Chapter 615: JUDGEMENT DAY

Xaden glared at me, his nostrils flaring, and I swallowed hard.

The atmosphere was tense, and all of a sudden, I felt like a target.

Everyone was looking at me, and I was the center of judgment.

I shifted where I stood in discomfort and wary.

He just stared at me.

“You’re back.” I managed with a weak smile even though I could feel the goosebumps on my shoulder rise. “You left, and I had no idea where you went. I was worried.”

Uther stood down beside the other pack members.

He wasn’t looking at me.

What was going on?

I looked at the snow wolf and wanted to know what the hell he was even doing here?

I managed a smile. “So you sent for me?”

My brother stood a few inches away from me, and yet I could taste the anger.

The rage.

“Anna.” He said slowly.

He batted his beautiful lashes, and his onyx eyes glowed. “I went to the moonlight pack.”

I swallowed heavily.

It was confirmation now.

Now I was certain he had been there.

I swallowed and tried to control my growing anxiety.

Everyone stared at us.

But not really at him, mainly at me.

“Oh.” I managed. “What for? I thought you didn’t want to go there anymore.”

And he had said that.

When he picked me up, he knew it was a Chapter of our lives that would forever be closed.

Hence why I had always known that I would get away with my lies.

Xaden was too traumatized to ever want to return there.

And yet, for whatever reason, I wasn’t sure of, he had gone.

“I did.” He said. “You remember. I was never going to return there, no matter what happened. And yet I was forced to. Do you have any idea of what it means for me to do that?”

“For me to return to the home of the man who killed our parents. Took my baby sister as his own??” He demanded in a more hurt voice.

“I understand,” I said in a lovely and cajoling voice. “I wish you had never gone. If you had told me, I wouldn’t have let you. I don’t want you having nightmares like I do.”

I tried to appeal to him, to be the sweet Anna he always knew.

He scoffed.

“I went because suspicions of what happened to Jasmine arose.” He said.

You could hear a pin drop in the entire room.

Everywhere went mute.

My heart skipped a beat.

I began to sweat.

“Remember the whole ordeal with Jasmine when we found out she was having an affair with Hunter?” He asked me.

I shivered.

And nodded slowly.

“Good.” He replied. “You remember. I didn’t want to have to remind you.”

He stayed pacing around me.

“See, things came to light. Things that didn’t sit right. Jasmine stealing the necklace.” He said. “Her planning the attack. It never sat right with me, but I chose to ignore it because it came from you.”

I quickly tried to shift my stand.

“Uhmmm…. Er, but Xaden, I wasn’t so sure if she had anything to

He raised a hand, instantly telling me to go silent.

My lips went mute and shut.

No words escaped.

“I trusted you because you, more than anyone here, knew Jasmine.” He said. “You lived with her. She was treated as a princess, while you were treated like a slave.”

My knees went wobbly, and I fell faint, almost ready to collapse.

“Isn’t that what you told me?” He asked.

I was hesitant at first, but his sharp words quickly set me back in my place.

“Yes.” I nodded.

“This is David.” He said, pointing at the snow wolf.

He was so pale compared to the rest of the wolves in the pack, and his white hair made him stand out even more.

“Don’t recognize him?” He asked me.

I considered telling a lie.

I swallowed. “Not really.”

“He is one of the many prisoners of Bale,” Xaden said.

The moment he called Bale’s name, he reacted as though he had spat venom.

“He here says that you were not raised as a slave,” Xaden said.

My heart stopped.

My world began to vibrate, and my entire being trembled.

I managed a weak laugh and my. Eyes became watery.

“That’s a lie,” I said.

I could see the glances.

Whispers.

They were all judging me.

“That’s not true,” I said. “Xaden, I am your sister. I’ll never lie to you. We should do this inside, somewhere private.”

I was being humiliated in front of everyone, and I couldn’t stand it.

“No, Anna. You’re on trail and you would be judged in front of the pack, as is our law.” He said so sternly that he didn’t sound like my brother anymore.

He sounded like the Alpha.

“You forged letters from the moonlight pack.” He said. “And set a magic bond to hide anyone from ever exposing your secrets.”

That hadn’t been my idea.

Rather Uther’s.

I gave a sharp glance at his side, but he wasn’t looking at me.

That bastard!

I had told him it would be dangerous, and we could have killed the people we used instead of letting them live!

“You lied that you were raised poorly when your entire life you were raised as a princess, while Jasmine suffered.” He said.

I struggled to breathe.

“You set everything up.” He said to me. “You set up the letters, the necklace! You lied. You framed Jasmine! You made her lose my daughter!”

His eyes were as hot as fire

“Xaden.” I managed. “This isn’t true. These are lies. I swear to the goddess I-

I felt a dirty slap land right across my face.

It came so hard, and without any hesitation, I was sent to the floor.

I looked up and saw Xaden standing over me.

I couldn’t believe it.

The one person who I had believed would always be by my side.

Had hit me.

“You’re still LYING!” He barked at me.

The entire room went hush.

I held my bruised cheek and whimpered.

“YOU MURDERED MY CHILD!” He said, and then his voice went soft, filled with hurt. “I loved you. How could you?”

For a split second, I saw his eyes go teary.

I wanted to get up and beg him.

Tell him I was sorry.

How much I loved him because I genuinely did.

He was the only one who had genuinely loved me.

I gently touched his boot, and he stared at me, his face written in disgust.

It was then that I knew I had lost my brother.