LYRAEN's pov
My ears perked up, and my eyes glistened with tears as soon as the masculine voice uttered the statement.
Looking up from where I was scrunched over, I saw a man who wasn't a regular face in the palace.
The entire time I was courting Talon, I had only seen him once and even then, Talon had dismissed that he wasn't anyone I needed to know and I didn't bother to learn more about him.
"You should mind your choice of words very carefully, Raze," Talon warned, but Raze ignored him and moved up to me to kneel beside me.
He lifted my face and wiped off the tears clouding my eyes, he then helped me up and dusted the sand off my now disarranged hair.
"Don't cry, you look better smiling." He whispered, and stood struck by this man who had shown me kindness when everyone was against me.
I kept gawking at him, I never would have believed in my life that any man would be way more handsome than Talon, maybe it was my senses clearing from the rejection, but regardless this man proved me all shades of wrong.
"I mean, isn't that basic knowledge? She was accused and isn't guilty until proven." He stated, smiling at Talon while Talon gritted his teeth and folded his fist.
"Yes, brother. You claim to love Lyraen, we've heard and seen, surely the least you could do is conduct a proper investigation." He continued, still standing by me, and I let out a shaky breath, hoping that they would listen to him.
I'm sure if a proper investigation was carried out, they'd see that I was being set up. Talon's eyes glowered in annoyance, as he looked from my shaky self to his brother Raze.
"Take him away as well. It seems I've given you a lesser fist all this while, brother." Talon scoffed, gesturing to the guards, and I watched as the guards dragged him away while he maintained his cool composure.
"You'll be fine, doll. Be hopeful, you'll be fine. I'll make sure of that." He muttered and I wondered how he was even going to manage that.
The guards came towards my direction and binded my hands dragging me out of the hall while people around whispered not hiding their stares and judgement towards me. However, I didn't want to leave my family in that state, the shame and resentment they'd get from other members of the pack was unbearable for me to think of, so I begged.
"Talon, Talon. Talon please." I screamed until my voice drowned out and I couldn't even see him properly from a distance.
When we got to the boundary, the guards abandoned me there. The eerie chirping of the birds, the wind, the sound of dry leaves underneath my feet as I took every step all sent shivers down my spine but it wasn't the good kind.
I was going to tell Talon that I found out I was pregnant for him today; I wanted that to be my gift to him after the ritual was completed, but now? I guess he'll never know.
"I hope I don't lose you," I whispered into nothingness, rubbing my belly slowly. I had found out a month ago and I had been literally bursting with excitement to tell Talon but kept it hidden so well for this day, to give it more meaning, to make it more special and yet he had banished me.
I felt footsteps ahead of me and I instantly hid at the back of a tree. They could be a rogue wolves. They would kill me; they could use me as their next meal. The list of what it could be was endless so I just hid there, eyes tightly shut, my breathing withheld and my lips pursed together.
"Are you okay there?" Someone tapped my shoulder slightly and I wrapped my arms around my belly while backing away in fright.
"Whoa, whoa, easy there." The voice revealed itself to be a woman, gesturing to me to calm down.
"Please, please don't kill me." I shrieked, scrambling for the nearest tree.
I shut my eyes tightly preparing myself for whatever was to come but when I felt nothing for the next few minutes but heard a few hushed voices, I opened my eyes slowly and saw pairs of eyes staring at me inquisitively.
"We're not going to kill you, darling. Are you lost?" The woman asked, pushing forward but I felt my eyes nearly bulging out of my eye sockets in fear as I scrambled backwards. "What is a gem like you doing out here in the forest so late? I'm Elena by the way." she asked and I stared at them suspiciously.
"Umm, I got banished from my pack… but I promise I'm innocent. I got set up." My countenance fell as I said that and she stroked my hair softly and though I was scared of her, I felt safe for the first time since I got exiled and abandoned at the borders.
I had just been walking forward, wandering helplessly like a lamb led to the slaughter house knowing fully well that going back wasn't an option. I would be killed the instant I was spotted at the borders and that was a risk I wasn't willing to take—not especially now that I have a child in me.
"Oh bless your soul. No one should have to go through that. Most of us ended up here in similar ways with similar stories. In fact, Eirene here also got set up and sentenced to death. She escaped." I mouthed an 'oh' as I became slightly comfortable and stepped out a bit.
"You're safe here, okay?" She stated and I nodded. "We're just like you."
They led me back to their little space and I realized they were called 'The Rogue faction' but they looked nothing like rogues. They were even better than actual wolves living in packs and houses.
"Who's your leader?" I finally asked because it had been Elena speaking all this while and I assumed she was the leader.
"Oh, our leader?" She repeated almost like she wasn't expecting the question and then gulped in fear which I caught on, "He went hunting and scouting. He does it often and returns after a few months." I nodded, not questioning any further—not like I was good at asking too many questions anyway.
With their help, I was able to give birth to my baby. They taught me a number of survival skills, how to be a predator and how not to be the prey
I learned to fight, I learned to hunt better and how to take care of myself. My son grew soundly with their help and I couldn't have been more grateful to them.
It had been a few years since I was banished from my pack but I can't help to say that even though Talon's actions then hurt, it was literally the best thing to have happened to me.
I also got to discover that Elena had lied to me about their leader, they didn't have a leader. I hadn't seen anyone for years, so it was either that he never existed or had died hunting.
Talon is a piece of shit though and should rot in hell. Every single time I reminisce on how I had begged him with tears in my eyes? I got second hand embarrassment.
"Trailing off in thoughts again?" Elena's voice cut through my thoughts and I smiled at her. Looking out at our faction, we weren't little anymore. We were just an inch closer to becoming an actual pack and I had risen to the level of being gamma leader. Who knew I had it in me?
"Just a little." I uttered and Elena chuckled before going straight to why she had interrupted my stream of thoughts.
"A little message came in among your heaps of files. And I assure you, you'd be pissed off. If you eventually get pissed, I'll be more than pleased to help you ease off on the sparring mat." I chuckled slightly while adjusting my collar.
"Give me a hint so I know what I'm plunging into." I said and she sighed while we walked down to my office.
"One word. Alpha Talon." My eyes widened as I stopped in my tracks.
"What did you just say?" I queried and she nodded.
"And I beg you, you might actually not get pissed but really pleased." She winked and I scurried towards my office. I had to know what on eartg the spawn of the devil was trying to do.
My hands trembled as I reached for the file Elena had dropped on my desk. A strange mix of dread and curiosity coiled in my stomach.
Why now, after all these years? What did he want—an apology, forgiveness, or another round of lies?
My fingers brushed the parchment, and for a moment, I hesitated. I wasn't the same girl he'd banished; I was stronger now, a leader, a mother. He didn't get to shake my world anymore. But still, I needed to know what he wanted. With a deep breath, I opened the file, bracing myself for whatever was written inside.
I pulled out the letter and read through it, exclaiming. "You have to be kidding me."