Chapter 6- Sentenced to death by burning
Selene ~~~
The moment I stepped into the grand hall, everything went wrong.
Two warriors grabbed me before I could react, their grips bruising my arms. Before I could even ask what was happening, they threw me forward like I was nothing but trash. My body slammed into the cold marble floor, and pain shot through me instantly.
I tried to push myself up, but my head hit the ground with a sickening crack. A sharp sting exploded at the back of my skull, and warmth spread down my neck. It took me a second to realize—I was bleeding.
Dizzy, I lifted my head, searching the sea of faces around me. My vision blurred, and I blinked rapidly, hoping—praying—for someone to step forward, to help me.
But no one did.
Not a single person.
Instead, they all looked at me with pure disgust.
I saw the judgment in their eyes, the hatred, the silent accusation. It was as if they had been waiting for this moment—as if they had always known it would come to this.
I felt my chest tighten, my breathing becoming shallow. I turned my head, desperate to find the one person who was supposed to stand by me.
Damian.
My mate. My Alpha. The man I had loved with everything in me.
He stood near the center of the hall, his broad shoulders stiff, his arms crossed over his chest. His face was unreadable at first, but when his eyes met mine, my heart stopped.
There was no love. No warmth. No hesitation.
Only hate.
A kind of hatred so deep and raw that it stole the breath from my lungs.
Tears welled in my eyes as I tried to speak. My voice was weak, shaking, but I had to try. "Damian… I—I swear, I didn't do this," I whispered, my throat burning. "I didn't poison Lilith. I would never hurt her… or her child."
I turned my gaze to the crowd, pleading with them to see the truth. "The drink wasn't even mine! It was prepared by one of the maids. I—I gave it to Moriah to pass to Lilith—"
A deafening slap cut through my words.
My head snapped to the side as fire ignited across my cheek. The force sent me sprawling to the floor again, my vision blurring from the impact.
The taste of blood filled my mouth.
I lifted my head, my lips trembling, only to meet the one face I never expected to betray me.
Moriah.
Her hand was still raised, her eyes flashing with fury.
I blinked, confusion washing over me like a crushing wave. "Moriah?" My voice was barely a whisper. My head was spinning, not just from the slap, but from the sheer disbelief.
She was supposed to be my friend. My confidant. The only one who ever stood by me in this pack.
"Why?" I croaked, my lips quivering. "Why did you slap me?"
Moriah's lips curled into a sneer. "Why?" she echoed mockingly before leaning down, her voice dripping with venom. "Because you're a pathetic, barren woman who couldn't handle the fact that another female is carrying what you never could. You're bitter, Selene. You've always been hateful. It was only a matter of time before you did something this disgusting."
A sharp gasp rippled through the crowd.
I felt like the floor beneath me had shattered, sending me plummeting into an endless abyss. My chest ached, my breath caught in my throat.
I couldn't process it.
I couldn't believe it.
Moriah—the woman who once assured me that everything would be alright—was now the one driving a dagger straight into my heart.
I shook my head frantically, reaching for her. "Moriah, please! You know I would never—"
She stepped back in disgust, her eyes narrowing. Then, with pure malice, she spat on me.
I flinched, my whole body trembling as the wetness slid down my cheek.
"She's lying!" Moriah declared to the crowd, her voice ringing with false conviction. "Selene was the one who prepared the tea! She handed it to me herself!"
Another wave of gasps filled the air.
I felt my stomach drop.
No. No, no, no.
Moriah's lies wove around me like a noose, tightening with every passing second.
"She was trying to run away!" Moriah continued, pointing an accusing finger at me. "She thought she could escape before anyone found out the truth! But the Moon Goddess doesn't favor murderers, Selene! That's why you were caught. You're nothing but a snake, and now, you'll pay the price."
I stared at her, my lips parted, unable to close my mouth.
Was this really happening?
Was this really Moriah?
The same woman who once comforted me in my darkest moments?
The betrayal was suffocating. It felt worse than the slap. Worse than the hatred in Damian's eyes.
I let out a choked sob, my body shaking violently. "I swear… I swear I didn't do it." My voice cracked as my tears fell freely. "I might not have my own child, but I would never—never—kill another."
But no one listened.
Not a single person believed me.
Then—thud.
A sharp, unbearable pain exploded in my ribs as Damian—my own mate—stepped on me.
A strangled cry escaped my lips as my body arched from the agonizing weight of his boot pressing into my stomach.
He leaned down, his amber eyes burning with disgust. "Do you remember what I told you, Selene?" His voice was low, but it carried through the room like a death sentence. "I warned you. I warned you that nothing must happen to Lilith."
I whimpered, my fingers digging into the floor.
Damian's lips curled into a sneer. "Hope you still remember."
Then—he grabbed a whip from one of the guards.
My eyes widened in horror. "Damian… please—"
But before I could finish, the lash tore across my back.
A scream ripped from my throat.
The pain was unlike anything I had ever felt before. It wasn't just physical—it was deep, bone-chilling, as if it was ripping apart every last bit of my soul.
Another lash.
Then another.
My body convulsed with each strike, my breath coming out in ragged gasps.
I turned my head weakly, my swollen eyes landing on Lilith.
She knew me. She knew my heart. She knew I was innocent.
"Lilith…" I whispered, my voice shaking. "Please… tell him… tell them… I would never—"
But she didn't.
She just cried.
She sobbed into her hands, shaking her head.
And that was when I knew.
I had lost everything.
I sucked in a deep, shuddering breath. My mind raced, searching, questioning—was it a crime to love? Was it a crime to give my heart to a man, only to have it crushed beneath his feet?
Why me?
Why did I deserve this?
Damian crouched before me, tilting my chin up with his fingers. I barely had the strength to resist.
His voice was calm, almost too calm. "You have been stripped of your title."
I blinked, my vision hazy.
"You are no longer Luna of the Silver Moon Pack."
The words struck me harder than any whip ever could.
"And you," he continued, his lips curling into something sinister, "are hereby sentenced to death for the murder of the heir of this pack."
My whole world stopped.
"By burning."
My heart pounded violently in my chest.
"Death for death."
Damian straightened to his full height, his amber eyes glowing with finality. "Send my regards to whoever you meet in hell."