DIANE'S POINT OF VIEW

I felt what was probably a slap and it jolted me awake.

"Wake up, whore!"

By the time I raised my head up, it was caught with another slap. I could feel the world swimming away, again when he pulled my hair, chuckling bitterly. “Oh, no, you don't. I need you awake for this.”

He motioned to one of the men that had come with him and he set off somewhere. A quick glance around made me understand that people did try to stop him but were held back by the men Noah came with. I coughed some more.

“Why did you do it, huh? Why? I could've given you the world. I could have—”

I mustered enough strength in my voice. “What are you even saying—"

I saw his face twist into a monstrous form and I instinctively braced myself for the hit, but it never came. I opened my eyes to him watching me with disgust.

Then, he pointed to the camera that seemed to materialize out of nowhere. “Tell me, that isn't you?”

The video started with a very naked man on a bed, with a woman beside him. It’s Michelle!

I turned to face Noah, hoping to talk to him, he forced my head back to the tiny screen.

I stopped watching, then. As blood poured from my nose, mouth and god knows where else, I realized two things in that moment— One, Michelle knew it. She knew that he found her cheating. And she set me up. This had never been a reunion between sisters, but a scapegoat situation.

Right time, right place, wrong face.

Second and more importantly, convincing a man who couldn't clearly see we weren't the same people would be difficult. Michelle and I were identical twins. And it also didn't help that although apart all these years, our physique remained largely the same.

“You know, I love you. I took you as an equal. I wanted to sire children with you. I always promised you'd be mine, didn't I?” He laughed mirthlessly.

Instinctively, I began crawling away from him.

James, where are you?

Noah laughed, again and this time, it sent shivers down my spine. “Come on, now. There's no where to run. I want to hurt you for what you did to me. The sooner the better.” He said as he made his way to me. “Come on. It'll be over, soon.”

I wanted to scream but, I knew it would be no use. So, I turned to guests. “Help! Help me, please.” But, I was met with disgust in their eyes.

“How could she?” Someone murmured.

“She deserves it.”

And the ones that did seem to have pity in their eyes, cast one look at Noah and his eight wolf guards and decided I wasn't worth the trouble.

They would watch him brutally beat me up and they would do nothing.

I desperately clawed Noah's hand away as he tried to reach for me. He sighed and forcefully grabbed my hair and dragged me, forcing my scalp to burn.

I grabbed his hand with what strength I had left. “Just listen. Okay? It wasn't me. I swear it!”

“Are you still trying to push this obvious lie?” Then he turned to every one else, “she thinks it wasn't her.”

They laughed, mocking me. Noah even let go of my hair, giving me a moment solace. “Okay, then. I'd like to see you talk your way out of this one.”

Where is god's name was James? He said he would be here. Please.

“My name is Diane, not Michelle. That's my sister. I met her outside in her wedding dress, just before I came in.”

Noah scoffed.

Undeterred, I pressed on. “Okay? Where is my wedding dress, then? I should be in a white dress, shouldn't I? That's how weddings work.”

Every word I spoke caused me great pain. It was a hassle to even breathe. Damn you, Michelle. This is the person you've become?

When I remembered our conversation outside, I realized why she was uneasy. Seeing me had probably erased all her worries as she discerned I would pass as her and no one would believe me.

“Why are you going around calling yourself Diane?" He growled. "Your name is Michelle, and you paraded yourself, as a whore, forgetting that you're betrothed to an Alpha. This type of crime does not and will not go unpunished, Michelle. All I have done so far is just the beginning.”

DIANE'S POINT OF VIEW

My phone vibrated, and Noah was suddenly up. He walked over to the phone and picked it up.

“Who's James and why is he asking if you're okay?” Noah asked in a low growl. “Cheating on me with one man wasn't enough, you had to do it twice?”

I heard myself whimpering.

“Answer me!” He bellowed, tossing my phone to wall behind me. It shattered on impact.

“I swear, I am not her. This was—”

I couldn't finish the sentence as he crossed the room in blinding speed and gripped my already hurting jaw. “One more lie out of you, and it would be the very last thing you say. Try me.”

Then, he went back to the table and ruffled through my bag. An eyeliner, lip gloss. An empty pendant, a bottle of water, a brush and small shaped box. This one caught his attention and so, he abandoned whatever he had been searching for and open the box.

Inside it was a heirloom— A Jade necklace. I had prepared it for Michelle. I planned to present it to her after they said their vows. After the goddess blessed their union.

“Who got you this?” Noah asked.

I swallowed. “I got it myself.”

“Didn't I warn you about lying to me?”

“I am not lying. I swear I got it myself.” I couldn't tell him that I had taken it out of James’s family heirloom collection. Being a descendant of some of the most powerful and most influential alphas in history, he inherited a basement full of previous, priceless item.

I had picked this one because, I knew Michelle would love it.

Noah regarded me with a smirk. I started moving away from him. He smashed the whole thing on the floor, it's shards scattering about.

But then, he painstakingly gathered the ones he could find in one spot and then, he crossed the room in one step.

“Wait. Please, please. I—” I felt the shards dig into my skin. My scream must have pierced through the night. I couldn't take it, anymore. I didn't want them to see me break. To see me cry.

Where is James? Why isn't he here, yet?

“There's a mark,” I managed to squeeze out. “The side of my neck. He gave it to me. Michelle doesn't have that, does she?” I cried, now. Then, I raised a weak hand to my hair and parted it reveal a Luna’s mark.

“I gave you that mark by myself, not even five weeks ago.” He paused, cocking his head to the side. “More lies!"

“I am not—”

“You clearly are, Michelle."

The otherwise quiet crowd began to murmur, again. It took a moment for the weight of his accusations to get to me. It was not only unheard of, but it was so sacrilegious that the only punishment—

“Noah. Why are you toying with her?” The tallest of his men said. His obsidian skin was otherwise gorgeous but the hate in his eyes made me lower my gaze.

“Cameron, not now.”

But, Cameron shook his head at Noah's back. “She did not only defile your bed, she went as far as trying to undo your claim. She deserves to be—-”

Noah growled, low and true. “I said not now.” Cameron bristled, but didn't back down. He walked right up to Noah's side and joined him to look down on me.

“I'll do it, if you won't.”

My eyes widened. The worse punishment for this sort of crime was a complete wolf process. The accused would be stripped of their werewolf side. The whole process would leave them in a vegetative state. I wondered how many seemingly lunatic on the streets or in a ward were given this punishment.

With every ounce of strength I had in me, I straightened my back and raised my head. “Trust that my mate would see to it that you are destroyed for what you did to me, today. He will break you, cowards.”

I spat on Noah's shoes. Everyone gave me a puzzled look.

“You will beg for mercy later. I assure you.”