Iris’s POV
"What?" I stuttered, my voice catching in my throat as I took a hesitant step toward Alia. My heart pounded against my ribcage, each beat heavy with disbelief.
"Lucas has been locked up in the dungeon cell," she said, her voice breaking as fresh tears spilled over. "For beating up Zane... after you reported Zane to him."
Reported Zane to him?
The accusation only made my heart feel hurt. Why would she believe that? My mind reeled, struggling to piece together her words. "Alia!" I called out softly as I took another step closer. "That’s not true. I didn’t do that."
She shook her head, her lips quivering as she fought to speak through her sobs. "On my way here, Liora said so," Her hands dropped, curling into fists at her sides as she looked at . "She said you told Lucas that Zane was harassing you, and he... he went after him."
"That’s not true." I paused.
Of course, Liora. Her na alone was enough to make my blood boil at her audacity. That conniving she-wolf, always spinning webs of lies against to twist situations to her advantage. I could picture her now, her sly smile and eyes as she fed Alia this poison about . My hands clenched as I fought to keep my voice steady. "Liora, that bastard! Alia, please," I said, taking another step toward her, close enough now. "You know how manipulative Liora is. You can’t believe her. Trust , I didn’t do this... If Lucas was tagged a bully for defending , it is only right that he stood for what is right... right?"
Alia’s eyes searched mine. Her lips parted to speak but no words ca. She looked so fragile, so unlike the fierce girl I knew. The sight of her like this, broken, only made feel like a bad person. I reached out, my hands hovering near her arms, unsure if she’d pull away. "Listen to ," I said, my voice softer and pleading. "Let tell you what really happened."
She swallowed hard as she nodded faintly. "When Alpha Lucas asked to walk him around the pack house, I was just doing so, showing him and explaining things. Then Liora and Zane showed up." The mory of their sneering faces flashing in my mind.
"They started their usual nonsense, throwing insults, trying to make feel small. But Lucas... he didn’t stand for it. He stepped in, told them to back off. I swear. Lucas was just protecting and the injury on Zane? He had hit his hand on the tree after missing Lucas, his Target for the punch. That’s all that happened."
Alia’s eyes lifted to et mine again, her brows knitting together as she processed my words. A tear slipped down her cheek as she swiped at it with the back of her hand.
"I swear on the Moon Goddess," I said. "I would never do that. I wouldn’t put Lucas in that position, and I would never hurt you like that."
For a mont, neither of us spoke. Then, slowly took a step. "I’m sorry," her voice muffled, more like a weak whisper. "I’m so sorry, Iris. I shouldn’t have believed her. I just... when I heard he was in the dungeon, I..."
"It’s okay," I said quickly, pulling her into my arms before she could finish. She didn’t resist, her body lting against mine in a hug as her arms wrapped around , clinging tightly. I felt the warmth of her tears against my shoulder as I spoke. "I get it," I murmured, stroking her back gently. "You’re worried for him."
Her grip tightened. "I just... I love him, Iris," she said. "I didn’t want to, but I do. And now he’s locked up, and I’m so afraid Alpha Darius is going to do sothing awful to him."
My heart clenched at her words, at the fear in her voice. Alia, who had spent her life building walls to keep love out, was now crumbling under its weight. I held her tighter, wishing I could shield her from this pain. "Lucas is strong," I said. "He’s brave, and he’s smart. He’ll get through this. The Moon Goddess will protect him."
The words slipped out before I could stop them, and as soon as they did, I regretted. The Moon Goddess? If she was truly kind, truly selfless, wouldn’t she have spared the pain of my past life? Wouldn’t she have protected Alia from the scars her father left behind? I pushed the thought away, focusing on Alia. This wasn’t the ti for my own doubts.
Alia pulled back slightly, her tear-streaked face looking up at . Her eyes were still red. "You really think he’ll be okay?" she asked, her voice small.
"I know he will," I said, forcing a smile even as my stomach twisted with worry. "We will figure this out."
A faint smile tugged at her lips, though it was shaky and uncertain. She wiped her eyes again, this ti with more determination. "Thank you, Iris," she said softly.
I squeezed her hand, my heart swelling with affection for her.
Even though my heart is hurt for Liora lying about but what hurt even more was the fact Alia just believed her. Why didn’t Alia trust ? It felt like a slap to my face as I recalled the mories of my past life.
On the day I’d been accused of poisoning the king, Alia stood by , saying, I was innocent. But now, her actions hurt so deeply as I rembered what happened between and the triplets in the past too.
The triplets had accused of stealing.
They shad in front of everyone at school during break. I cried all the way ho and reaching ho without telling my parents, I explained to Alia and she hugged tight. "I believe you, Iris. You didn’t do it," she said. Those words kept strong. Now, her doubt hurts so much. It feels like I’m losing the sister who always had my back, and it breaks my heart.
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