Stronger by Ang Chris
Chapter 86

Annette POV

“Elizebeth,” I turned around to go and run out as she went past and comfort her but my husbandgrabbed me from behind.

“She won’t want to speak to anyone. She probably feels incredibly naive and stupid,” he told me.

She shouldn’t the level–headed rational woman had loved and loved deeply and she didn’t attempt tolook for a fault where there wasn’t any. He had used that against her.

“Let me go,” I told him. “Everyone stay here.

I followed her and grabbed her arm. “This way,” I told her. I brought her to the bunker beneath the keep.It was soundproof.

“No one will hear you. You can let go,” I told her and turned around.

The gut–wrenching deep sob came from her throat. They grew loud and guttural angry and violent asthey turned to screams and rage.

She began breathing after a while and o heard her voice starting to thin she was rapid with her breaths.“Don’t hyperventilate you’ll pass out,” I told her.

She slowly steadied her breaths. “Thank you, Luna,”

I went over to the sink in the corner and grabbed a rag wetting it and went over to her to wipe her face.

“I swear I was not in on it Luna I’ll face interrogation to prove it in any form,” she offered this womanwho had not once shown any fear now terrified.

“Don’t. If he even suggests it I’ll have Grayson seen by a physician for clinical insanity,” I told her. “Youare not that person, you fell in love with the wrong man. That doesn’t make you a bad person not evena fool. You loved that’s it,” I told her and handed her the towel. “I’m sorry that you’ve lost,”

“Thank you, Luna,” she straightened her shoulders. “I won’t ever give you a reason to doubt me again,”

“Never have never will,” I nodded to her. “How do you want to do…. what goes on from here? I believeyou want the honest truth?” I asked.

“I do,” she gave a curt nod.

“He won’t make the next day. Grayson will execute him and I have no doubt Jessica as well. Do youwant to be there or

not?”

“I do. Not because I want to wat–7 she huffed in a breath. “I know what will be said of me if I don’t go,”

“Understood,” I agreed. “I’ll do my best to let you keep your house as long as you can but it’s the delta’shouse and 1

cannot let the pack goom to long without one,”

“I’m well aware, she agreed. Till only ask for a month,” she sniffled.

“I think I can manager time:“responded.

“Is there anything you need from me,”

“I’ll want,” she inhaled deeply and died herself, and held her stomach to calm down. “I want to bemwitows

mark. I know that as a traitors, witte, Il sunuldn’t asi; for it but I want…I was married he’ll be he won’t belien anymor I want the mark that at least we were together at one point his bite mark will fade after acouple of weeks. I want that to remember I’ve had a husband”

“Granted,”

“Thank you…..Annette,” she bowedilir hendite me. “I want to go to my home,” she gathered herself andleft.

I followed her out and tumedi back to my hudimil.

“Is she alright?” He placed his hands.omyam..

“She’ll be there when he’s executed she knows itt hum ttobe done. I ask you to give her three monthsbefore replacing the delta and moving her out of her home: Barim.

“I can give that, he nodded to me smiling down at me. “You’re a gracious woman her husband betrayedus and you’ve shown her kindness,”

“There’s more,” I told him. “She wants a widows munk. ”

He inhaled. “That will stain her. The men of the sock won’t like that.” The furrowed his brows. “She’llhave a hard time remarrying with a widow mark for a traitor.”

“She wants to remember that she was married. I believe the ion mow who she is and if need be shecan replace a man from another pack, she wants to remember her marriage:” I tall him.

He inhaled deeply. “If the elders agree then I’ll allow it

This was the best I could get at the moment I’m sure Amani wanit sway thom.

We went to bed that night and for the first time in forever slept in my husband’s arms at last. It felt, evenmore. sweeter after witnessing the end of another marriage.

www proud to be with an honest man and loyal man. I k*ssed him as much are we had to leave theSATUTURITY DÍ Our bed. I wasn’t prepared to let go of our peace but still.

De down, ucun was to be executed. He would be brought in fout of the muun the–belienned andburned in front of everyone. His parents. His wilt. Hla Grand

the moon whined and he would

Tesarch was to be executed a well but she would not be burned she would be hurried beyond die padnils. She tan

Mehsil ter ga to death in front of her family.

I dressed in a red gown as the betrayed and Grayson dressed in a maroon shirt to match. Elizebethwas permitted a scarlet color as well. Everyone else would be dressed in silver. No one would beallowed to mourn.

The typical black flags that would hang around the lands for a high–ranking member were not to behung. He would have no grave, his parents would likely wipe him from their home in shame. But hiswife was allowed a widow’s mark.

It was only a small black dot on her ring finger to mark her first marriage but she’d been permitted asher reasoning still tainted her enough for the elders. She was the first of a traitor and they seemed torelish the idea of her bearing some of the shame.

I was in a simple gown the same traditional style of my wedding gown but it was only tight above mybreasts and flowed freely cascading over my bump. Ella came and painted my arms in a pattern of ourpack for a Luna.

She placed a headpiece of bronze on me and I stood. I looked a Luna pregnant with the heir.

We made our way as a group to the moon pool children were not allowed to watch on my orders. Theirparents would tell them what happened.

“The crimes committed are treason, human trafficking, and attempted regicide,” Grayson explained.“The guilty, former delta Aarron Hokk and….

I turned my husband out and looked at Elizebeth she stood in the front beside his parents and hers.Aarron’s sister and her husband are beside them as well.

She stood tall and strong but I had no doubt she was collapsing in on herself.

“Bring them,” Grayson waved and my brother nodded to him. I didn’t mean to gasp when I saw him butit turns out my family did take their pound of flesh. He black and blue his face swollen all on the leftside. His back was red and torn apart and four fingers were missing.

He came to the front in front of the pool and his head was laid down.

“You have betrayed your pack you will be burned and no one will mourn you not even your wife. She’sbeen granted a mark but so those here know she’s a traitor’s wife. Do you wish to repent before youmeet our goddess?” Grayson asked him.

“No,” he almost choked on the word as he seemed to have a broken jaw or something.

If Elizebeth cried for him or gave any notion of grief people would suspect forever she was in on it.They probably still would but she kept herself together.

“Then die,” Grayson picked up the sword and before I knew it brought it down.

I did not mourn for the snake we’d just gotten rid of, I mourned for my loyal protector and the love she’dlast.

His limp b*dy and head were thrown on a pyre and then Jessica was brought to her knees.

Two very dillerent resolves in the face of death. She whimpered and wept.

“Please. Please I’ve learned. Pleasedontkillme. I dontwannadie. I can’t die pleeeeesssssse, she turnedher back and

forth as she wailed between me and Grayson.

I but back the urge to roll my eyes. My mate handed me the sword.

“Nonononono. Not her I don’t want her to do it. No please no. Ittakeitback be kind.Pleasepleasepleasemyluna,” she begged. A yellow puddle forming at her knees.

“Do you wish to repent before you go to the goddess?” I asked her.

“I’m sorrrry. Huuuuuuuh I’m soooo sorrrrrrryyeeeeeeyhhhh,” she had snot coming out of her nose asshe cried.

I pitied her parents who had to watch their daughter their baby girl beg for her life.

I brought the sword up and gathered myself before I brought it down clean through her. She’d wrongedme but I had still taken her life.

Her b*dy was taken by the guard and dragged off to be buried.

“This is it. The people who betrayed us are dead. The villains who hunted me are buried or tied by theministry’s council on treaties.

“We’re safe,” I held my belly and Grayson put his arms around me holding me to his chest.

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