Page 21 of Bond To The Alpha (Fated Bond #1)

LIANA

“She is a traitor.”

For the umpteenth time in my life, I stand before dozens of eyes, to be judged. The irony isn't lost on me. Last time, it was my parents' crimes that painted me guilty. Now, it's their monstrous transformation that threatens to undo everything I've built here.

I've never hated Jimmy more than I do at this moment. With that smug face of his and his self-righteous posture as he paces in front of the gathered pack members.

“…you all saw it, her own parents, turned rogue, attacking the alpha of Blood Moon Pack. And there she was, right in the thick of it. It’s because she knows what she is and if she shifts, she’ll be exposed as a rogue!”

I look over at the different faces seated, at the expressions of shock, suspicion, and confusion. Some nod along with Jimmy's words, while others look uncertain.

“But that's not all,” Jimmy presses on, “Think about it. She's always been different, hasn't she? She is unable to shift, isn’t that baffling?”

A burly pack member stands up to speak,

“I was there. I saw those rogues. They did look like her, now that you mention it.”

My heart sinks as more voices join in agreement.

“Come to think of it, she's always been secretive,” a woman adds. “Who knows what else she's hiding?”

“Exactly!” Jimmy latches on to their words like a parasite. “We've welcomed her into our pack, shared our homes and our lives. And all this time, she's been lying to us.”

“Now wait just a minute,” another gruff voice cuts through the chatter. He’s the pack's eldest member.

“Are we really going to condemn this girl based on nothing but speculation and coincidence?”

Another murmur of dissent runs through the crowd.

Mrs. Thompson speaks up. “Liana's been nothing but kind and hardworking since she got here. She doesn't deserve this. I know she’s a good person, she came through for my family in the most difficult time.”

My eyes meet hers and I send her a grateful smile. She gives me a reassuring nod in return as if to say, ‘It’s going to be fine’.

My heart swells, even as it aches, that there are still people defending me when they have every reason to doubt. Isn’t this what ‘pack’ truly means?

But Jimmy isn't about to let this momentum slip away.

He rounds on these two people immediately,

“That's how they get you. They worm their way in to gain your trust. And then, when you least expect it…” He slams his fist into his palm for emphasis. “…they strike.”

He turns back to the crowd and lowers his voice conspiratorially.

“Did you know about her family? Her real family?”

I stiffen.

“Liana's parents weren't just any werewolves; they were con artists. Thieves. They swindled their way across the whole of their pack and nearly half of the country before disappearing.”

I can see the doubt creeping back into people's eyes.

“And now they're back as rogue wolves, no less. Working with the creatures that have been terrorizing us for months….is that really a coincidence?”

He stalks towards me, pointing an accusing finger.

“She's just like them. A liar, through and through. She's deceived us for years and has played the part of a harmless tavern owner when in reality she’s been conspiring with outsiders this whole time to destroy our pack from within.”

The room soon rises into chaos again as accusations fly here and there. And I stand in the eye of the storm with clenched fists.

“Lock her up!”

“We can't trust her!”

“What if there are more like her?”

But there are other voices too, fighting to be heard above the din.

“This is madness!”

“We can't judge her for her parents' actions!”

“She's one of us, dammit!”

There are a lot of familiar faces; people I've served drinks to and laughed with.

In all of this, standing here, being accused, I'm that scared little girl all over again, who’s hunched her shoulders in trying to make herself invisible as others decide her fate. Everything I’ve tried running away from still comes into my future to haunt me.

I’m brimming with a strong urge to run again and never look back.

‘Don't endure, be angry.’ I hear at the back of my head.

Those are Kane’s words calling out to me like help in the midst of trouble.

“Look at her, standing there silently. Guilty as sin, and she doesn't even have the decency to defend herself…like a coward,” Jimmy’s voice breaks through my thoughts and before I even realize what I'm doing, I'm striding across the room.

Jimmy, looking straight at me, opens his mouth, probably to vomit more rubbish, but he never gets the chance.

I raise my fist, which I’ve been clenching hard ever since, and bury it straight into his jaw, as hard as I can. Even with the immediate pain I feel shaking through my bones, the shock on Jimmy's face is worth it.

He staggers back, and I know just how much he wants to raise his hand to cradle that face, but he’s holding back.

“You want me to defend myself? Fine. Let's talk about you, Jimmy. Let's talk about how you've been hounding me for years, trying to get into my bed. How you cornered me in the tavern after hours, thinking you could intimidate me into sleeping with you.”

Jimmy's face flushes red, whether from embarrassment or rage, I can't tell, but the crowd is reacting to it in a way that satisfies me.

“Oh yes,” I continue. “Your precious Jimmy isn't as noble as he pretends to be. When I turned him down, he made it his mission to drive me out of this pack. The whispers, the 'accidental' slights, and the constant questioning of my loyalty…it all started with him.”

I turn to face the assembled pack members, my chest heaving. “I am not a traitor. I have worked my fingers to the bone for this pack. I've poured drinks, cleaned up your messes, listened to your troubles, even when some of you looked at me like I was dirt under your feet.”

Tears start to blur my vision, but I blink them away angrily.

