LYRAEN'S pov
"Father, I'm already late to the ceremony." I screeched at the top of my voice as my father applied to the engine's acceleration. It was a miracle our car didn't break down due to the speed we drove at, which was way past the rusty old car's limit.
"Calm down, love; your Alpha will be there waiting for you. I'm sure he's losing his patience but we're almost there." My father assured me as we sped down the highway.
I tried to keep my cool, glancing regularly at my wristwatch, at every minute that passed by. I felt elated when our car pulled to a stop outside of the mating hall.
I gathered my gown in my hands, took a deep breath in and walked into the hall. But just as I stepped into the hall, my gaze landed on Luna—my mate's mother. She sat at the corner of the hall facing the wall, and I let out a relieved sigh.
Our ceremony was to be held in the inner room and it probably meant everyone had arrived and were already gathered inside.
"Luna, my apologies for being late," I said with a big smile as I approached her, but she didn't respond, still staring out the window.
"Luna," I called out and she finally turned before flashing me a bright smile and stood to walk towards my direction.
"It's alright, dear. You're not that late; the time for the ceremony is still a little far, so you could say you're a bit early." She reassured me and I let out a deep sigh of relief; I really thought I was already too late, and I was already cussing myself in my mind.
Today, I am to mate with the man of my dreams. Who would have known that a girl from a lowly family like mine would ever come in conjunction with the royal family.
I was over the moon—if that's even a phrase, when I found out I was mated to Alpha Talon, and today, I was going to be crowned acting Luna and fully become Luna when the current Luna, which is Talon's mother, stepped down.
"Oh, that's a relief," I uttered. My mom walked towards us and exchanged pleasantries with Luna before stepping into the main inner hall.
I remained outside with Luna because as per tradition, she was the one to lead me in, as I was basically filling her space.
"Sweetheart, would you be so gracious as to get me a glass of water and lime juice if you can? The kitchen is down that way." She gestured down the hallway, and I nodded, swirling in my dress as I went to get her drinks.
I wasn't sure if she was supposed to be asking me to get her a drink since there were maids for that, but I imagined that it could be a test.
"Water and lime juice for Luna?" I demanded as I walked into the kitchen and a shower of compliments ensued on how beautiful I looked, and my heart felt so elated.
"Here you go, my lady. I was about to serve her." A maid said, pushing a tray into my hands. I raised an eyebrow at her behaviour before nodding and turning to go serve the drinks to Luna.
I stared at my wristwatch again and wondered when Luna would tell me it was time to go in and fully get mated to Talon. Every single minute wasted felt like I had been robbed of something, and the feeling was just unsettling.
"Bless your soul, my dear." Luna said as she took the lime juice from the little tray I had it in and sipped from it.
Her eyes widened in horror while the glass of juice fell from her hands almost immediately and I stepped back instinctively in shock.
"Is there a problem, Luna?" I questioned, hastily dropping the tray on a nearby table as I made to serve her table, but she gestured for me not to come closer.
"What was in that juice?" She asked, holding her neck tightly while tears formed and dropped out of her eyes.
"What? I don't understand what you're talking about." I answered in confusion, trying to come closer to her to figure out what was going on, "it's the lime juice you requested." I explained but she kept moving far away from me.
It didn't take long for people to begin gathering as I yelled for help and by the time I turned my head, Talon was standing there staring at me with a number of mixed emotions in his eyes.
Suddenly, the maid who had given me the juice pointed at me and exclaimed. "I saw her slip something in Luna's drink,"
I stared at her in shock, baffled and unable to say anything, while she continued.
"She was acting all subtle and suspicious, so I thought to tell you, but I guess she already started perpetrating her plans."
She pointed to Luna and I shook my head immediately in disagreement as I turned to and fro, from Talon back to his mother who was laying on the floor, struggling for breath or pretending to.
I didn't know what to do, but what I knew for a fact was that someone here was trying to frame me and, worse of all? Talon believed it.
"Talon, you can't believe that. I didn't do any of that, I would never do anything that would harm your mother. She's lying." The words were escaping my mouth as I tried to defend myself because those eyes Talon was giving me were the eyes of someone who believed their lies.
"Lyraen, how could you?" Talon finally queried and my lips quivered as tears slid down my eyes while turning to my family for help.
"I didn't do this. Tell him, tell him you gave me that drink. The maids would confirm it, you said you wanted to serve Luna anyways." I pointed at the girl and she shrugged.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I've been in the inner room all this while." I scoffed, chuckling dryly as I stared at her in shock.
"But we can ask the maids to be sure." She said, and I turned to the corner as I watched the maids who were complimenting me earlier shake their heads in accord with her allegation.
They were lying! Why would they do that to me?
"Please, one of you tell me this is a prank. Why are you guys doing this? What would you stand to gain in framing me like this?" My voice cracked as I watched my dad struggle within himself on what to do.
Any wrong move he made right now could be really devastating and incur serious wrath on our family, so when our eyes locked, I shook my head in a way to tell him to stand back.
I could handle this, Talon would believe me. He loved me—or so I thought.
"Talon, please. You can't listen to them; you know I love you and—" He raised his hand immediately, halting me from furthering my statement.
"You tried to kill my mother. You poisoned her! And you're lying to my face, Lyraen." He barked, giving me a bewildered stare, "It almost seems like I don't know you anymore."
My heart skipped a few beats as he spoke while tears blurred my vision.
"Talon," I whispered, my voice cracking on the edge.
"Fine, you can deny that. How about this?" He threw an envelope to my feet, and I picked it up, ruffling through the contents. They dropped out of my hands immediately as it seemed like my world was spiraling.
"I don't know what that is. I swear to you, Talon. I don't, that must have been fabricated." I cried out, biting my lower lips as I tried to walk towards Talon but he just stepped back.
"It's in your writing, Lyraen and that's definitely you in the picture! Not only did you plan to poison my mother, but you're also meeting up with rivals and leaking pack secrets."
My mouth fell open but words couldn't be formed.
"She's a traitor. And I loved you like my own soul, Lyraen. How could you be so evil? Talon, it's left for you to decide what would be done about her. Do what's best." His mother, who was supposed to be choking or dying or whatever, coughed out, and I turned to stare at her sharply.
"You know the rules, Lyraen. I, Alpha Talon Voss, reject you, Lyraen Dreya, as my mate and banish you never to step foot into this pack." Talon stated, and while I saw the pain in his eyes, I also saw the intense hate clouding whatever emotions I thought he had toward me.
It felt like strings attached to my heart were being pulled in different directions as I gasped, bending to my knees as my wolf howled inside of my head while I placed my hands instinctively over my stomach.
"Talon," I yelled as the pain hit me. It didn't seem to be affecting him anyway, probably because he was an Alpha, but the rejection put my wolf on edge and near spiraling into madness.
"The guards will escort you to the borders and from there on, you are on your own," Talon concluded, gritting his teeth. But just as he was about to turn and walk away from me a voice immediately spoke up.
"Don't you think an investigation should be held first before passing judgement to her, dear brother?"