First
First 55

Chapter 55 .***

Leila gasps, dropping the glass in her hand, her heart pounding hard against her rib cage.

Carmela turns around, staring at the video that is on a loop, playing over and over again.

“Who did this?! Who is trying to sabotage the Luna of this pack? Turn it off, somebody turn it off,” Carmela shrieks.

“You don’t have a wolf?” Someone beside Leila says to her.

“A wolfless mutt has been our Luna? Outrageous,” another one adds.

“Whoever released that video must be targeting the Luna with such lies, there’s no way she rules this pack without a wolf, it is a lie, that video has to be fake,” Carmela continues.

Leila stays frozen to the spot, unable to figure what to do, what to say, how to say it. Her only wish is that the ground should give way and

swallow her.

Carmela knows she has no wolf but she just said it is a lie. If it were before, Leila would trust that her friend was defending her but after recent events, she’s not so sure of Carmela’s intention anymore.

Suddenly, everyone’s phone starts pinging, a general spam text hitting all their phones at the same time, including Leila’s phone.

“You can’t let anyone know about this, no matter what, no one must replace out you don’t have a wolf.”

Another video in Leila’s house with her mother telling her to keep her

wolfless state a secret.

Edna steps forward with her phone in hand, frowning deeply.

“Even if the video with doctor Amanda is a doctored one. What about

the one with her mother? How can both videos be fake?”

“There is no need to confirm the validity of the videos. The Luna is right here,” Tracy polets to Leila. “Why don’t we just hear directly from the horse’s mouth?”

“Yes!” The crowd roars.

“Do you or do you not have a wolf? Are videos real or not?”

Leila gulps, her lips trembling, her hands shaking, her eyes darting around as the pack members start closing in on her.

“That’s enough!”

Tatum’s powerful voice brings a hush over the crowd.

“We just want to know Alpha, your people deserve to know the truth. Maybe you have been tricked, maybe this woman has lied to the whole pack and stolen the Luna title,” Tracy says in a cautious tone, baring her neck to Tatum.

“Yes! We deserve to know the truth!”

“Does she have a wolf or not?!”

“Has a wolfless mutt been our Luna?”

“Disgracefull”

“She should be punished for such an atrocity!”

The crowd gets bolder again, the protests getting louder.

One of the ladies closest to Lella, pulls her by the neck of her dress. roughly.

“Hey! Say the truth **h, do you have a wolf or not?”

Amanda, who is already standing beside Leila punches the woman. square in the face, breaking her nose,

+25

“Get your filthy hands off her,” she roars.

The sound of glass breaking can also be heard, those who saw Amanda hit the lady also start growling, closing in on them.

Leila immediately starts heaving, her vision spinning, the chaos is getting stronger, the crowd getting rowdier, it feels like the whole world is coming after her, she can barely breathe at this point.

She looks at Tatum for a little hope, a little help but he looks away and pain shatters Leila’s heart at his betrayal.

Did he forget his promise? That if the truth ever came out, he would defend her?

She never wanted to lie to anyone, it was his idea to lie and marry him but now she has to take the fall alone?

Of course, he cannot look bad in front of his people, no matter what, he must remain a perfect Alpha in their eyes.

She trudges forward, ignoring the comments, the whispers, she just wants to get away from here.

“Leila, don’t worry. We will get to the bottom of this, we will replace out who did such an outrageous thing,” Carmela blocks Leila’s path, speaking in a high pitched voice, resting her hand on Leila’s shoulder.

The bitterness and pain churning in Leila’s gut become fully fledged in her eyes and she yanks Carmela’s hand away from her.

“You did this, you pretentious snake,” Leila snaps.

Carmela gasps.

“I would never do that Leila, besides I’ve been away for two years, how would I have gotten those videos?”

“On top of lying, she also falsely accuses the Phoenix Luna?”

+25 BONUS

“We should lynch her!”

“How ungrateful, after everything Carmela suffered for her.”

Tatum heaves a deep sigh hearing the crowd’s reaction. He knows he has to make a tough decision but if he takes Leila’s side over Carmela’s right now, the pack will be even more agitated.

“This is not the reason we are hosting this party. You have all

disrespected me today and I am not pleased,” Tatum says in a harsh tone. “You all go back to your-”

He pauses, seeing Leila’s body drop to the ground with a thud.