Chapter 201: Failures and Traitors

"Of course not!!!" Evangeline croaked out, her voice almost failing her.

"Let me guess," Augustus sighed, clearly annoyed, "Someone copied your handwriting perfectly and framed you?"

"Yes. Kent!" She turned to the man who was barely breathing, his hands tied to his back, "Where did you get these letters from? Tell them I have no hand in it. Tell them!!"

Kent’s lips were swollen, and even when it looked like he was about to say something, he only ended up vomiting more blood.

"He already admitted to the truth," Augustus stated.

"What?" Evangeline looked horrified again, "That’s not true. He’s lying. Kent, tell them the truth!!"

No one believed her anymore.

The look in their eyes made her feel so tiny and terrified. She was feeling a hundred emotions at the same time — confusion, shock, frustration, devastation. Name it.

And there was only one thing left to do. One thing she could think of doing.

Evangeline fell back on her knees and crawled over to Augustus’s leg. She grabbed his clothing and pulled softly, her breathing quick, and her eyes started to reflect the fear in her heart, "Listen to me. Please,"

Augustus barely glanced down at her.

"Look. I know we’ve had our differences, and I know that I’m just a spare to you after her. But you must believe me, Alpha. You must. I’ve truly been framed. The signature, the supplies, the seal, the letters, I—" She fumbled again, searching for other words to use.

But he wasn’t even listening to her!

Nobody was!

"Get off me, woman," Augustus warned.

She gripped the fabric of his clothes even tighter, "Please. You have to listen to me. I would never commit treason, I would never go against—"

Augustus didn’t care.

He kicked his legs forward, and the force threw her off him.

"Mother!" Jaime cried.

Evangeline fell back hard, slamming her shoulders on the floor. Before she could even groan in pain, the guards were already on her again.

"Stop! Don’t touch my mother!!" Jaime yelled angrily, then he looked up at his father again, "Father, she is your Luna. You cannot do this to her after she has diligently served this pack for so many years. Also, do not forget she bore you children. She gave you Beatrice, and she gave you me, your heir,"

"Just because she’s Luna doesn’t mean she is irreplaceable," Augustus shot back.

Jaime gasped, his eyes widening.

"And about you being my heir..." Augustus stepped forward again, his aura getting more intense. He glanced at the council members once, and every one of them nodded in approval, "The council and I have concluded that after everything you’ve failed to achieve, and after your attempt at trying to kill an Alpha — going against me and another pack and costing me our alliance — you are no longer the heir to this pack. That title...has been revoked henceforth!"

There was a sudden, loud ringing in Jaime’s ears. Along with the intense pounding of his heart about to break through his ribcage. The ringing got so intense that his fingers began to tremble, and that was all him, simply trying to process what his father had just said.

Or rather, trying to convince himself that his father never said that.

By the time the ringing stopped, his bearings returned, and he could hear everyone murmuring all around him.

Different comments.

’The Alpha made a good decision,’

’Serves him right,’

’Jaime has changed. We can’t trust someone who steals and jeopardises the future of the Pack as the next Alpha!’

’I hope he is killed along with the traitor Mother!’

’And we all thought Della was the only devil in the family,’

"Father...," Jaime slowly looked up at his father, his eyes trembling, "You cannot be serious. You cannot be!"

"The decision has been finalised," Augustus returned flatly, his eyes colder than ice, "And since I have no need for you, I will be handing you back to Alpha Conan. Your fate now lies in his hands,"

"Augustus," Evangeline cried out again, "I know you despise me, but he’s your son! Show mercy! You don’t have another heir!"

Ever so slowly, Augustus’s gaze shifted back to Evangeline’s face, and his lips curved into a vicious smirk, "Then I’ll just make one with another woman,"

That finally did it for her, and Jaime watched all the fight leave his mother’s eyes and the way her body sagged, and her lips quivered was simply... heartbreaking.

"Father, please!" Jaime crawled forward again, pleading with everything he had. He was shivering too, because whatever this is, whoever was setting them up like this and pulling the strings in the background was seriously winning, "You can’t do this. You can’t renounce me. I’m your flesh and blood,"

"No, Jaime," Augustus stared dead into his son’s eyes, "You are a failure, and a traitor,"

Jaime felt the blow, and it also hit him deep.

Then, Augustus turned to Conan, who had been grinning like a crazy man all this time. He’d stood there, enjoying the show before him.

"Alpha Conan," Augustus called, and gestured at Jaime, "That wolf over there, as of this moment, has nothing to do with this Pack. You can do whatever you wish to do with him,"

"Are you doing this in hopes that I would reconsider our alliance?" Conan was being cocky and annoying.

But Augustus wasn’t about to be prideful too.

Because IronRidge was in a very bad spot.

Many Packs wanted nothing to do with them anymore after Eclipse Crown cut ties with them, and after Jaime’s many failed and untrustworthy actions over the past few weeks.

And with the war coming, everyone was simply trying to latch onto whoever could help.

"Yes, Alpha Conan,"

Conan scoffed and rolled his eyes. His laugh was irking to the ears, and it made several hands turn to fists. But nobody dared say anything.

"Fine. I’ll give it a thought," He finally said.

Didn’t sound like he was going to do that, but one could only hope.

"Augustus, please!!" Evangeline latched onto his leg again, "Please, do not do this to our son!!"

"Guards!!!" Augustus called firmly.

Three stepped forward immediately, and went down on their knees, "Yes, Alpha!"

Augustus fisted his hand too, crushing the record in his palm till it was a ball of paper, "Take this traitor out of my sight and tie her to the silver pole at the market square!"

"What?" Terror flashed in her eyes, and she immediately tried to bolt.

She didn’t make it far.

The guards caught her, and she fought hard against them. She even transformed into her full form and fought many of them off. She would rather die now than get tied to that shame-stinking pole!

Unfortunately, the horde of wolves got too much for her to handle, and she was eventually held down and tied up.

"Augustus!! Augustus!!" She yelled, tears forming in her eyes as they began dragging her away.

Augustus didn’t turn back at all.

"Mother!" Jaime yelled back, watching her with horror.

"Shut the fuck up!" A slap made his head whip to the side.

Conan!

"Jaime!!" Evangeline cried again, "Someone help!! I’m innocent!! I swear to the Moon Goddess...I’m innocent!!!"

Her words and her cries kept bouncing off the walls, getting smaller and smaller till it was completely gone.