A Gift from the Goddess by Dawn Rosewood novel Chapter 7

The last piece of hope I had inside me died at her words.

 Sophie had betrayed me, thrown me out and lied blatantly to everyone. How could she do this to me after everything we’d been through? I had loved her so much, trusted her implicitly, and yet she was now acting as if I meant nothing to her.

 Sophie’s eyes began to fill with tears as her voice wavered into the crowd.

 “Ariadne had been distraught by the news of Miss Woods’ pregnancy and I saw how this began to erode at her sanity; something I’d seen was already dwindling prior. Whilst in her employment, I saw her experience several fits of hysteria, laughing at the most horrible of things. And her mood swings were even worse. Sometimes she was so sweet, other times she would change like a light switch, become irritable and angry without warning.”

 I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. She was taking one small incident and magnifying it, warping it with more lies to suit the agenda. Had she really disliked me this much the whole time?

 “She persuaded me to try and escape with her, but I know now she didn’t tell me the whole story. I thought I was going to be helping a poor girl who needed someone to care for her. Instead, I ended up aiding a criminal with something so heinous.”

 She turned her teary eyes to Thea, crying during her words.

 “Miss Woods… I don’t know how you could ever forgive me, but I truly did not mean you any harm. I believed that I was bringing you a peace offering from Ariadne that day, not dosing you with the death of your child. I thought she wanted to make amends one final time before we left. I was wrong… so wrong… I am so sorry….”

 Her voice broke off into sobs as the crowd was whispering among themselves. They all believed her. They believed every lie she was telling.

 And there was nothing I could do.

 Thea suddenly stood up and everyone became silent to watch, anticipating a violent scene towards the woman who had poisoned her. Her walk was shaky and unsteady as she strode up to Sophie, as if to emphasise on her recent hospitalisation. However, to everyone’s surprise, when she finally reached Sophie, she engulfed her in a hug instead. They hugged as if they’d known each other as good friends.

 When Thea eventually broke away, she smiled benevolently up at the older woman, grasping Sophie’s hands in her own.

 “…I forgive you, Sophie,” Thea said, making a show of her mercy. “I can hear your words ring true under the light of the Goddess here tonight. I know you did not mean me or my baby any harm, and so I can’t blame you for the sins of your superior.”

 I looked out into the crowd to see they were enamoured by everything she was saying. They were hanging on her every word, their faces full of admiration for her.

 “This may be too soon to announce, but…,” she looked towards Aleric who was just as enchanted at everything she was doing. He gave her a nod of approval for whatever she had been silently seeking permission for, and she smiled brilliantly back at him.

 “…But Alec and I have been talking and he wishes for me to step up as Luna once all this unpleasantness is behind us. I see how pure and loyal your heart is, Sophie. I see how deeply you care for others. I know the Goddess must feel the same.”

 I could see what she was doing now. They had some sort of deal, I was sure of it. Sophie’s co-operation and false testimony in exchange for her freedom post-trial. Calling her by Aleric’s nickname “Alec” was also another power move. It showed everyone how close they were. No one had called him by that name publicly since his father had died. This was all a charade to win the hearts of the pack, to make them look up to her as though she was a merciful saint.

 And I was the devil, a baby killer, a murderer.

 “Sophie, I may not be this pack’s Luna yet, but I would love it if you would attend to me, showing me the same loyalty and love you mistakenly entrusted to the wrong person.”

 Sophie bent her knee immediately and kissed her hand, bowing her head in respect.

 “Miss Woods… no, Luna… it would be my greatest honour to serve you and spend the rest of my old life atoning for my mistakes.”

 Thea smiled and brought Sophie to her feet, hugging her once more. The crowd instantly erupted in applause at the scene they had just witnessed. Their new soon-to-be Luna had shown great love and forgiveness to the person who admitted to poisoning her. She was beautiful, kind, and strong. I knew they had never felt those things about me. I had always held their respect, but never their adoration.

 “I think we’ve seen enough,” Aleric said gently, standing back up.

 He walked up to Thea and wrapped an arm around her possessively. But it was then that I saw it.

 Something that made my blood boil.

 During their embrace, Thea flicked her hair back. It was strategic, I was sure. She wanted me to see. Wanted me to feel the pain it would cause one last time before my conviction.

 Because there, on her neck, was Aleric’s mark. Something he had never given me. Something he had always refused me even after we’d mated. He had marked Thea as his own, showing the world his favour for her. And it had only taken him a week, wasting no time to take her as a chosen mate.

 I was angry, furious. The mate bond was broken so I was no longer forced to love him, but to think I begged him to mark me for years without him wavering, only to see him mark her within a week. Disgusting.