Chained to the Enemy Alpha -
Chapter 72: Sacrifices
Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Sacrifices
Lily walked alongside Talia toward the infirmary, her shoulders hunched as she avoided meeting the eyes of passing pack members. Since Zayn’s disappearance three days ago, whispers followed her everywhere, growing louder with each passing day.
“Hold your head up,” Talia murmured, noticing Lily’s discomfort. “Don’t let them see your fear.”
Lily nodded, forcing her spine straighter despite the weight of accusatory glares. A group of women gossiped near the well, their conversation halting abruptly as Lily approached. One of them—a blonde with fierce eyes—stepped forward deliberately.
“How convenient that our Alpha disappears right after being alone with you in the forest,” she spat.
Lily’s hands trembled as she reached for her notebook, but Talia stepped between them.
“That’s enough,” Talia warned. “Spreading rumors helps no one.”
The blonde sneered. “It’s not a rumor when Victoria saw it herself.”
Lily’s blood ran cold, eyes wide. Her hands shook, but she tried hard to hide them behind her skirt.
Another woman joined in. “My cousin’s on the search party. They’ve found nothing. It’s been days!”
“It must be her fault! She must have done something to our Alpha!” someone shouted from behind.
Before Lily could react, something splattered on her shoulder. It was a rotten egg, its gooey substance smeared across her dress and hair. The stench made her stomach turn.
Talia whirled around. “Who threw that? Show yourself, coward!”
A burly man stepped forward, another rotten egg in hand. “The Brightpaw bitch doesn’t belong here. She’s brought nothing but trouble since day one!”
More pack members gathered, agreeing with the burly man. They circled Lily, ensuring she had no chance to escape. Talia pushed Lily behind her, eyes flashing dangerously.
“Back off,” Talia growled. “All of you. This is not how we behave in this pack.”
“This isn’t about you, Miss Talia,” the blonde woman snapped. “Your sister wouldn’t want you defending her murderer’s daughter.”
Pain flashed across Talia’s face at the mention of her dead sister, but she stood her ground. “My sister wouldn’t want innocent blood spilled for revenge either.”
Lily clutched her notebook, hastily scribbling a message and showing it to the crowd.
‘I didn’t hurt Zayn. I would never harm my mate.’
“Your mate?” someone scoffed. “He rejected you in front of everyone!”
Another woman pushed forward. “My mother died because of your family’s cruelty, and yet you stand here acting all innocent? You should pay for what your family did to our families! Did to us!”
The crowd pressed closer. Lily’s heart hammered against her ribs as panic clawed up her throat. She wanted to scream, to explain. She scribbled the word ‘innocent’ in her notebook and showed it to everyone. But no one cared.
“Help! Someone help! Anyone! Please!”
Desperate pleas cut through the building tension. Everyone looked around, trying to see where the pleas for help came from.
“Anyone?! Please!”
Lily and Talia exchanged alarmed glances before following as someone pointed in the direction of the forest gate.
Victoria staggered through the gates, collapsing onto the ground as she heaved heavily for a breath of air. Next to her was Zayn. He was gravely wounded, with deep gashes across his chest, blood seeping through makeshift bandages.
“Get the healer!” Victoria screamed, tears streaming down her dirt-streaked face. “He’s barely breathing!”
The pack members rushed forward, quickly forming a circle around their Alpha with concerned expressions. Lily’s heart stopped. She pushed through the crowd desperately, trying to reach him.
“Move!” Talia shouted, authority ringing in her voice as she pressed forward.
With Talia’s help, they broke through the crowd swiftly to reach. But before Lily could get closer, someone grabbed her by the shoulder and shoved her roughly to the ground. She landed hard, pain shooting up her wrists as she caught herself.
“Stay away from him!” someone snarled above her.
Martha appeared by Lily’s side, helping her to her feet. Lily was surprised to see her, having not seen her moments before.
“Leave her be!” the older woman fought back, pushing Lil protectively behind herself.
Victoria’s eyes found Lily’s, hatred blazing.
“This is all your fault, Lily Brightpaw!” she announced, voice carrying across the now-silent crowd. She pointed her finger at Lily, successfully turning all attention onto her.
“I found him half-dead in a cave. He fought off rogues to save me...”She spun a convincing lie, “She did this to him!”
“That’s a serious accusation,” Talia protested. “One you can’t prove.”
Victoria’s lip curled. She didn’t have to look at the crowd to know she had their support.
“Ask him yourself when he wakes. If he wakes. Zayn’s last word was Lily’s name! No doubt she is the one who’s to blame for what happened!”
Lily frantically shook her head, tears streaming down her face. She reached for Zayn, but the crowds stood in her way, eyes glaring.
“There’s no time for accusations! We need to get him to the infirmary now,” Talia commanded. “Every second counts.”
Victoria nodded, clinging to Zayn’s hand possessively. “I’ll come with you. I won’t leave his side.”
Talia had no chance to protect Lily now. She was ushered away from the scene with Zayn in tow. His survival was her top priority. As they carried Zayn away, Lily wanted to follow, but the crowd stopped her in her tracks.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Haven’t you hurt him enough?”
“Are you trying to get our Alpha killed?!”
Lily staggered back, trying to plead innocence, but no one believed her. Martha tried to help, advocating on her behalf. Everything fell on deaf ears.
“She’s a jinx,” someone shouted. “A curse on our pack!”
“She’ll never be our Luna!” another man roared. “She’s not fit to lead us!”
The crowd closed in on them. Martha tried to shield Lily, but they were torn apart. Lily reached for Martha desperately, but someone grabbed her from behind and dragged her towards the center of the packgrounds.
“What are y’all doing?! Let her go!” Martha screamed, fighting against those holding her back.
Lily struggled with pleading eyes, mouthing apologies, and claims of innocence. No one cared to listen. They tied her to a wooden post in the middle of the square.
“This is for the pack!” someone shouted, throwing a rotten tomato that struck her cheek, the putrid juice running down her neck.
More followed: Vegetables, mud, and spit. Lily squinted her eyes closed, lips trembling. She rocked herself back and forth, hoping it was all a bad dream. Reality slapped her hard as she heard Martha’s continued protests, growing fainter.
“Our Alpha could die because of her!” a woman cried.
“Make her pay!”
The barrage continued until Lily was covered in filth, her clothes sticking to her skin. Through swollen eyes, she saw a young man running from the direction of the infirmary, waving his arms frantically.
Someone grabbed hold of the young man.
“They have news of the Alpha!”
“The healer sent me! She says.... Alpha Zayn condition is critical.”
The crowd gasped. Some were devastated, fearing the worst. Someone grabbed the messenger.
“There must be a cure! There must be something we can do to save him!”
The messenger nodded between gasps of air. He was still trying to catch his breath, having run from the infirmary.
“The healer... the healer says there is a way!”
Lily looked up, eyes filled with a spark of hope.
“What is it? What way?”
The messenger pointed at Lily.
“The healer says, the blood of our Luna can speed up the healing!”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd as they processed this information. Lily shook her head desperately. Talia would never suggest such a thing—this wasn’t right.
Before she could even try to communicate her protest, a man stepped forward, knife glinting in the sunlight. He crouched down, looking Lily in the eye.
“For our Alpha,” he said solemnly as he plunged the knife into her stomach.
Sharp pain spread across Lily’s abdomen as Martha’s screams echoed in the distance.
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