: Thief Astridâs POV I bit my lower lip as I tried to pull my arm away from Ashaâs ironâtight grasp. Her slender fingers were like bands of steel as she held me down, her eyes fixated with laserâlike intensity on the dark silver bracelet that adorned my wrist.
Each time I tried to pull my hand out, she would tighten her grip around my wrist, burying her nails into my skin until my arm had turned red because of the lack of blood.
âI asked you a question!â Asha yelled at me. âWhere did you get this?!â
I flinched at her fury. I do not understand why my bracelet made her angry.
âAsha, let her go! You are hurting her,â Nova demanded, unable to lay a finger on the daughter of the Shadowfang Packâs Alpha.
If only she had not been someone we could not afford to offend, Nova would have hurled her away from me to protect me.
âIâIt was a gift,â I answered her as I winced in pain.
Suddenly, Asha twisted my arm, making me yell out loud. She held my arm in an unnatural position. She held it at a perfect angle at the edge of breaking my arm.
âAsha! Let her go!â Nova yelled as she stepped forward to intervene.
However, Asha pushed her back by baring her canines and giving Nova a murderous glare with her glowing golden eyes.
Novaâs wolf tucked her tail between her hind legs and pressed her ears down when Asha showed her wolf to the surface.
Nova instinctively stepped backward. Ashaâs power was too much. We are nothing compared to the daughter of the Shadowfang Packâs Alpha.
âLiar!â Asha shouted as she turned her attention back to me. âHow dare you lie to me. Did you really think that I would buy your lies?â Asha hissed at me, her brows furrowing as she scrutinized the bracelet even more closely.
âThis bracelet is my familyâs heirloom. We lost it years ago. So how did it end up with you?â Asha questioned me again.
I took in sharp breaths as I fell a heavy pressure forming in my shoulder. âI didnât lie to you. I wouldnât dare to!â I shot back. âLook at it closely. Maybe you were mistaken. I had this bracelet since I was little.â
âThis bracelet is made of Luminite. It even has our familyâs symbol on it How could I be mistaken? How could a mere omega even afford to own a Luminite bracelet?â
âIâm just telling you what I know. Itâs true that my grandmother gave me this as a gift when I was little. Other than that, I know nothing else!â I reasoned out, hoping that she would believe I was innocent.
Seeing that I was telling the truth, Asha finally dropped my arm.
âIf thatâs the case, then it only means that you are the daughter of the thief who stole from us,â Asha spoke coldly as I held my aching arm. âAnd to think that we used our Packâs sacred treasure to save your life.â
âGuards! Seize her! Put her in the dungeon!â Asha shouted commandingly.
As soon as those words left her lips, the Pack guards instantly entered the room and surrounded me.
My eyes widened as I looked gazes with Ashaâs accusing and hateful eyes.
A thiefâs daughter? My mother and grandmother might be poor, but we are not criminals. I am wrongfully accused here!
Exceptâ¦
âAsha, you canât do this! Your father entrusted Astrid to you. He commanded you to take care of her.â Nova raised her arms on both sides as she blocked me from Ashaâs path.
âGet out of my way if you donât want to join her in the dungeon also,â Asha threatened her âThis bracelet is all you want, right? If it is truly yours, then you can have it,â I shot back as I unclasped the bracelet around my wrist and threw it to her.
The bracelet fell just a few inches to her feet. She stared at it before picking it up and holding it up to take a better look at it.
âWhat are you all waiting for? Bring her to the dungeon!â Asha yelled at the unmoving Pack guards.
âWait!â Nova shouted as she guarded me from the Pack guards who were attempting to drag me away. âAsha, Astrid gave you the bracelet already. Why are you still taking her?â Nova asked her with brows furrowed together.
âEven if she didnât steal from our Pack, she still tricked us into using the Lunar Elixir to save her life by hiding her identity from us. That should be counted as a fy. You stole our Packâs sacred treasure and used it for your own benefit!â Asha pointed a finger at me and explained.
âTake her away and have her punished!â Asha spoke with a scowl on her face.
Fear enveloped me as the guards held my arm. Stealing a Packâs sacred treasure is a serious crime. A punishment for that could include torture to death.
âAsha, you should at least inform your father about this first and let him make his decision about this matter,â Nova pleaded as she approached Asha for mercy.
âMy father would give the same decree even if heâs here. Our Pack has its own laws, and I do not have to disturb him about this,â Asha gave a flippant reply.
I fell on my knees when the Pack guards dragged me out of my bed. I still felt weak and had no energy to carry my own weight. However, the Pack guards didnât stop forcing me to pull me out of the room.
âWhatâs going on here?â A commanding voice resounded in the room, making everyone stop.