“Yes, my parents were swindlers. Yes, they were lunatics. And yes, somehow they've turned into monsters. But I am not them. I am my own person, and I have built a life here with my own two hands.

“You want to judge me? Fine. But look in the mirror first. We've all got pasts we'd rather forget. We've all got weaknesses, secrets, and things that shame us. But you're all so quick to point fingers.”

I meet the eyes of those who moments ago, were calling for my head. Some look away…others watch me.

“Can't you all see?” Jimmy shouts and gestures wildly.

"This is her true color! She attacks me, she insults us all…this is the real Liana! The savagery is in her blood.”

“Enough!”

The hall falls silent as Sam walks in, his sharp eyes assessing everyone and everything.

Jimmy tries to speak but Sam holds up a hand,

“I'm well aware of the situation, Jimmy. What I want to know is why my pack is at each other's throats instead of standing united against our real enemies."

“We are facing unprecedented threats. Rogue wolves are at our borders, and now we learn that some of our own may have turned. This is a time for unity, not for baseless accusations and infighting.”

His eyes fall on me, and I stand a little straighter under his scrutiny. “Liana has been a part of this pack for years. She's worked hard, contributed to our community, and has never given us reason to doubt her loyalty. Are we really so quick to throw that away based on circumstances beyond her control?”

“But da— I mean…Alpha," Jimmy interjects. "her parents—“

“…are not her,” Sam cuts him off firmly. “We do not punish children for the sins of their parents. That's not who we are.”

He pauses.

“However, given the unusual nature of these events, some precautions are necessary.”

Sam turns to me, and his expression is stern but not unkind.

“Liana, you and your daughter will remain under pack protection and surveillance until we can fully investigate this matter. You are not to leave pack territory without an escort. Do you understand?”

I nod. It's not ideal, but it's far better than the exile Jimmy was calling for.

“Yes, Alpha.”

“Let me be clear. Anyone caught spreading unfounded rumors or attempting to take matters into their own hands will answer directly to me. We are better than this. We are a pack, and we will face these challenges together. Is that understood?”

A chorus of “Yes, Alpha” echoes through the hall.

??????

I pace restlessly outside the building where Kane is busy fighting for his life, feeling all shades of guilt.

A car pulls up in front of it, and I recognize a label on it as belonging to the Blood Moon Pack.

Dan steps out, followed by a woman I assume is a healer.

Dan sees me where I’m standing, but his face is completely unreadable as he disappears into the building. It’s not a couple of blinks later, and they’re back out with Kane on a stretcher.

I feel my heart churn with an ache when I see him pale and still.

“Kane,” I whisper, reaching out instinctively. But they move past me as if I'm not even there and load him carefully into the waiting car.

If only I'd told him the truth sooner.

If only I'd been stronger, faster, and able to protect him.

I've already lost so much. I can't lose Kane too. And Lina... oh god, Lina.

Dan comes to me as soon as they finish securing Kane in the car. His expression has softened a bit even in his professional demeanor.

“We're taking him back home," he says. "Our facilities are better equipped to handle injuries of this severity.”

I only nod.

“You and the child... you could come with us. It might be safer for you there, given the circumstances.”

I'm tempted. I want to be near Kane, and I want to escape the suspicious glares and accusations...but… I can't run away. Not again.

“Thank you, but I need to stay. I have to clear my name and fight for my place here…for myself and for those who still believe in me.”

Dan studies me for a long moment, then nods. “I understand. For what it's worth, I hope you succeed.

“Tell him…” I swallow hard. “Tell him I'm sorry. For everything. And that I lo— Just please take good care of him.”

“I will,” Dan promises.

He climbs into the car, and I watch as it drives away, taking Kane with it…taking away a piece of my heart. I stand there long after the car has disappeared from view with tears rolling down my face.

Sam calls for me moments later.

“…that’s when the rogues attacked.”

I pause as the memory of Kane's broken body flashes in front of my eyes.

“And then...then I saw them…my parents. They were among the rogues.”

Sam leans back.

“What happened next?” he asks.

“I tried to reason with them…or at least get through somehow. But it was useless. They were about to kill Kane, and that's when Jimmy showed up."

“Jimmy?”

“He appeared with a few others from the pack. And as soon as they arrived, something strange happened. All the rogues, including my parents, just stopped. Like they were listening to something we couldn't hear. And then they retreated into the forest.”

Sam's brow furrows, his fingers drumming thoughtfully on the desk.

“They left, just like that?”

I nod affirmatively, “It was bizarre because one moment they were in a killing frenzy, the next they were gone like someone had flipped a switch.”

Sam falls silent, his eyes distant as he processes this information.

“You don't think…” I start, then stop.

Sam sighs heavily. “I don't know what to think yet. But I promise you, I will get to the bottom of this. For now, I need you to lay low. Rest. Recover. Let me handle things for a while.”

“Thank you, Sam. For believing in me and for giving me a chance.”

“You've earned that much, Liana. Whatever else is going on, I know you're not our enemy. Now go, get some sleep. You look like you're about to fall over.”

As I turn to leave, Sam calls out again. “And be careful. Watch your back. Until we know what's really going on.”

He then adds, “Trust no one completely…not even me."