A Gift from the Goddess

The last piece of hope I had inside me died at her words.

 Sophie had betrayed me, thrown me out and lied blatantly to everyone. How could she do this to me after everything we’d been through? I had loved her so much, trusted her implicitly, and yet she was now acting as if I meant nothing to her.

 Sophie’s eyes began to fill with tears as her voice wavered into the crowd.

 “Ariadne had been distraught by the news of Miss Woods’ pregnancy and I saw how this began to erode at her sanity; something I’d seen was already dwindling prior. Whilst in her employment, I saw her experience several fits of hysteria, laughing at the most horrible of things. And her mood swings were even worse. Sometimes she was so sweet, other times she would change like a light switch, become irritable and angry without warning.”

 I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. She was taking one small incident and magnifying it, warping it with more lies to suit the agenda. Had she really disliked me this much the whole time?

 “She persuaded me to try and escape with her, but I know now she didn’t tell me the whole story. I thought I was going to be helping a poor girl who needed someone to care for her. Instead, I ended up aiding a criminal with something so heinous.”

 She turned her teary eyes to Thea, crying during her words.

 “Miss Woods… I don’t know how you could ever forgive me, but I truly did not mean you any harm. I believed that I was bringing you a peace offering from Ariadne that day, not dosing you with the death of your child. I thought she wanted to make amends one final time before we left. I was wrong… so wrong… I am so sorry….”

 Her voice broke off into sobs as the crowd was whispering among themselves. They all believed her. They believed every lie she was telling.

 And there was nothing I could do.

 Thea suddenly stood up and everyone became silent to watch, anticipating a violent scene towards the woman who had poisoned her. Her walk was shaky and unsteady as she strode up to Sophie, as if to emphasise on her recent hospitalisation. However, to everyone’s surprise, when she finally reached Sophie, she engulfed her in a hug instead. They hugged as if they’d known each other as good friends.

 When Thea eventually broke away, she smiled benevolently up at the older woman, grasping Sophie’s hands in her own.

 “…I forgive you, Sophie,” Thea said, making a show of her mercy. “I can hear your words ring true under the light of the Goddess here tonight. I know you did not mean me or my baby any harm, and so I can’t blame you for the sins of your superior.”

 I looked out into the crowd to see they were enamoured by everything she was saying. They were hanging on her every word, their faces full of admiration for her.

 “This may be too soon to announce, but…,” she looked towards Aleric who was just as enchanted at everything she was doing. He gave her a nod of approval for whatever she had been silently seeking permission for, and she smiled brilliantly back at him.

I see how pure and loyal your heart is, Sophie. I see how

another power move. It showed everyone how close they were. No one had called him by that name publicly since his father had died. This was all

 And I was the devil, a

be this pack’s Luna yet, but I would love it if you would attend

bent her knee immediately and kissed her hand, bowing her

serve you and spend the

witnessed. Their new soon-to-be Luna had shown great love and forgiveness to the person who admitted to poisoning her. She was beautiful, kind, and strong. I knew they had never felt those things

think we’ve seen enough,” Aleric said gently, standing back

up to Thea and wrapped an arm around her possessively. But

 Something that made my blood

her hair back. It was strategic, I was sure. She wanted me to see. Wanted me to feel the pain it would cause

me. Something he had always refused me even after we’d mated. He had marked Thea as his own, showing the world his favour for her. And it had only taken him a week, wasting no

to love him, but to think I begged him to mark me for years without him wavering, only to see

I hated Thea. I hated this pack. I

the most. I knew what was coming next, Aleric didn’t even need to say it. It was all because

as only a means to help the pack? They had their mighty leader now, their loving Luna, and a pack that became successful off my own hard work and dedication. There was no room for me in the picture

 “I think the evidence here has weighed in an obvious result. Do you have anything to say in your defence, Ariadne?” Aleric

mind and took a deep breath to calm myself. There was no point in trying to dispute the allegations anymore. There was nothing I could do nor say that would change

words I could think of. The honest words

is nothing I can do anymore to prove myself not guilty against the stacks of false evidence you have brought forward, but deep down… I hope you

was only

 No one spoke, no one moved. I don’t think anyone had expected me to say something so intense. They had probably assumed I was going to cry and beg for forgiveness from Thea like Sophie had. But I refused to bow to that bitch. Take

her and, to my surprise, she looked straight back at me amused, a smirk on her face. She didn’t look like the lost ditzy girl I’d known over the years. No, there was a strange intelligence that showed through them now. She looked at me as if she

me as her true self

 I realised then that she had planned all of this from the start. My isolation, Aleric, Sophie… who knew what else. She had pretended to be clueless so no one ever suspected her. And with a revolting realisation,