Chapter 25 The Accusation
~Sage~
The earring.
The earring that I'd lost during that desperate night in Keith's arms. The one I'd searched for frantically but couldn't find.
"I... I don't understand," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the thudding of my heart.
Damon circled me slowly, like a wolf savoring the terror of cornered prey.
"No? Then let me paint you a picture. My guards do routine checks of all rooms when I return from trips. Standard protocol. Imagine their surprise when they found this," he held up his phone, showing a photo of my distinctive silver earring tangled in dark sheets, "in my son's bed."
My knees threatened to buckle, but I forced myself to remain standing. Any sign of guilt now would be a death sentence for both Keith and me.
"There must be an explanation," I said, amazed that my voice came out steady. "Maybe it fell when I was touring the palace. The servants might have—"
"The servants," Damon interrupted with a dark laugh, "haven't been in Keith's room for three days. He specifically ordered them to stay out. Interesting timing, wouldn't you say? Right when I left for my trip."
A knock at the door made me jump. Damon's smile widened at my reaction.
"Enter," he called out.
A guard stepped inside, and my blood turned to ice when I saw Keith behind him, his face carefully blank. The guard held a small velvet box in his hand.
"Your Majesty," the guard said, bowing as he presented the box to Damon. "As requested."
Damon opened it slowly, pulling out my earring. The small silver wolf that dangled from it caught the light, and I saw Keith's eyes flicker to it briefly.
"Keith," Damon said pleasantly, too pleasantly. "How good of you to join us. I was just asking Sage about her earring. The one we found in your bed."
Keith's expression didn't change, but I saw his hands clench slightly at his sides. "I've never seen it before."
"Really?" Damon held the earring up to the light. "Then how did it get there?"
"Perhaps someone planted it," Keith suggested, his voice even. "You have enemies, Father. Someone could be trying to create conflict within the royal family before tomorrow's ceremony."
It was a smart deflection, and for a moment, I thought it might work. But Damon's smile only grew colder.
"Enemies," he repeated softly. "Yes, I do have enemies. The question is whether they're outside these walls... or within them."
He moved suddenly, grabbing my wrist and yanking me against him. "This earring has your scent all over it, Luna. Fresh scent. Not more than three days old."
"I lost it days ago," I said quickly. "I've been looking everywhere—"
"Have you?" Damon's grip tightened painfully. "Then why didn't you mention it to me? Why didn't you report valuable jewelry missing?"
"I didn't want to trouble you with something so trivial—"
"Trivial?" His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Nothing about you is trivial to me, Sage. Every breath you take, every step you make, every item you own - it all belongs to me."
Keith shifted slightly, and Damon's attention snapped to him immediately.
"Something you want to say, son?"
"Only that accusing Sage of impropriety based on a misplaced earring seems excessive," Keith said carefully. "She's been nothing but loyal to you."
"Loyal," Damon repeated the word like he was tasting it. "Tell me, Keith, what would you know about her loyalty? You've barely spoken to her."
"As it should be," Keith replied. "She's to be your mate. I've kept my distance out of respect."
"Have you?" Damon released me so suddenly I stumbled. He walked over to Keith, circling him the way he'd circled me moments before. "Then explain something to me. Why does she smell like fear whenever you're in the room? Not the normal fear she has of me - something different. Guilt, perhaps?"
"You're imagining things," Keith said flatly.
The backhand came so fast neither of us saw it coming. Keith's head snapped to the side, blood immediately flowing from his split lip.
"Don't ever tell me what I'm imagining," Damon snarled. "I've been Alpha King for twenty years. I know when I'm being lied to."
Keith wiped the blood from his mouth, his eyes never leaving his father's face. "Then you should know I'm telling the truth."
"We'll see about that," Damon said, turning back to me. "Strip."
"What?"
"You heard me. If you have nothing to hide, then you won't mind proving it. Strip. Now."
My hands trembled as I reached for the zipper of my dress. Keith's entire body had gone rigid, but he didn't move or speak. Any protest would only confirm Damon's suspicions.
"Please," I whispered, tears filling my eyes. "This is humiliating—"
"This is necessary," Damon corrected. "Unless you'd prefer I have my guards do it for you?"
I shook my head, my fingers fumbling with the zipper. But just as I started to pull it down, Damon held up a hand.
"Actually, I have a better idea," he said, his smile turning cruel. "Keith, you do it."
