The Ghost Luna

Chapter Five

Skye:

"Elizabeth!" My mom's anguished scream pierced the silence. She stood frozen in the doorway, her eyes wide with horror as she took in the horrific scene before her.

She seemed paralysed, unable to move or speak, until her eyes finally landed on me. Her expression twisted from shock to fury.

"You slimy b***h!" she screamed, her voice filled with anguish and disbelief. "You killed her! You killed my precious Elizabeth."

I looked down to see my hands bloody as I held a knife and understood why she would automatically think I did such a dreadful act. But a large part of me was disappointed that my mom, the woman who carried me in her womb for nine months, would think so.

My hands, stained crimson, trembled around the knife as I tried to form words. “No, Mom, I didn’t—” I began, but my voice was drowned out by her cries.

She lunged at me, her hands shaking with rage and grief. “Get away from her!” she shouted, shoving me aside. I stumbled back, my head hitting a table, giving me a slight headache, and my heart broke at the sight of my mother cradling Elizabeth’s lifeless body.

“What have you done? What did she ever do to you?” She sobbed, her tears falling onto Elizabeth’s pale face.

“Mom, I swear, I didn’t do this!” I cried, my own tears blurring my vision. “I found her like this. I was trying to help her!”

My mother looked up at me, her eyes filled with a mix of rage and heartbreak. "You've always been jealous of her, haven't you? Jealous of her beauty, her kindness, and now, maybe because she was marrying the Alpha’s son and you were marrying an old man, that's why you came back, isn't it? You came back for revenge and took the only thing I cherished the most." Her voice was venomous, each word a stab at my heart.

She didn't cherish me?

"No, Mom, it’s not true," I pleaded, but she shook her head, refusing to listen.

"No one has a better motive for killing Elizabeth than you. You’ve always been the troubled one, the envious one. You hated seeing her happy, didn’t you?" She accused, her words echoing painfully in the room.

"Arthur!” my mother screamed, calling for Elizabeth’s mate, and in an instant, before I could defend myself, Arthur rushed into the room, his eyes widening in shock as he saw Elizabeth’s body. He gasped, seeing the blood and her still form. He ran to her side, lifting her gently and cradling her head in his hands.

"Elizabeth!" he cried, his face contorted with grief.

“What happened?” Arthur’s voice was thick with emotion as he looked between Elizabeth and me.

"She did this," my mother said, pointing at me with a shaking hand. "She killed her own sister.” My mother cried, glaring at me, “She killed Elizabeth! She killed your beautiful mate."

Arthur looked at me, disbelief and fury flashing in his eyes. Although I haven't ever said a word to him in the past, a part of me wanted him to believe that I would never be capable of such a thing.

"Skye, how could you?" He whispered, his voice breaking as his eyes flickered between blue and red, a sign that he was struggling to control his wolf from ripping me apart. "How could you do this to her?"

I was disappointed and at a loss for words, unsure how to prove my innocence. Soon, the sound of more footsteps echoed down the hallway as other pack members arrived, drawn by the commotion. Their faces twisted in horror and confusion as they took in the scene.

"Skye is a murderer, and she must pay with her life for killing my precious daughter!" my mother screamed. The expressions on the pack members' faces darkened with each accusation.

“No! It’s not true!” I protested, clenching my fists tightly. My wolf howled in my head, urging me to escape and jump out of the window, but I knew that would only make them believe I was guilty.

"I found her like this. I swear on my life. I didn’t! I found her like this!” I pleaded, but the growing crowd seemed to believe my mother’s words more than mine.

“Take her to the Alpha!” My mother demanded, her voice breaking. “She must pay for this!”

The pack members closed in on me. I felt a strong hand grip my arm and hair, but I held back my screams. “Please, you have to believe me!” I cried, but my pleas fell on deaf ears.

As I was dragged away, I saw Arthur’s devastated face, still holding Elizabeth’s lifeless body. My heart ached with the knowledge that I was being blamed for something I hadn’t done. The truth seemed further away with each step I took towards the Alpha. I knew I had to find a way to clear my name and bring the real killer to justice. But for now, all I could do was hope that someone would believe in my innocence before it was too late.

I was dragged through the darkened streets, the festive sounds of the celebration fading into the distance. Dread built within me as we approached the Alpha’s house.

The man dragging me by my hair pulled me into the house forcefully. There, I saw the Alpha sitting in his large, imposing chair. My heart nearly stopped when I saw who was sitting beside him—my father.

Both the Alpha and my father turned their eyes towards the commotion. Surprise flickered across their faces before being replaced by cold fury.

“Skye,” the Alpha said, his voice low and dangerous. “You’ve finally shown yourself."

My father stood up, his face a mask of anger and pain. “You!” he shouted, pointing a trembling finger at me. “You’ve dared to return after what you did?" He yelled, and my eyes went to his ear, which was covered with bandages.

"She killed our Luna," the man holding my hair harshly said.

“I didn’t do anything!” I protested, my voice shaking. “I didn’t kill Elizabeth!”

“She lies!” my mother screamed, pushing through the crowd. “I found her with the knife in her hand, standing over Elizabeth’s body!”

The Alpha’s eyes narrowed, and my father collapsed back on the chair upon hearing my mother's words.

“We’ve been searching for you, Skye. A bounty was placed on your head for attacking your father, and now you stand accused of murdering your sister.”

“I didn’t attack him! I was defending myself!” I pleaded, looking desperately between the Alpha and my father. “And I would never harm Elizabeth. Please, you have to believe me!” My father’s face twisted with rage.

“You bit off my ear and ran away like a coward! And now my precious daughter is gone. You’re a danger to this pack! A monster!”

“Enough!” the Alpha commanded, raising a hand to silence the room. He turned his steely gaze on me.

“Skye, you will be held until we can determine the truth. If you are innocent, you will have the chance to prove it. But if you are guilty, you will face the consequences."

The man holding me tightened his grip. I could see the disbelief and anger in the eyes of the pack members as some of them wished for me to be killed immediately.

“Take her to the cells while we decide her fate,” the Alpha ordered.

As I was dragged away, I felt a crushing sense of despair. My own family, my own pack, believed me capable of such heinous acts. But I knew the truth, and somehow, I had to find a way to prove it.

Locked in the dark, cold cell, I sank to the floor, my mind racing. Who could have killed Elizabeth? And why were they trying to frame me?

I had to find answers, not just for Elizabeth’s sake, but for my own. I couldn't let my life be destroyed by a crime I didn’t commit.

I couldn't let Elizabeth take away my freedom and happiness, ruining my life even after her death.

I growled in anger, feeling the hatred I once had for her starting to return.

Maybe I never really did forgive her.