I watched Agnes being dragged to the middle while Theo restrained me from running towards them. I didn't know what I was doing. I couldn't understand what was happening. Who tipped them off and why wasn't it me? Agnes wasn't wolfless, and it's only a matter of time before she gets to prove it. What happens after that? Would they move on or move to me?
"Why didn't you tell me she is wolfless?" Theo asked me when I was finally calm.
"I didn't know," I replied solemnly, trying not to make eye contact with him.
"You didn't know?" I could sense the disappointment in his voice. My heart broke, and I couldn't bring myself to tell him the truth. Not after seeing how disappointed he felt that I didn't tell him Agnes was wolfless. Imagine if it was me.
"I can prove myself! I'm not wolfless!" Agnes's voice cut into the now silent space.
I finally looked up, now a bit recovered from the sadness I got from Theo's question.
My father was talking to the elders. I knew he had asked them to allow her to prove she had a wolf. This is good news and bad news. If she gets to prove it, I'm next. If she doesn't get to prove it, she's dead. It's either her or me, but it's possible she will prove it and they won't question me about my wolf.
I craved the latter.
"Alpha Theo!" one of the elders called, and Theo stood up and went to them.
"Do you accept she should be allowed to prove her wolf to the clan?"
Theo frowned. He was still upset with me. He looked at me, and I gave him a smile, urging him to allow her.
The full moon was down, and she couldn't shift by herself, so she needed an alpha to push her. But when an alpha does this, they lose power gradually, making them weaker slowly with time. He almost hesitated.
"Shift back," he ordered.
And everyone left except Agnes, who sat on the floor, torn and upset.
The congregation became very silent, everyone curious, waiting for the best or the worst.
Theo roared so loud that the ground shook. Agnes held her ears first, and then she started rolling on the floor. Gradually, she turned into a medium sized wolf, and the crowd cheered. My parents hugged each other, and Theo smiled at me. Agnes ran off almost immediately.
Theo came back to his seat and held my hand. "I'm sorry for not believing you. I'll do anything to make this right. I'm sorry for almost not trusting you."
I didn't know how to take this. Do I say I've always known Agnes had a wolf because I'm the wolfless one, or just close my eyes and breathe? I breathed and sat back on my chair. I was at least glad I wasn't being questioned. It's over now. We won.
Then Agnes walked back into the gathering. I frowned, trying to understand what she was doing.
She bent down and picked up a ring from the floor, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I faced the now dim moon and closed my eyes.
"I have something to tell everyone." It was Agnes speaking.
I looked sharply back at her.
"I have kept this secret for a very long time, and I thought being a good person was worth it until I realized the people I called family framed me for being wolfless when in fact their daughter is the wolfless one."
The crowd turned towards me immediately. I wished the ground would swallow me.
I didn't believe Agnes could betray me. It was hard for me to take. Theo was so angry, but I realized he wasn't angry with me. He was looking at Agnes instead.
Theo rushed towards her at a crazy speed and grabbed her by the neck. "You fucking liar!"
Elder Jaylen saved her from him. This was too much for me to bear. Theo's trust in me is killing me.
Order was restored, and Theo came back to his seat while Agnes was rubbing her neck and still coughing from the attack.
"I demand she's forced to shift like me, and you," she faced Theo, "will realize how evil she is and how they've lied to you all these years, and you will see me as the better woman for you."
"I will kill you," Theo replied aggressively, and I held his hand so he wouldn't try to attack her again.
"Go and sit," Elder Jaylen ordered her.
"Well, in a case like this, I would ask us to be logical instead of being emotional." He looked at Theo. "To settle all disputes, Snow will be asked to shift."
"Only if that evil gets banished after she shifts," Theo added.
"Is this something you would like to go on with?" Elder Jaylen asked Agnes.
"Yes, they betrayed me."
"I don't care if they betrayed you." He waved her off.
Theo could override the elders and do what he wants, but it puts him at risk of being overthrown.
But how was he supposed to stand for me when I had lied to him? I knew I caused this, and I had no option but to take responsibility.
Theo and I stood in the middle, and he smiled before he roared out loud. Nothing happened. He roared again, but still no changes. He was restless, and he continued. His voice started getting lower. He was getting weaker and weaker until I could hear him no more.
In the crowd, face covered and fully clothed in a dark robe, was another Alpha. His presence must not be known because he was their opposition. Alpha Lukazin was watching everything.
"Who is she?" he asked his aide, pointing directly at Snow.
"I heard she is Alpha Theo's childhood lover," Grime replied, wondering why he asked.
"So she's wolfless. Interesting." Luka stood up.
"What are you doing, boss?" Grime dragged him back to the chair.
Luka shot him an angry stare.
"Sorry, boss," Grime said softly.
Luka sat back. "Since you don't want me to do it, then you gotta do it."
"What were you trying to do, boss?"
"I'm trying to get us killed, and you stopped me, so you gotta do it now. Cause a distraction. We need to get her out of here. She could be of use to us."
"What use can a wolfless woman be to our clan? She's literally human."
"Well, this is where politics comes in. We can use her against Theo."
"You think he loves her that much?"
Luka smiled. "He loves her enough."
Grime stood up and went towards Theo and Snow.