CHAPTER TEN
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Keanu Deighton's
Alpha Henris stepped forward, protecting Elara behind his back, his face set with anger.
"Enough, Alpha Deighton. You don't know what you're talking about. Elara works tirelessly every day to feed this pack. She wakes up before sunrise, stands by the fire for hours, and tastes every dish to ensure it's perfect for everyone. She is the hardest-working, kindest person I know, and you dare to accuse her of lying?"
Elara peeked out from behind his arm. Her eyes filled with tears, and her hands gripped his shirt tightly as she shook. She looked fragile and helpless, just like the innocent victim she wanted everyone to see.
"Alpha Deighton... please..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "I know you hate me. I know you think I take things that aren't mine, but I promise I don't! I really do cook! I really try my best! I know Evita is your sister, and you love her. I try to be nice to her; I let her help sometimes because I feel bad seeing her do nothing. I let her taste the food or stir the pot. That's probably why her faint scent lingers on this apron I wear. I don't mind sharing credit; I just want everyone to be full and happy. Even if she glares at me, even if she hates me, I will still be kind to her. That's all I can do."
She wiped away a tear, looking at Alpha Henris with a heartbroken smile. "Maybe… maybe I'm just not good enough. Maybe my cooking isn't as special as Evita's. I know I'm just a weak human, I don't have magic or powers like her. I just try my best. I'm sorry if I made you angry, Alpha Deighton."
"See?!" Alpha Henris shouted, furious for her. He pulled her closer, glaring at me like I was the villain.
"Look at her! She's apologizing to you! She works hard, she's humble, and she's kind enough to let your sister near the kitchen. All she gets is suspicion and insults! She's an angel, Alpha Deighton! An absolute angel! And your sister? She's nothing but a dangerous witch who should be thankful Elara even lets her breathe the same air!"
I let out a sharp, bitter laugh, stepping closer until I looked right past Alpha Henris, directly at her fake, crying face. My blood boiled, not just from anger but from the sheer insult of it all.
"Save your tears, little girl," I said coldly, my voice slicing through her act. "You can fool everyone else here, even this blind Alpha standing next to you, but you can't fool me."
I pointed directly at her.
"I grew up with Evita," I declared, my voice loud and firm, filled with certainty.
"Since we were kids, she was the one who cooked for me. After our parents died, she fed me every day. I ate her food as a pup, as a teenager, and when I became Alpha Deighton. I know the taste, the smell. I know exactly how she seasons her meat, makes her broth, and cuts her vegetables—every detail."
I glanced at Alpha Henris, shaking my head in disgust.
"You say she cooks this? You say this is your mate's work?" I scoffed, pointing at the dishes and sweeping my hand across the kitchen.
"I smelled it the moment I arrived, and I knew immediately. This taste, this flavor is exactly what I have eaten my whole life. It's Evita's cooking. No one else makes it like this. No one else has that touch. And that apron you wear with pride? There's a faint scent lingering on it, so subtle that anyone else might miss it. But I know it well. It's Evita's scent. It clearly tells me she's the one who's been wearing it. And it's not just the apron; I can sense her scent everywhere in this kitchen. On the counters, near the fire, on every single utensil. It clings to everything here, while you carry nothing but the perfume you drench yourself in."
I turned back to Elara. She had stopped crying and was now staring at me with wide, panicked eyes. Her mask was slipping a little.
"You are nothing but a leech," I snapped.
"A snake who hides behind tears and smiles. You wear what she wears, you stand in the space where she works, you take every meal she prepares. You act like a hardworking goddess. You pretend you let her 'help' out of kindness? Please. Every scent in this room screams the truth at me. You are using her, her skills, her hands, her effort. You steal every bit of credit while she stays hidden somewhere. But I know the truth. I know my sister's food. And I know for a fact that you have never stepped foot near a fire long enough to learn how to boil water, let alone make a feast like this."
"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Alpha Henris shouted, his face red with rage. He stepped in front of her to block me.
"You are delusional! You are saying this because you refuse to believe your precious sister could ever be less than perfect! Elara is my mate! I trust her! I believe her! She is good, and Evita is just a witch who wipes out something like us. You are too blinded by family love to see it!"
Elara buried her face in Alpha Henris' chest and sobbed softly, but I caught the look she threw at me over his shoulder. It was a look of pure malice and triumph, quickly hidden behind another fake sniffle.
"It's okay, Alpha Henris…" she murmured sweetly. "He just misses his sister. I don't mind being misunderstood. I will just work harder to prove him wrong."
I stared at them for a long moment. The fight slowly drained out of me. I realized then that no matter what I said or what proof I presented, he would never listen.
It was clear to me. He wasn't just blinded by affection, he had truly been bewitched. Whatever hold this human had on him was too deep to break with just words. I let out a long, heavy sigh and took a step back, my expression turning cold and distant.
"Fine," I said flatly, my voice lacking emotion.
"Believe whatever you want. Defend her all you like. It is obvious now that you are too far gone to see the truth even if it was right in front of you."
I paused, my eyes hardening as I looked him in the eye.
"But I am not here to argue with you. I have gathered witnesses and solid evidence that will prove my sister's innocence before The Supreme Conclave."
"Until the Grand Assembly is convened and the official judgment is made," I declared firmly,
"I demand full custody of Evita. She should be placed under my protection and care while we await the decision of The Supreme Conclave. Bring her to me immediately."
Alpha Henris nodded, his face still tight with irritation. "Very well. If you are so desperate to claim the witch, then take her. Darius! Bring Evita out here now!"
Moments later, Darius, his Beta, stepped out from the shadows. He walked over calmly, his posture proper. But the moment he opened his mouth, his tone dripped with arrogance and careless amusement. He didn't swagger or act boldly, but his voice carried a mocking certainty that made my blood run cold.
"Alpha Henris, you don't have to worry about that anymore," Darius said smoothly, his tone arrogant and unbothered, as if he were talking about something minor.
He let out a short, cold laugh and shook his head slowly. "That useless witch is already dead. She was burned to ashes just earlier by our pack members because that ungrateful witch slacks of more often. There is nothing left of her to bring out."
The world seemed to stop. The air left my lungs, and for a second, I couldn't hear anything. I stared at him, my mind refusing to process the words. But the way Darius spoke with such casual arrogance, how he called my sister useless with that same tone, shattered something inside me.
Dead.
Burned to ashes.
My sister.