Facing Trials

“You don’t believe this, do you?” Lyle grabbed me down a set of dark stairs.
“Like Dean, I don’t know what to believe. I thought you couldn’t hurt a fly Little Wolf,” Lyle said.
“Help me talk to Cora, please.”
“She was convincing Layla. She showed us scars and a fresh one of where you supposedly hit her today to keep her mouth shut.”
“What? We spoke today but I didn’t hit her. I gave her clothes.”
“I don’t know Little one seems like you’re in deep shit.”
“Where on earth are you taking me a dungeon?”
Lyle raised his brow at me. “You’re going to your room. You won’t be able to come out though.”
“Dean’s serious about locking me up?” I whispered. The passage Lyle took me through didn’t seem like the way to my warm safe bedroom. More like to a dungeon under the castle that had forgotten skeletons from a hundred years ago.
“I know you’re upset, but he’s the king he has a duty to act.”
“Even against his mate? Doesn’t he trust me?”
“I’m sorry Little Wolf. Don’t be too down though, I’ll be right outside your door all the time.”
“Watching me! Not keeping me company.”
He shrugged,” Should count for something. Let’s go.” After getting to the bottom of the stair case we started to climb another set of stairs. Remind me against why we couldn’t just go the normal way? Minutes later and my shirt was drenched in sweat but we finally came to a door that opened to my bedroom where my mate stared out the window with his arms folded behind his back.
“Leave us alone,” Dean ordered.
Lyle exhaled and offered me a soft smiled. “Yes, Alpha.”
The door closed after I entered the room. I fiddled with my hands. My heart pounded and my voice didn’t want to come out for him. Nothing but violent thoughts consumed my mind making tears sting my eyes.
“Explain,” he said.
I stared at the door Lyle disappeared through. How come I never noticed it before? Because it was perfectly blended with the wallpaper. Rough hands squeezed my arms so tight I winced and backed up to get away.
“I’m talking to you Layla.”
“I can hear you. Let me go.”
“Tell me the truth first. Have you been playing me for a fucking fool? Think you got lucky by mating an Alpha King. Darling I can take away that privilege.”
His eyes bulged out of his skull and veins popped out of his neck. Dean was the only person I had in my life and now he didn’t trust me. I still struggled to get away.
“No… I love you.”
His lips slowly relaxed and his hold loosened. He created distance between us. I felt his wolf’s pain. I didn’t betray him. My wolf reached out to his alpha wolf and he eagerly accepted her.
“I didn’t lie… I swear. I don’t understand why Cora would lie.”
His back muscles relaxed. I wanted to place my hands on his muscular shoulders and squeeze. Dean wasn’t in the mood to be touched much less by me. He wanted to smash something and disappear into the woods.
“Layla—” He said through gritted teeth. He wouldn’t even call me Little Wolf. “I have to keep you here until I resolve this.”
He turned and tried to walk passed me. I jumped in front of him before he could escape. Dean wouldn’t even look me in the eyes.
“Have you spoken to her?”
“No.”
“Please speak to her. Cora wouldn’t lie to an Alpha wolf.”
He chuckled and threw his head back. Dean ran a slow hand through his hair.
“Gabe’s an Alpha wolf and he spoke to her.”
Right…
I shrugged. “Gabe’s always had it out for me.”
“Could he be right Layla? Do you what it’s like to have your little brother be right about something?”
“He isn’t! Don’t you trust me?”
“Wow! Throw me the same question you avoided answering.”
Tears stung my eyes. “I was going to tell you today when we were interrupted.”
“To tell me you’re a spy. If you could only tell me truth, babe then I can help you.”
“I’m not a spy.”
“Layla, if they made you do this it changes the story. Tell me they could have said to make you betray an entire pack.”
“I’m not a spy. How many times do I have to say it? You don’t want to believe me. You’ll believe I’m guilty first before you ever believe I’m innocent. You’ve already abandoned me Dean.”
“Abandoned you?” He said the words as if they were poison. “When your wolf reached out to me did I push you away?”
I sucked in my bottom lip.
“I fucking love you. I’m mad outside but my beast’s crazy about you. This is why it hurts so much.”
“Why?” I sniffled.
“The evidence is damning. Listen, I have to go.”
He turned to leave but I caught his arm. His muscles tensed.
“There has to be a reason Cora’s lying. Find out.”
He walked out. The door slammed behind him. Why did I feel an incredible sense of impending doom?