The room went completely silent. I couldn't breathe. Keith had gone pale, his jaw clenched so tight I could hear his teeth grinding.
"I won't," Keith said quietly.
"You will," Damon commanded, his Alpha power filling the room like smoke. "Or I'll take her refusal and your defiance as confirmation of my suspicions. And you know what the punishment for touching the Alpha King's mate is."
Death. It was death.
Keith took a step forward, then another, each movement looking like it physically hurt him. When he stood in front of me, I could see the war raging in his eyes - the need to protect me battling against the need to keep our secret.
"Go on," Damon urged, his voice soft with dark amusement. "Unless there's a reason you can't touch her?"
Keith's hands rose slowly, and I saw them trembling as they reached for my zipper. Our eyes met, and in that moment, a thousand unspoken words passed between us. Then he stopped.
"I can't," Keith said.
He stepped back, his hands falling to his sides.
"Can't?" Damon's voice was deadly soft. "Or won't?"
"Choose your interpretation," Keith replied, meeting his father's gaze directly. "But I won't humiliate your Queen. If you want to degrade her, do it yourself."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Damon's face went through a series of expressions - surprise, rage, and finally, something calculating and cold.
"Interesting," he murmured. "Very interesting." He walked slowly between us, his eyes moving from Keith to me and back again. "You know what I think? I think you're both telling the truth... and lying at the same time."
My heart hammered against my ribs as he continued.
"The earring did end up in your room somehow, Keith. But not because you took it." He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. "And you Luna, you're terrified. You're terrified of something being discovered."
He released me and walked to his desk, pouring himself another whiskey.
"Here's what's going to happen," he said, not turning around. "Tomorrow's ceremony will proceed as planned. But with one change." He turned. "Keith won't just witness the marking. He'll hold you down for it."
I couldn't suppress my gasp of horror. Beside me, Keith went rigid.
"If there's nothing between you two, it shouldn't matter," Damon continued. "But if there is... well, forcing my son to physically restrain you while I claim you should effectively end any foolish notions either of you might have."
"You're sick," Keith growled, his control finally snapping.
"I'm thorough," Damon corrected. "And I'm not finished. After the marking, Sage will drink the bonding elixir in front of the entire pack. The ancient one. The one that kills the drinker if they've been unfaithful to their intended mate."
My legs nearly gave out. The bonding elixir was a legend, but I'd heard whispers that Damon's family still had the recipe. If I drank it after what Keith and I had done...
"That's murder," Keith said flatly.
"That's tradition," Damon countered. "Unless, of course, one of you would like to confess something now? Save us all the dramatics?"
The trap was perfect. Confess and die now, or stay silent and die tomorrow. Either way, if I died from the elixir, Keith would be implicated. Damon would have his revenge on both of us.
"I have nothing to confess," I whispered.
"Neither do I," Keith added, though I could hear the strain in his voice.
"Excellent." Damon finished his whiskey in one swallow. "Then tomorrow should be quite the celebration. Keith, you're dismissed. Go prepare yourself for your role in the ceremony."
Keith hesitated, his eyes finding mine one last time. I saw everything there - rage, fear, desperation, and something else. A promise that he wouldn't let this happen. That he'd find a way.
"Go," Damon commanded, Alpha power lacing his voice. "Now."
Keith had no choice but to obey, each step toward the door looking like it cost him everything. When the door closed behind him, Damon turned his full attention to me.
"Now then," he said, approaching slowly. "Where were we? Ah yes. You were about to show me what belongs to me."
His hands went to my zipper, and this time, there was no one to stop him. As he pulled it down slowly, his lips brushed against my ear.
"I know you're lying, little Luna," he whispered, his voice full of dark promise. "And tomorrow, when that elixir touches your lips, we'll all know the truth. The only question is... will my son watch you die, or will he confess first?"
The zipper reached the small of my back, and he stepped away, admiring his handiwork.
"Beautiful," he murmured. "Such a shame it might be wasted."
He moved to the door, pausing with his hand on the handle. "Get some rest, Sage. Tomorrow is going to be a very long day. And if you're harboring any secrets..." he looked back at me with a cold smile, "it will be your last."
The door closed behind him with a soft click that sounded like a coffin lid closing.
I collapsed to my knees, my dress pooling around me, as the full weight of what would happen tomorrow crashed over me. The bonding elixir would kill me. Keith would be forced to watch. And there was absolutely no way out.
Unless…