Chapter2:

Ivanna’s POV

“No, I didn’t!” I finally found my voice and snapped out of the shock, but it was already too late.

The soldiers glared at me with malice, and their hands twitched, ready to tear me apart. Why did June accuse me of Luna’s death? I couldn’t fathom what had just happened.

“Yes, you did,” June said firmly, her voice unwavering. “She died after drinking the juice you brought. Stop lying, Ivanna. You killed her. It couldn’t have been anyone else.”

“I didn’t!” I cried out.

“Shut the fuck up, you lying bitch!” June spat at me, delivering a sharp slap across my face.

My world froze. “How dare you slap me?” I gasped, my eyes wide with disbelief. June, an Omega who had always shown me respect, now treated me with contempt.

I looked to the soldiers, hoping they would intervene, but they stood still, doing nothing. And I, weakened by grief and shock, couldn’t bring myself to strike back.

Alpha Dean entered the room, his presence demanding silence. His entourage followed, and everyone bowed immediately. “What’s happening here?” His authoritative voice sent a chill through the air.

“It’s the Luna, Alpha,” one of the soldiers responded solemnly.

“Where is she?” Alpha Dean’s voice was filled with fear and anger.

“She’s dead, Alpha. Look.” The soldier pointed to Luna Eleanor’s lifeless body.

“Eleanor!” Alpha Dean’s heart-wrenching cry filled the room as he rushed to her side, dropping to his knees. The sight of his grief made my stomach turn with dread.

Tears streamed down my face as I silently prayed that June wouldn’t repeat her accusation. I begged the goddess for a miracle—that she wouldn’t tell Alpha Dean I had poisoned Luna.

“What happened to her?!” Alpha Dean demanded, his voice thick with fury.

“She was poisoned, Alpha,” June answered with false sorrow, the words like a death sentence hanging in the air.

“Poisoned? Who would dare poison my mate in my own home?” His voice was a deadly growl.

“It was her!” June pointed directly at me. “It was Ivanna. She brought Luna the poisoned juice. I saw it myself!”

“No…” I stammered, barely able to form words. “I didn’t…”

“Arrest her!” Alpha Dean roared, his fury uncontainable. “And get her family too. She will pay for murdering my mate.”

The soldiers grabbed me roughly, dragging me from the room as I screamed my innocence. But Alpha Dean’s rage was unstoppable, and there was no mercy in his eyes.

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By the evening, my parents and I were forced to kneel at Alpha Dean’s feet in the Pack’s meeting ground. We awaited our sentence, surrounded by a mob of pack members eager for justice—or rather, revenge.

“Alpha, please,” my father begged. “My daughter is innocent. She was framed.”

“Framed? By whom?” Alpha Dean’s voice dripped with cold disbelief. “The maid witnessed it. Your daughter is guilty. She killed my mate, and she must die for her crime.”

The pack members yelled for my execution, their faces filled with anger and betrayal. These were people who once adored me, who once praised my every move. Now, they all turned against me, believing I was capable of murder.

“Please, Alpha,” my mother wept. “She’s just a child. Spare her life.”

“Then die in her place,” Alpha Dean snarled.

“We will gladly die for our daughter,” my father said, his voice steady, even as tears streamed down his face. “But please, let her live.”

“So be it,” Alpha Dean said coldly. “Take them to the execution stand.”

The soldiers dragged my parents forward, forcing them to bend their heads before the pack.

“No! Please don’t kill them! I beg you!” I screamed hysterically, but my cries fell on deaf ears.

“We love you, Ivanna,” my mother called out as they prepared for their execution. “Never stop fighting, dear child. You will survive this. We promise.”

With a swift stroke, their heads were severed from their bodies. I screamed in horror, collapsing onto the ground as my world shattered around me.

“Shut up, Ivanna, or I’ll send you to the afterlife with them,” Alpha Dean threatened.

The crowd chanted for my death. Their hatred was palpable, and I couldn’t understand how they had turned on me so easily.

“I am broken by the loss of my mate,” Alpha Dean said, his voice thick with sorrow. “But I will honor my promise. Ivanna will not be executed. Instead, she is demoted to the lowest of the low. From this day forth, she is nothing but a maid. Her name will be ‘The Luna’s Killer,’ and she will live out her days in shame.”

The crowd roared in approval, while I stood frozen, my body trembling with grief and shock.

“Throw her in the dungeon!” Alpha Dean ordered.

I was dragged away, but all I could do was stare at my parents’ lifeless bodies. Their remains were tossed into a bonfire, denying me even the chance to say a proper goodbye.

As I was dragged through the crowd, stones and insults were hurled at me. I was thrown into the dark, filthy dungeon and left to rot. Days passed—maybe weeks—with no food, no water, and no hope.

I was on the verge of death when I finally heard footsteps approaching.

“Open the cage,” a deep voice commanded. The soldiers obeyed, and a tall, muscular figure entered.

My vision was blurred from weakness, but I recognized those green eyes.

“Ro—Rocco?” I whispered.

“Hello, Ivanna,” he said coldly, his voice devoid of warmth. “Would you like to come with me?”

He extended his hand. With what little strength I had left, I reached out, desperate for salvation. Surely, Rocco believed me. Surely, he knew I wasn’t a murderer.

“Please,” I sobbed. “Take me with you.”

He helped me to my feet, but the coldness in his eyes sent a shiver through me. Something was different about him. And it terrified me.