Chapter 111 EVERYONE IS AGAINST ME

Chapter 111 EVERYONE IS AGAINST ME

\- MELLISSA -

Jane chuckled mockingly. The grin on her lips pulled from ear to ear. She left me, my eyes tailing her.

I don't know what I expected to see, but I know what I didn't want to see.

And that was Mutheran.

Somewhere in my heart of hearts, I still believed she was lying.

“Mother!”

Luca's voice called out to me, causing my eyes to race from Jane to his direction. I turned so fast that I think I sprained my neck. Not that I noticed. My eyes were busy searching for him.

And I saw him.

Lancaster was dragging him back to the high table platform. He didn't care that Luca was barely keeping up. He kept walking so fast with his hand around Luca's wrist. Luca's feet bumped against the floor, and it definitely hurt because Luca was crying.

“Stop it!”

I yelled, struggling to my feet, struggling to find my balance. The wounds in my back stung, throbbed, and ached all at once. I ignored them, forcing my body forward and stumbling towards Luca.

“Stop it! You're hurting him! Please stop! Please!”

Lancaster finally paused. His eyes rolled to me. They were dark, cold, and filled with disdain.

My heart pounded, refusing to stay calm in my chest. Everything was a war. Oxygen creased out of my lungs like something alien — breathing was a war.

In short, I was crumbling inside, but all I could think about was Luca.

“Please...” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.

He chuckled. He looked away from me and continued on, still dragging Luca. I knew then that no one was going to save him. No one was going to bring help to me because no one here wasn't against me.

I had to save my Luca and myself.

I fell trying to walk. Painfully, I pulled myself off the floor and continued. The guards rushed me, grabbing my arms and yanking me back.

They continued to pull, trying to get me off. I was still on the pavement, where I had buried my nails and refused to budge. They forced me to my knees and pinned me there.

I fought them. I refused to stop.

As Lancaster's deep voice came blaring like it was on a speaker, his words struck me cold.

“Hold down that witch. Make sure she never leaves this palace. She needs to pay for what she's done.”

More guards rushed in from every angle, joining in the mission to subdue me. They succeeded, getting me back on my knees again.

Lancaster looked away from me once he was sure I was held down. He continued with his address.

“Members of the Wolf Kingdom, I apologize that you had to see all of that, but it was necessary. The wolf is a liar, a murderer, and a deceiver. She has ruined the lives of so many and has still not stopped. However, tonight, I will bring an end to her deceit by throwing open the curtains so everyone can know the truth about her. So everyone can finally be free of her lies.”

My heart sank to the pit of my stomach.

My limbs gave up.

I crumbled on my knees, every fight in my body fleeting. Tears streamed down freely, soaking the neck of my gown.

And I didn't cry for myself.

I cried because Luca would find out.

I had failed him. I had failed to keep him from knowing.

I had failed my child again.

“She has committed so many atrocities, I don't even know where to start.”

Lancaster scoffed in disgust. From the corner of my eyes, I could see wolves drawing closer to the center space with hands over their lips and shock in their eyes. Somewhere, some wore hate on their faces like it was smeared on with paint.

Hisses filled the air, accompanied by curses and distasteful remarks.

In short, I had become the devil even before Lancaster got a chance to say much.

“Let me start with the atrocities she has committed in the Wolf Kingdom. That she-wolf burned down the city palace.”

Gasps erupted louder than you'd expect them to be. But they weren't as loud as the snicker on Alicia's lips as she came up to me from behind the priestess.

“She’s responsible for all those deaths that occurred more than five years ago. She blames me for it, said I didn't treat her well when the truth is, I gave her so much love that even my own Luna became upset that I was loving her breeder the way I should be loving her. All the love I gave her was never enough for her, so she set my palace ablaze to kill me and my Luna.”

“Demon.”

“Witch.”

“Whore.”

The curses crumpled down on me. Had guards not been there, they might have thrown stones as well.

I lowered my head, keeping my eyes fixed on my hands, which were half-resting on the concrete floor. I didn't want to look up. I couldn't bear to see Luca's eyes. I just couldn't.

“Then, after her attempts to kill me, her Alpha, she ran away to the Lycan Kingdom. There, she snatched my son from a lover of mine who had a child with me.”

The whole world seemed to fall into silence the instant I heard those words.

My head swung back and my eyes darted to Lancaster. He was looking right at me. His gaze was cold and dead. Nothing about his expression told me he was lying.

There was a glint in his eyes, a hint.

It wasn't just saying that I was fooled. Somehow, I think he was also saying, you've been fooled from the very beginning.

Unconsciously, my eyes crossed with Luca's. His face was smeared in tears. His eyes were sore and his breath was coming in quick, short gasps.

His lips curled into a small smile.

My heart sank deeper, caving out of my stomach and into some black hole inside me. My vision blurred. My head dropped like melting ice cream.