Chapter 5

ELARA'S POV

(Day of Trial)

"Get out." The guard barked as he swung open the cell door. With a shaky inhale, I pushed myself up and stepped into the hallway. The biting chill in the air made every hair on my body stand on end.

"Move it." He grunted, guiding me forward while two more guards trailed close behind.

The atmosphere in the throne room hung heavy, like all the oxygen had been sucked right out of it. I positioned myself in the center, gulping down nerves as every pair of eyes locked onto me.

Seated on the elevated throne was the Alpha himself—Alpha Ronan of the Mountain Dew Pack. His mistress lounged across from him.

"Bring her closer," Alpha Ronan's command sliced through the quiet. Obeying without hesitation, the guards shoved me nearer to him. My gut twisted into a pretzel. Was this it? Were they going to lop off my head without even letting me explain or fight for myself?

As I inched ahead, the vibe surrounding him grew even more stifling than the room's overall pressure. He was a commanding presence—towering, shadowy, intense. It hit me like a storm.

The second our gazes connected, I jerked back on instinct, sensing my wolf quiver somewhere deep within. That odd tug... one I'd experienced before... a raw, instinctive draw.

This weird, buzzing connection—like some unseen string gently reeling me in toward him. It struck so abruptly that I blinked in bewilderment and irritation.

The mate bond.

No—it couldn't possibly be. My eyes flew wide open in shock.

There was zero chance this guy could be my second-chance mate!

I stared at the Alpha, Alpha Ronan. As soon as our eyes met, the world around us faded into a haze. I could pick up on the murmurs from others, but they sounded like distant static. The attraction was overwhelming, stealing my breath.

His stare, though, remained a mystery. It came across more like a chilly brush against my skin.

Was this some cruel joke from the universe? Seriously? After everything with Kael, I'm stuck with another who wouldn't give a damn?

He rose to his feet, striding over before beginning to pace around me in slow circles, like he was sizing me up from every angle. Did he sense it as well?

All at once, he halted, planting himself just a couple of feet away.

"Give me your name."

"Elara," I spit out almost right away.

"Why have you come here?"

I drew in a deep breath, forcing down a lump in my throat. "I was escaping... from dangerous folks. I'm homeless, an orphan. No relatives, nowhere to turn, and I ended up wandering off track," I dropped my head, my lower lip shaking badly, "I promise, I didn't intend to cross into your land. I had no clue this was your area."

"Elara," Ronan's tone thundered across the space, a deep vibration that sent chills racing along my back. "You're charged with invading Mountain Dew Pack territory, a direct breach against our rules. Do you contest it?"

"No, Alpha," my words quivered, "I won't deny it. I truly got disoriented... I was fleeing... desperate to escape someone."

I could sense his scrutiny sharpening on me, "Fleeing? From what exactly? Just fear? Or something darker?"

A massive shape moved up, one of the captors who'd snagged me, "Sir, we found her right as some rogues were about to tear into her. It was close to the edge, way off any marked trail. I'd guess she was genuinely lost, but definitely on the run."

Ronan pivoted toward the guard, a skeptical glint in his shadowy eyes, like he wasn't buying it fully. "Any sign of others with her?"

"Nothing at all, Alpha."

Murmurs spread among the gathered pack like ripples on water. I could feel their unease and distrust radiating off them, plain in their expressions and the hostile glares they shot my way. I came off as a threat.

Following a stretch of tense quiet, Ronan's voice rang out again as he returned to his seat, "Intruding on our lands is a serious crime."

"Please, I beg you," tears started clouding my sight, truthfully. I didn't want to face death, and going back wasn't an option either... "I had no idea."

"Alistair," Ronan called, motioning across the chamber, his attention shifting to an older figure whose face was lined with a severe scowl, brows knit tight, "Alistair, what's the standard punishment for an intrusion like this?"

Alistair coughed to clear his voice, "Alpha, for basic trespassing, lashes followed by exile would do. But," he hesitated, shooting me a piercing look, "these are turbulent days. A harsher penalty could be warranted... to deter any copycats."

"Maybe a show of strength," Ronan's mistress chimed in at last, her words flowing like smooth fabric, but her eyes were void of warmth as they fixed on me—her stare brought back memories of Seraphina. "Putting her to death would drive the point home crystal clear."

I sucked in a sharp breath, stunned by what she'd just suggested. Did strangers really despise me on sight? Without thinking, I dropped to my knees, tears splashing onto the floor. Begging was my last resort to cling to life. "I'M PLEADING WITH YOU! I swear I know nothing and I never meant to intrude!"

She let out a dismissive snort, "Your claims versus our laws? You can't possibly believe you'd get off that easy? The Moon Goddess revoked her favor the instant you stepped foot here!"

Clearly, she wouldn't view a vulnerable girl like me as any real danger, right?

Well—you're destined to her partner. My inner voice nudged, but I shoved it aside, just like I'd ignore the reality that Ronan and I were fated as second-chance mates.

"What a brilliant suggestion!" Another voice burst from the assembly. Probably one of the elders. The chatter swelled, as if they were all nodding along to doom me.

"Maid." A resonant tone sliced through the din, quieting the room instantly. I lifted my head—it was Ronan. "You'll remain here as a maid. And that's the end of it."

"But—" His mistress attempted to interject, but he laid a steady hand on her leg, then added, "That said, if you're spotted doing anything shady, I won't think twice about commanding your execution on the spot."

I swallowed thickly, my heart slamming against my ribs so fiercely I worried it might burst right out.

"Thank you." I uttered simply, dipping into a bow. I had no alternatives; I was cornered. From one mess straight into another.

"The hearing is adjourned."