Margaret White was once a woman who was envied by those in the Redbridge pack. She was tall and slim, with an elegance about her. She would sashay through the pack lands with her head held high, for she was an ordinary wolf who was paired with a powerful Beta. She was once a simple and kind woman who was friendly with everyone she came across, people would often say that she had the biggest heart.
When Margaret White got pregnant she was delighted and thrilled, she was excited that the Goddess had blessed her with two children. When she went to the scans she was told that she would have a boy and a girl. She was so excited, her mate caressed her stomach with a loving touch that women were envious of their relationship.
When Margaret gave birth, there were complications which resulted in her having a C-section. Margaret was in a life or death situation, there was so much blood loss that they didn't know if she was going to make it. The doctors had made the decision to remove her womb after they safely delivered the twins.
When she awoke, she was hysterical, screaming and shouting for her babies, she was worried that they didn't survive. It wasn't till her husband pulled her into his arms and told her everything was going to be alright, that she gave birth to two healthy babies. Margaret eyes welled with tears and as her husband brought the babes to her, she looked at him in confusion. Both of the babes were wrapped in a pink blanket. Rather than see that the two girls were a blessing, she was upset and hurt that their was no heir to their Beta line.
Both girls were identical, except the oldest had a small birthmark at the back of her head. Her husband was too thrilled with his baby princesses to notice the anger and pain that Margaret felt because she did not get a son. She told her husband she wanted to name the son Louis after her father who died saving her mother's life, so when she saw the eldest daughter she looked at her in disdain and named her Louise. She had already chosen the name for her darling daughter which was the youngest, her name would be Leanne.
As I looked at my mother take the stand in front of the pack all I could do was remember that same story she told me when I asked how she chose my name. When I was old enough to comprehend her story it was then that I realised how my mother's interactions were different between me and my sister. Growing up, I wasn't close to her, she was never overly affectionate with me like she was with my sister Leanne. My mother doted on her, dressed her in best dresses, she would brush her hair for hours.
Whereas for me, my mother simply did her basic tasks as a mother growing up, she fed me and clothed me, but she never hugged me for long. I could probably count on both my hands the amount of times my mother praised me like she did my sister. Those times were far and few. My heart ached for my mother's love and I believe that's why when I was growing up I was closer to my father, for he filled that void.
Looking at my mother now after all the years of pain, I don't see that beautiful and kind woman that the pack would once describe. I saw a woman who had aged harshly over the years. I had seen a woman who was greedy and prideful. The woman who once stood tall in front of her pack was now hunched over in shame over her actions.
"Are you retired Beta Margaret White, mother of Louise and Leanne White?" Elder Robert asked.
"Yes." She replied in barely a whisper.
"Margaret White, I would like you to tell the Pack about the rumours surrounding your daughter Louise White and when you first came to know about them? Elder Robert started his inquiry.
My mother pursed her lips tightly. "I don't know specifically but she was in her teenage years. When she was around thirteen or fourteen it was reported that she was hanging around some rouges who were causing trouble. The rumours about her slutting it about started when she was about sixteen or seventeen." She spat out in disgust.
"So you have confirmation and evidence that your daughter Louise White was sleeping with unmated males? Rouge wolves?" Elder Roberts retorted.
"Well... um not evidence, but her room always smelt like sex and there different male scents every week!" She exclaimed as she folded her arms.
"Mrs White, who had access to her bedroom?" Elder Roberts continued, the disdain in his voice was clear, I could hear that he was becoming frustrated with her attitude. I could feel my free hand clench at her accusations. She would always think the worst of me. It wouldn't matter what I did she would always believe my sister even with the evidence stacked against her.
"Well, me, her father and her sister." She replied nonchalantly.
"So you are saying that anyone could have entered her room? Anyone who was in your family household? Correct?" Elder Roberts replied with a raised eyebrow.
"I suppose." She muttered.
"Yes or no Mrs White? I won't ask again and remember that the minute you entered this hall you were placed under oath of the Moon Goddess. For there is no way for you to lie, we elders have a way of telling. We have been gifted by the Goddess herself to bring justice where it is needed." Elder Reece reinforced.
My mother's eyes widened at what he said, she could hear the threat that lingered in his words, there was no way for her to escape the inquiry, she would have to be nothing but honest. "Yes." She sighed in defeat.
"So I will ask you the same question that I asked your husband. Did you investigate the claims made against your daughter Louise White?" Elder Reece pursued further. My mother's eyes clenched tightly along with her fist which was hanging by her side. I couldn't understand the difficulty of her not answering the question for what was shared.
"Err... yes I did." My mother replied. My eyes widened and my mouth hung open. My mother actually looked into what I was being accused of? Then why did she never defend me, surely she knew it was untrue. My mother wasn't a stupid woman, I simply thought she didn't care.
"Interesting, my first question is whether your husband who was Beta at the time, was he aware of your so called investigation?" Elder Robert enquired.
She looked over to my father, her eyes welled with tears as she gave him an apologetic look. "No he was not." She hung her head and pulled her eyes away from my father who held a shocked face himself.
