”
“And tried to murder him.”
“The guards were bribed, Alpha Leo says.”
“He must be so strong to singlehandedly fight the royal guards!”
“Sigh, Luna Quinn is so lucky. She got the most dashing and handsome Alpha who is the strongest.”
“What a pity, he was mated to this devious omega first.”
“I heard that her pups are not his,” someone supplied in hushed whispers. “She cheated on him and then caused a war between the packs. Alpha Leo was caught by surprise by the betrayal but he managed to win. I am such a huge fan of his now!”
“Alpha Leo and Luna Quinn are a power couple. I am envious of them. Luna Quinn even sets medical camps for free and uses her money to feed the orphan kids. She is perfect for him.”
“It is so disappointing that someone is trying to seduce her mate. I am disgusted.”
“True. Look at the omega, trying to cover herself as if her modesty has been attacked.”
“Princess Athena and Rose Callahan fought in the war while the doctor hid in a camp. She almost poisoned the Princess! Even Luna Quinn and Rose were there when it happened.”
“The omega should be dragged to the execution ground.”
“Just looking at her alone disgusts me.”
“She is certainly a great actor. Could have fooled me if I didn’t know her background.”
“The King and Princess Hannah should be informed immediately. They will met out justice to Alpha Leo.”
Tears flowed incessantly. Not because the angry crowd hurled accusations and curses at me but because I was shaking from the aftereffects of almost getting killed and trying to cover myself.
Not a single person lent me a cloth to cover myself.
“Kill her!” Someone screamed from the crowd. Leo smirked at me, his goal achieved nonetheless.
“Yes, yes, kill her!”
Someone threw their shoe at me and everyone followed the person’s lead. Someone’s flying heel made contact with my temple and my head spun.
Hands crossed and body curled, I tried to keep it together but even I had my limits.
Death seemed better than this humiliation but I wanted to live. Live for my babies. They had not done anything wrong to grow motherless.
However, the attacks became ruthless and the five royal guards who helped me were chained as prisoners by the soldiers.
Huge troops of royal guards suddenly gushed into the hall while a furious beta lycan ferociously howled.
He quickly covered me with his royal cloak and helped me on my feet.
“I got worried when you didn’t come to the royal lotus hall. Who did this to you?” He softly asked.
Before I could answer or point out the culprit, Quinn stormed towards me and before anyone could stop her, she slapped me with all her might. My lip bust and cheek stung like wildfire consuming dry wood.
“You evil temptress!” she screamed, backhanding me again. “How dare you seduce MY MATE?” she screamed. Her grip on my wounded arm was rough. I winced.
“Get your hands off her,” Zane growled. “Don’t you dare lift a finger on the doctor,” he warned.
Quinn looked at Zane as if he was the one who had highly offended her.
“How can you defend this vile woman? She clearly seduced my mate and tried to kill him! She just wants revenge for the happy life we lead,” she instigated everyone around us.
“Beta Zane,” one of the chained royal guards said. “The doctor is the victim. She was – ah!” He clutched his abdomen when his captor punched him in the stomach.
Now that I looked closely, the soldiers wore a lighter shade of the uniform thatn the ones designated to the royal guards. Who dared to harm the King’s guards in his palace?
My questions were answered sooner than later.
“Princess Hannah!” Everyone greeted with a bow after her arrival was announced.
“You again?” The princess looked at me in exasperation. “What did you do this time?”
“Princess Hannah!” Quinn cried out, falling at the princess’ feet. “You are just and kind. You are the most compassionate of us all. You are the ardent follower of the Law. Oh, Great One! Punish this omega for her sins for she tried to seduce my husband to this secluded corner and bribed the royal guards to kill him! Oh Princess, please do something,” Quinn pleaded, her body wracking sobs softening the princess’ heart.
“Soldiers! Capture the evil woman and punish her with a hundred lashes,” she ordered.
Zane’s lycan stepped in front of me and growled at the soldiers, daring them to come closer.
“Beta Zane! I order you to stand down,” Princess Hannah commanded, her body shaking with fury.
“Your Highness,” Zane bowed. “You did not even hear out the other side of the story and decided that she was guilty? I believe the public wants to know what happened scene by scene and then decide who attacked whom? Aren’t you even a bit curious to know what happened before deciding if this punishment is enough or not?” He cleverly played the public.
Murmurs broke out and everyone nodded.
“The Beta is right.”
“Yes, Beta Zane is wise. He knows that every crime demands full justice.”
“I am curious to know what happened. Princess Hannah didn’t even ask.”
“What will the Ministry of Justice say?”
“Alpha Leo,” Zane said, his voice level and calm. “Do you want us to pursue an investigation in this matter? We have cameras everywhere. I am sure we will get to the bottom of this matter within minutes. We just want your formal complaint lodged with the investigation team. Otherwise, we will be forced to acquit the doctor and royal guards without a formal complaint or evidence.”
Leo went pale on the mention of the cameras. Sweat beaded over his forehead when he saw Beta Zane point towards the overhead cameras cleverly camouflaged behind the statues and roof.
“I-I don’t want to embarrass my ex-mate. Surely, she has learnt her lesson. The public knows and that is enough for me. I don’t want her to suffer. I just want her to stay away from me. I love my mate and our kids. My time with them is more important than pursuing this matter and watching a worthless omega get punished. I just want peace,” he said and the crowd awed at his magnanimity.
“Alpha Leo is so kind!” A shrill voice cried out amongst the crowd. The crowd agreed, praising the cruel Alpha.
“And so handsome. Look at Luna Quinn, she is inconsolable. She is certainly unlucky to get entangled with the omega.”
“Alpha Leo chose family values over justice for himself!”
I fisted my palms.
I was going to get back at him for this humiliation and make him payback ten times over for what he did to me.
“Let the captives go,” Princess Hannah ordered. “We have more important matters to pursue today. Throw the omega out of this palace without punishment. There will be no investigation at our honored guest, Alpha Leo’s behest.”
Tears rolled down my cheeks.
I had failed the King. My King.
I had even ruined whatever reputation I had built at this place.
Not even Beta Zane could save me.
“BUT I DEMAND A FORMAL INVESTIGATION IN THE MATTER.”
This time, the crowd didn’t cheer. This time, someone gasped. A shift rippled across the hall like a wave of uncertainty.
Because standing right behind Princess Hannah and Quinn was the King.
And he had heard everything.