A werewolf's scent was her essence. Was everything to her and cherished by her. Her identity.
Being accused of stealing it was no mere allegations, especially now that it was a higher up who did. And against an omega.
Olivia was imprisoned and the next morning, she had been brought out before the people as the scent seer had arrived. She was part of the few trained people who were experts at knowing whose scent had been stolen and who did it.
Olivia couldn't wait for the woman to walk up to her, sniff her and announce her innocence to the crowd.
She needed to go. She had to find another way to escape. She hadn't even eaten since the previous night.
Not as if that bothered her, she'd survived far more days on an empty stomach when she was still Sheryl's maid.
Being stripped and whipped, locked up in the storage room for days and sometimes weeks with no food nor water, whenever Sheryl heard the workers whispering among themselves how prettier and curvier Olivia was, compared to her.
"You over there!" A guard motioned at her in the cell she was in, lost in thoughts.
"Come out!" He commanded.
Olivia walked out knowing what that meant for her.
The scent seer had arrived and it was time for her to be smelled before everyone, if truly she had stolen Sheryl's scent with the use of the herbs.... The ointment for her wound.
Forcing herself to stand up, she was met with the rough hands of the man. It felt as if his palm was made of stone.
Olivia could understand that the hard work given to him everyday was the cause, but dismissed it immediately.
Though her own palm might not be that hard, Connor's wasn't either and he worked for the Alpha, just like the soldier before her who was dragging her with him down the hallway to the Alpha's throne room.
She scuffed as thoughts of him crossed her mind. The traitor. He was the reason she was in this mess any ways. Might not be directly but sleeping with Sheryl and both of them blaming her instead of taking responsibility had been the reason she vowed to leave despite being caught the first time...
"Here she comes!" A venomous sneer filled the air. Olivia raised her head from the floor to see it was Sheryl. Ofcourse it'd be her. Who else would it be?
"Here's the criminal, Alpha!" The guard reported, bowing before him and then hurling Olivia on her knees and to the floor after.
She didn't bother to bow her head in reverence of being in their presence. She didn't find it needed.
They'd already marked her as a criminal. She just couldn't understand why they were holding a trial when they already did.
And even the trial was going to be useless as she already knew how it would end. The beta's daughter to be considered a liar? Even if that was to happen, Sheryl won't sit back and watch herself get called that. For she had far too many plans down her sleeves all the time.
"She's the one who stole your scent isn't it?" The Alpha questioned, his gaze turning towards Sheryl who stood down the dias.
Immediately and without wasting time, she nodded her head in the affirmative.
"Yes Alpha. Everyone knows the tradition. A Beta's daughter always gets to be the Luna and fated mate of the Alpha prince. My servant here stole my scent which is why the moon goddess mistook her for me and fated my mate to her".
" Mates..... " She corrected after a while, eyes bloodshot from fury, boring on Olivia as if she wanted to rip life out of her.
How could she, of all people be the fated mate of not just one but three of the Alpha princes?
And worse she was their cousin, how would the people be able to take such a news that a blood relation of the Alpha's became their fated mate and the future Luna of their pack. All three Princes!
"Go ahead and do whatever we're here for, old woman! Find out and dissolve her of the scent! I can't imagine myself being fated to such a mutt anymore!" Knox 's voice came from the crowd.
There was a ripple of agreement from the crowd which comprised of few pack members and some royals.
Sheryl's father, the beta was seated on his chair at the throne room. Adjacent the Alpha's throne to show his power and authority as the next in command after him.
His face didn't mask the disdainful look on them as he stared at Olivia as well.
She needed no one to tell her that he hated this just like his daughter did.
The three Alpha Princes sat next to their father, and the Luna who was on the same line as their seats.
Everyone of them looked at her with malice and contempt. Except Zenon.
Knox and Kade she could tell because they wouldn't want a wolfless omega like her as their mate.
She'd learned on early enough how the both of them hated wolfless wolves, talkless of the lowest in the rank not even having one.
The Luna, she hated her. Right from day one. The remnant and reminder of her sister's mistake.
It was only because of the love the Alpha had for her late mother, she was still here. He hadn't banished her then but Instead rejected their mate bond and dissolved her as Luna.
The Luna now hated her, like she'd heard, because the Alpha didn't banish her even after her mother's death.
Zenon bore an unreadable expression in his eyes. They were fixated at her, that for a while, Olivia couldn't tell whether he was wondering why his cousin of all people was his fated mate. Or if he was undressing her with his eyes.
He had quite the reputation of being a playboy. Not just in the pack.
The room went silent as the scent seer stepped forward from where she'd been standing at.
Clad in flowing grey robes, her face shadowed by a hood lined with sacred beads. Her presence alone commanded reverence and dread from Olivia as she'd never seen someone like this all her life.
She said nothing as she approached Olivia, only the soft shuffle of her boots echoing in the throne room like a drumbeat of doom.
Olivia's heart thundered. This is it. The moment her fate would be sealed by the verdict made by this woman.
She batted an eyelid at Sheryl. Perhaps the little witch had paid her off in advance to be here knowing she would throw this shenanigan from the start.
The scent seer first reached for the small ointment jar presented by the guards. She uncorked it slowly, raised it to her nose, and inhaled.
Her expression remained unreadable.
Then, she turned to Olivia. The crowd leaned forward, all aching to hear what she had to say.
She circled Olivia like a hawk eyeing prey. Slowly, her face dipped toward Olivia's neck, breathing her in—then her wrists, then her hair. She paused. Inhaled again. Olivia stiffened, biting down the swell of panic rising in her throat.
A few tense seconds passed.
Then finally, the scent seer stepped back, her voice calm but damning.
"The scent upon her... is not hers."
There was a ripple of murmurs and whisperings that filled the air.
"The ointment bears lady Sheryl's scent. The omega has indeed used the sacred herbs to mimic a scent that does not belong to her."
A gasp tore through the throne room like thunder. Then murmurs. Shouts and then laughter at vow far Olivia was willing to go just to ascend in ranks.
"She's such a shnwl whore! Even making all the triplet Princes hers as well?" A voice accused, as if she as fate that mated four of them to each other.
" Doesn't surprise me! Like mother like daughter,they always say!"
Sheryl's lips curled into a triumphant sneer, as she spun to face the royals and the audience.
"I told you! This worthless mutt tried to steal my fate! My mate bond! My life! She intentionally wanted to strip me off my identity!"
She whirled on Olivia now, striding towards her with fire in her eyes, voice rising in cruel delight.
"You thought you could take my place? Me?! You will never be one of us. Not even with forbidden dark magic!. Not even with the stolen scent."
Olivia didn't move but rather stared straight ahead, her jaw clenched. She couldn't fathom what was going on.
For a moment, it seemed as though she might break. But instead, a strange calm settled in her eyes. One that made even Sheryl falter.
And then, Olivia spoke—quietly, but with a steel that hadn't been there before. Her words shook everyone present to the core.