***

The door banged.
“Shh… she’s asleep,” someone whispered.
“She needs to wake up anyway. We can’t help her while she’s asleep.”
I rolled onto my back. I blinked the blurriness away. After pacing the room for twenty minutes I sat on the bed which turned into a nap.
“Guys? Should you even be here?” I asked, sitting up.
Sam and Ginger hurried to my bedside. Ginger threw her arms around my neck.
“We’re not supposed to be here, but we want to help,” Ginger said.
She pulled back. The bags under her eyes were still present but there was a new fire on her face.
“You believe me? You guys believe me?” I threw my arms in the air. Thank goodness.
“I know a spy when I see one,” Ginger winked.
“Alright. We don’t have much time. We need information to prove your innocence. Gabe’s pushing this big time. According to him it’s only a matter of time before the Dare pack attack again,” Sam said.
Strange what a few weeks could do. Sam gained some muscles, cut his hair short. The sparkle and mischief he carried had vanished. Almost dying did that to you. He wasn’t the boy he used to be.
“What do you need? I remember the night of the attack and all the days after. I just don’t remember what caused me to lose my memory. There’s a gap.”
“A freaking important gap. You need to remember now.” Ginger held my stare.
“I’ve been trying. Cora said… she said we were captured but I don’t remember that!” I stood and paced to the window.
I beat myself up but the only time I’d been captured was when Ginger and her gang kidnapped me and took me to Gabe’s house.
“But if she lied to Gabe and the others wouldn’t she make up the story of you being captured?” Ginger asked.
I shook my head, “I don’t understand why she’s lying now but I don’t think she was lying then.”
Sam folded his arms and walked around my bed to where I stood.
“It makes sense. Most times young women are taken from their packs during invasions and sole as sex slaves to other packs.”
Ginger grimaced, “You really think that could have happened.”
I believe the Dare pack were there for the tear of the goddess but it possible they took captives too. I stroked my throat. Nothing happened to me. Dean took my virginity. Though I was still beaten senseless.
“It’s possible. Now to figure out how you ended up on route to Gabe’s pack. Could be possible your captors were going to deliver you and got ambushed along the way.”
“Talk about bad luck. What’s the name of your pack?”
I frowned. Dandelions flashed in my mind then after a massive bonfire. The one that spread and consumed the pack the night of the invasion.
“Umm… Ember! The Ember pack. It was a very old fashion pack. No phones or cars. Women weren’t allowed to wear pants.”
Ginger gripped her head, “No wonder you seemed so weird.”
“Ginger…” Sam shook his head.
“What? It’s true. Anyway, do you know where it is? How do we get there?”
I shook my now pounding head. “That’s why I needed Cora. She remembered how to get back.”
“I don’t know how we can help but we’re going to try. There has to be someone that can help us prove your innocence.”
The door flew open. Dean and Gabe marched in. Dean glared at my friends. Shoot we should have heard them approaching.
“You two shouldn’t be in here,” Dean said.
“We were just leaving,” Sam said, taking Ginger’s hand.
“You two will be punished for conspiring with the prisoner,” Gabe barked at my friends.
“They weren’t conspiring and I’m not a prisoner.”
“You—” Gabe started.
“I’m still innocent until I’m proven guilty. So, there aren’t any charges against them.”
Sam smirked before ushering Ginger out. Gabe snapped. He crossed the room but Dean grabbed his collar and yanked him back. Dean stepped between his brother and me. I exhaled a thankful breath. Maybe this wasn’t a lost cause.