"What did your investigation show Mrs White? And before you speak, again I will remind you I will be able to tell if you tell us any lies. There will be no more secrets amongst the people that you once served." Elder Reece warned.
My mother took a deep inhale of breath. "My investigation... My investigation..." The words seemed to get stuck in her throat, it was if she was trying to hide something. She hung her head. "My investigation showed that my daughter Louise White was innocent of the rumours and the accusations against her were untrue."
Gasps were heard from around the room. Jacob had let out an almighty growl that vibrated the room while my father stared at her in contempt screaming "Why?" Repeatedly. I could hear the hate that echoed through the room for a woman who was once an upstanding pack mate.
"I believe your pack has asked you a question." Elder Reece states as he uses his hand to gesture for members of the pack to quieten down. "What evidence did you find and why did you not bring justice for your daughter Louise White who was wrongly accused?"
Her gaze sharpened as she looked around the pack at the people she once called friends. The smell of betrayal was strong in the air. Emotions were running high, I could feel the tears roll down my face at the woman who birthed me and allowed me to take the blame for something that I didn't do. She knew that I didn't do anything and yet she still punished me, she still whipped me. I shook my head holding back the sob that was stuck in my throat.
"Because I couldn't let my other daughter, my Leanne be blamed. If I revealed the truth she would have been banished! She deserved to be Luna, she didn't deserve a rouge mate! She was precious to me!" My mother wept out. Her eyes were blazing, she had the same crazed look in her eyes that Leanne had.
"How and when did you find out about Leanne's deception Mrs White?" Elder Robert spat at her.
"When they were both fifteen years of age. I caught Leanna having sex in her sister's room with a rouge wolf. When I confronted her she told me that he was her boyfriend. I told her to stay away from him and she promised she would." She shakes her head. "I told her to get close to the Alpha to cover up that her mate was a filthy rouge." Her voice trembled with anger.
"So you would allow your other daughter, the true and rightful Luna of the pack be blamed for crimes that she didn't commit?"
"Yes. She was never meant to be a girl, she was meant to be a boy. Louise was not worthy of being a Luna, she was not the right choice! When Leanne shared with me that Jacob was Louise's mate, I told her to seduce him." She explained.
"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? HOW COULD YOU DESTROY OUR FAMILY? LOUISE IS OUR DAUGHTER AS WELL!" My father shouted with tears streaming down his cheeks. Jacob was sat in his chair and his chest was heaving, his fists were clenched, his eyes were dark.
"Quiet Mr White, you will get your answers, once we have ours." Elder Reece commands. "Mrs White so you confirm that you colluded with your daughter Leanne White to interfere with a mate bond between an Alpha and his future Luna?"
"Yes." She sighs in defeat.
"You punished your daughter Louise White with wolfsbane as you whipped her when you knew that she was innocent?" Elder Roberts confirms.
"Yes." My mother states confidentially. She pushes her head high, it was that moment that I realised she didn't regret anything, she didn't see that she did wrong. She thought she was doing best by the only daughter that she cared about. She was the reason that no one questioned me about the rumours, she didn't let them. She allowed everyone to see me as the guilty party when she already knew the truth.
"Mrs White, do you have no shame for what you have done to your daughters? Do you not regret the pain that you have caused Louise? The relationship that you deprived your mate of with your daughter? Do you not see how much harm you have caused this pack? That you could have prevented everything that had happened if you were a good Beta?" Elder Reece questions.
My mother doesn't say anything, her eyes widen and when she looks at my father, he holds nothing but pain, anger and heartbreak on his face. It's in this moment that his words resonates through her mind as she looks at the pain that my father is in. They say that silence speaks a thousand words and in this moment it couldn't be more true.
"Mrs White" Elder Robert interjects. "Were you aware that the child Leanne carried was not the Alpha heir of the pack?"
"Yes." She says with a nod of the head.
"When did you become aware?" He questions further.
"Before she gave birth." She relents.
"Final question Mrs White, is it true that upon Louise White, more commonly known as Loretta Romano's return to the Redbridge pack that your daughter Omega Leanne White attempted to murder her sister by strangulation?"
"Yes Elder Roberts." She sighs out as the tears crawl down her cheeks.
"Thank you Mrs White, do you have anything to add to your statement before we finish our enquiry?" He finishes as he pinches the bridge of his nose.
"No." She turns her head away from everyone and folds her arms.
"Very well, please take your seat." He gestures dismissively to the woman who I used to call mother. "The next person we would like to call to question will be Leanne White. Beta Lewis or Gamma Tyler could one of you fetch the young miss from the cells so we can proceed?" Elder Roberts purses his lips.
Both of them retreat at the hall, knowing that it will take more than one person to deal with my sister. I shake my head and place it in my hands. I feel Benji stroke my back in reassurance but there is nothing that could be said or done to make this situation better. The person who birthed me had conspired with my sister to see my damnation.
I could feel the pity glances from pack members, I could feel the tears that escaped their eyes as they watched a mother shove her daughter away, treating her as a lamb for the slaughter. Most of all I could feel Jacob's anger fill the room, it was getting stronger by the minute. I could tell he was not far away from shifting into his wolf.