CHAPTER 15 - AWAITING THE VERDICT

Avery's POV

“I knew something was not right about her,” one of the guards at the dungeon I was locked in said.

“To think I pitied her,” the other said in response.

On my way out of the pack border, I was caught by a guard and now they held me in this dungeon till morning.

“Avery!” Shirley screamed as she ran towards me.

“Open the door,” she said to one of the guards looking at me with pity.

“But she…” the guard tried to explain but was met with a long stare.

“The door!” She said out loud and he opened the door without another word.

Every time Shirley looked at me, I felt so safe, that I had to remind myself of what I overheard to keep me in check.

“What do you want to do to me?” I asked bowing my head and accepting my faith.

“What do you mean?” She asked with a perplexed look.

“You are the one who tried to run away for a reason I don't understand,” she said with a sigh and a deep breath.

“It is better to leave now before I get hurt,” I said, not wanting her to know what I overheard.

“I understand if you feel like you can't trust us but why don't you give us a chance? The children are already very attached to you,” she said as she took my hand.

“By tomorrow, we will know the verdict,” she said, standing up from my side.

“Why did you have to make things harder?” She whispered as she left the dungeon.

“What did she mean?” I thought, I may not know what she was talking about but I was about to find out.

It was oddly quiet and I felt restless but I had to wait for whatever was coming to me.

The morning light had hardly come when I was taken out of the dungeon and straight to a mansion.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked as I was dragged towards the door of the mansion but I got no response.

I was taken to a room with a round table filled with elderly people, the youngest of them was the Alpha. I had not seen anyone of them before.

“She is a spy,” I heard one of them say to the Alpha.

“I beg to differ,” another one of them said.

“What brings you to that conclusion,” one other elder said to the second one.

“A spy wouldn't be as careless as she was,” the elder replied with a smile.

The round table was filled with whispers, some agreeing others disagreeing, all this time the Alpha hadn't said a word, I couldn't even see his face clearly from the angle I was standing.

“I think we should let her go but monitor her closely,” another lady said and the whispers increased, the table was divided into two, one side in support of letting me stay and the other accusing me of being a spy.

The Alpha cleared his throat and the table became very quiet.

“Was she found with any stolen item?” One of the Elders asked the guard by my side.

“No Elder, she wasn't even wearing shoes,” the guard answered truthfully, whispers erupted again.

“Like I said before a spy wouldn't be as careless as she was,” the Elder said again, it was actually stupid of me to try to run away without shoes and into the forest too.

“Alpha, Mrs. Shirley requests your audience,” a guard came in and said.

The Alpha signaled for her to come in, he still hadn't spoken a word all this time.

“My Alpha, Elders, please permit me to speak,” she said bowing as she entered the room.

When she was granted her request she took one look at me and took a deep breath.

“She is not permitted to speak here so please allow me to speak in her defense,” she said bowing again and waiting for an answer.

“I couldn't speak here? I didn't know that,” I whispered to myself.

Thank goodness, I hadn't said a word, I didn't grow up in a pack so I wouldn't know the rules.

“She was just afraid,” she said in my defense and began to recount my story just as I told it to her without missing any details.

For the first time, I felt like somebody really cared for me, she didn't have to do this but here she was supporting me even at the risk of her own safety.

“It is normal to expect her reaction my Alpha,” she said turning in the direction of the Alpha who I had still not seen.

“Even if I am locked up or driven away, I will never forget her kindnesses,” I whispered to myself as I watched her speak.

“Please give her another chance,” she said ending her speech and turning to look at me with a sad smile.

We were both sent out as they discussed what decision to make, in the end, I was able to return to Ashley's house for a day and the decision will be taken by the evening.

“Aunty Avery!!!” The children screamed from afar, immediately they saw me and ran for a hug.

“Easy…easy,” I said with a smile as they almost pushed me on the ground.

“I told you she didn't leave,” Vivi told the rest of the children with a broad smile.

“What do you mean Vivi,” I asked and she dragged me to a corner and made me sit.

“Daniel said you left us and you wouldn't come back but I told him you would never leave us,” she said with a smile giving me another hug.

Ashley and I exchanged glances and I mouthed an “I am sorry” to her to which she replied with a nod.

“I am not leaving you, I promise,” I assured them as we continued the story time from yesterday.

After almost five hours of being with the children, I finally felt relaxed and happy, I was ready to stay here and start a new life no matter the cost.

“You need to come with me,” a guard said to me with an urgent tone.

This was it. It was finally time to hear the verdict.