"You did what?!" Xaden demanded of his adopted sister.
She swallowed hard, and even though she was now the one facing Xaden’s wrath, she stood firm and told him the truth.
"I told her not to tell you," Fiona said. She was going to tell you, but then, after everything that happened with Eleanor, I told her to wait a while for you to calm down."
Xaden looked at her with rage in his eyes. "You knew?! You knew?!"
She nodded meekly. "Yes, I did."
Xaden could hardly even believe his eyes or ears. "You knew all along and you refused to tell me! You, too, deceived me knowingly?! You kept it away from me! You knew something so grave and yet you decided to even tell her not to tell me?"
"I did it only because I was worried for you, " she said. "I was not certain how you would take it."
Xaden gave a bitter laugh. "It seems everyone knows about what is going on. It seems I am the only one who does not know things in my own pack!"
He gave a bitter laugh once again.
"I did tell you, though," Fiona said. "I used some ways to tell you about it.
He blinked at her confused.
"When I was asking you about the scenario." She said. "The one you said that the offender would not be punished."
He raked his hands through his hair and said in amazement. "My good Goddess Fiona! Was it truly Jasmine that you were referring to? That you made that scenario?"
She nodded. "And you said you understood. In fact, you said that she will not be punished because she was forced."
Xaden was quiet for a short while and then his reaction shocked everyone.
"You FUCKING think this is a game?! Our lives?!" He snapped at Fiona. "Do you have an idea who Bale is?! He was the reason why you lost everything! Why I adopted you! Why your mother made me promise to take care of you and then you go ahead to make such STUPID decisions on your own."
Xaden had never ever for once yelled at Fiona and she recoiled.
"I... was only trying to help." Fiona managed. In a small voice
"Well, you have a fucking horrible way of showing it." He said.
Jasmine stepped in having had enough.
It was she he was mad at not her.
"Do not yell at her like that," Jasmine said, surprising everyone. If there is anyone you would be mad at, it is me, not her. Fiona did nothing wrong. I was the one who got her involved. Please do not punish her for my own actions."
Xaden now finally made eye contact with her and it was a cold glare that spoke words.
"And that is a mistake she will learn." He said coldly. He turned to the guards. "Take her to her room."
Then he, In turn, turned to look at Fiona. "I should have never paid heed to that your game of pretending to be a servant and living amongst the servants. It was my mistake and I know better now."
The guards went to take her arm but she jerked free and stormed out of the throne room.
Now it was back to Jasmine being the center of attention.
She swallowed heavily.
She looked up at him and nodded slowly. "Yes, my lord."
He turned to the wolf council. "This is a message owl. As we all know. A message owl can be used to send messages back and forth. Mainly by use of visions to document what the message is and when it goes back to the receiver, they will be able to see it for themselves."
Then he turned to Jasmine. "This belonged to you."
She swallowed so hard.
She had not admitted that she had also been a spy, and somehow, he had caught hold of her little owl.
She felt for it as it was so quiet in the cage and looked scared.
"You own a message owl." He said. "Who gave it to you?"
It was all up. Everything was up. Everything was over for her.
She sighed and gave in. "It was my father."
There was another uproar in the crowd.
Xaden went back to his throne and sat.
"You agree that you used this owl because, as an unshifted wolf, you can not make contact with your bloodline. An owl was given to you to send information from here back home. Is it not?"
She nodded and started to speak. "Yes, but I was going to stop. I had already stopped even sending messages when- fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
"Enough!" Xaden barked.
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