Chapter 2 The Sentence
The dungeon was silent, save for the steady drip, drip, drip of water leaking from the ceiling.
I didn't know how long I had been down there. Hours? Days? There were no windows, only the oppressive darkness and the smell of mold.
My stomach growled violently. I hadn't eaten since yesterday morning.
Creaaaak.
The heavy iron door groaned open.
I scrambled back against the wall, my heart hammering against my ribs. Was Amon back? Was he here to finish me off?
A figure stepped into the dim light. It wasn't Amon.
It was Doctor Aris.
He was an older man, one of the few people in the pack who didn't look at me with total disdain. But he didn't look happy right now. He looked pale. Terrified.
"E-Seraph?" he whispered, closing the door softly behind him.
"D-Doctor?" I rasped, my throat dry. "A-Are you here to h-heal me?"
He didn't answer. He walked over, kneeling beside me. He opened his medical bag, his hands shaking slightly.
"I need to check your vitals," he said quietly.
He placed a cold stethoscope against my chest, then moved it down. Lower. To my stomach.
He listened for a long time. His frown deepened.
He pulled the stethoscope away and looked me in the eye.
"You're pregnant," he said.
The world stopped.
I knew it. deep down, I had known. But hearing it out loud made it real.
"A-A baby?" I whispered, my hand trembling as I touched my flat belly. "K-Amon's?"
"Yes," Dr. Aris said grimly. "But you cannot tell him."
"W-Why?" I asked, a spark of hope igniting in my chest. "If he k-knows... maybe he won't b-banish me. Maybe he will l-love—"
"He will kill it, Seraph," Dr. Aris cut me off, his voice harsh.
I froze. "W-What?"
"Melissa has him wrapped around her finger," the doctor explained hurriedly, glancing at the door. "She has convinced him that you have been meeting with Rogues. That you are a traitor."
My blood ran cold. "R-Rogues?"
"If you tell him you are pregnant now," Dr. Aris said, grabbing my shoulders, "He will think it is a Rogue's spawn. He will kill the child before it takes its first breath. And he will kill you for betrayal."
Tears welled in my eyes. "N-No... h-he wouldn't..."
Bam!
The door flew open, hitting the stone wall with a deafening crash.
Dr. Aris jumped back, scrambling to his feet.
Amon stood in the doorway. He wasn't wearing his Alpha ceremonial robes anymore. He was in black tactical gear. He looked like death.
"Leave us," Amon commanded.
Dr. Aris bowed low, grabbing his bag. He gave me one last, terrified look before hurrying out.
Amon stepped into the cell. The air instantly became heavy with his power. It was suffocating.
He looked down at me. No emotion. No love. Just cold duty.
"I have made my decision," he said, his voice void of humanity.
I tried to stand, using the wall for support. My legs shook violently.
"K-Amon, p-please," I begged, my hands instinctively covering my stomach. "I didn't d-do it. S-Melissa is l-lying."
"Enough!" he barked. The Alpha command slammed into me, forcing my mouth shut.
He took a step closer.
"I, Amon Blackwood, Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack, reject you, Seraph Jameson, as my mate."
The words were physical blows.
Snap.
I felt the bond inside me tear. It was agonizing. Like a limb being ripped from my body without anesthesia.
"Ahhh!" I screamed, clutching my chest, falling to my knees.
The pain was blinding. I gasped, tears flowing freely.
He watched me writhe in pain. He didn't even flinch.
"I accept your rejection," I whispered brokenly, because I had no choice. If I didn't, the pain would kill me. And I had to live. For the baby.
The bond withered and died. The warmth vanished.
"Good," Amon said coldly. "Now for your sentence."
He looked at me with eyes of ice.
"For the crime of assaulting the future Luna, and for your suspected collusion with Rogues... you have two choices."
He pointed a finger at me.
"Choice one: You remain in the dungeon until the full moon. Then, you will be publicly executed."
I gasped.
"Choice two," he continued. "Banishment. You leave tonight. You become a Rogue. If you ever step foot on my territory again... I will rip your throat out myself."
