
"What are you saying? You no longer want her?" madame Gertrude raised her voice which was a strange occurrence. I could see she was clearly hurt.
If only she knew that this news made me happy. 
"Please do not misunderstand me Lady Gertrude" my father began again, softly "It is not that we are running away from our responsibilities. 
"Then what is it like?" madame Gertrude was looking like a totally different person now. She was clearly infuriated with everything my stepfather was saying. 
"What she did was simply unforgivable" my stepfather stated, casting an angry glare at me "For a daughter to run off from a noble house at nightfall is a stain on our reputation" 
"Indeed" elder Dane chorused, following my stepfather. It was easy to tell that they got along very well and was why he liked Roxanne so much. 
"Won't it be a bigger stain to leave your poor and helpless child on her own" mad


Sky 
I could smell lies. The victim. I repeated, watching Roxanne. 
"Yes, my lord. I see her as the victim. The victim of an unfortunate circumstance. She didn't deserve any of it. As a child, she was always a recluse.”
“ A recluse," I echoed, watching her continue as I clenched my fist.
"Yes, my lord.”
“ A recluse. She barely engaged with anyone and would often starve herself. Of course, be it far from us that we never fed her, but it was what she subjected herself to. I thought she was protesting something. But in my deepest opinion, and as some of the House staff said, she was very rude to everyone. Always shut in her room."
"But it's not her fault." Roxanne added afterwards. 
"Strange," Elder Dane tapped his hand on his chin and began stroking his beard. "How come you don't find it to be her fault? Perhaps she was disgruntled by her situation and her parents."
Roxanne flashed him a 


"Oh" I said before taking a bite at one of the dishes. It tasted really good and before long, I had cleared almost half of the tray with madame Gertrude smiling.
"Good! You are all done" madame Gertrude said, impatience stirring up in her eyes. 
The Council meeting must be very important and that was why she did not want to miss it. 
"Sorry. I was really hungry" I said after we were done with breakfast. Madame Gertrude did not make any remark to my eating manners at all though but I felt like explaining myself still. 
"Let's just go dear" she said and we both made our way just as we came, through doors and stairs till we were at the mansion's courtyard. 
"That wasn't so bad" madame Gertrude said as she breathed a sigh of relief. I had not had time to fully admire the mansion in the daylight but the courtyard was truly beautiful. 
"Ladies, you are here" we heard a voice from the distance and then we heard footstepd with madame Gertrude smiling warmly.
"What are you doing Karl? Why are you not in the meeting. You are the beta of the pack"madame Gertrude scolded the young man as he walked closer to us. 
"Beta?" I asked turning to Karl. I had not thought about the man who spoke up for me. 
Seeing him under the sunlight, I remembered that he was the one who held me and kept me from falling at the party. 
"Yes he is and a lazy one too" madame Gertrude continued to pout, complaining that Karl rarely ever wanted to do anything for the alpha and the pack.
"You sound like my mother" Karl pretended to frown. He and madame Gertrude were like mother and son and I wondered if that was how everyone treated the woman. 
"That is because I am your mother you brat" the older woman held on to Karl's ear while the latter feigned to be in so much pain. I chuckled unconsciously. 
"Let go of me  We are already too late, Sky has been there all alone against those wolves" Karl said, smirking at the last word
"And whose fault is that?" madame Gertrude continued the banter, for a moment forgetting that I was standing there watching them
.
"Yours obviously. You know those meetings are extra boring without you mother" Karl said as he took madame Gertrude's hands. 
"Well I am here now so let's go hear what conspiracy theories Dane has been cooking up this time" she said and we began walking into the court. 
"May I?" Karl had left madame's Gertrude's hands and had come to hold on to mine. The gesture was kind and sudden and I could refuse.
"Yes… thank you" I gave my hand to him and we walked to the walked into the court together. The feeling was so warm and I could not help but smile. 
"They are here" someone announced as soon as I and Karl walked into the court, hand in hand. There  were a bunch of people already seated but my eyes first found Sky. 
"Welcome" Sky said nodding for us to take our seat. He was emitting his usual unfeeling demeanor but I saw a flash of anger in his eyes when we entered. 
"Sorry I am late" Karl said when he let go of my hand and went to sit beside Karl. He had a smirk on his face when he did that, directed towards Kane.
"As beta, you should be at your alpha's side in battle and in politics" Ksne hissed, venom barely restrained in his tone.
"Believe me, I let him know that. My dear girl here is my witness" madame Gertrude replied as she and I took a seat together at an edge of the table. 
"Look at the example you show Lady Gertrude" this time, it was the grand elder's turn to chastise us, still eyeing both I and madame Gertrude suspiciously. 
"You should know it was not easy dealing with your son's abuse. She took extra time washing his handprints off which I approve" madame Gertrude fired back. 
"Oh madame Gertrude, what are you implying?" Karl took it up with another smirk to Kane from there "Could our dear Kane's hands be filthy?"
"Do not let them turn your court into a joke alpha Sky" elder Dane said, bowing to the alpha at the head of the court. 
"Enough! All of you" he shut both Kane and Karl a cold glare, avoiding eye contact with I and madame Gertrude. 
"Apologies alpha Sky" Karl said but the smirk never left his face. I realized he and madame Gertrude might be the only two people in the entire pack who were not utterly afraid of the alpha. 
"Apologies dear Sky" madame Gertrude responded, proving that wherever she was or whatever name she answered to,she would always see the alpha as her son. 
"Bring them in" Sky spoke and instantly a guard bowed before leaving the courtroom. I knew what was coming next. 
"Diana!" my stepmother screamed as soon as she saw me causing me to jolt in fear. She still had that look in her eyes, that immense irritation. 
"Calm yourself. You are in the presence of the council" my stepfather immediately warned as he stepped inside the court holding Roxanne's hands. 
"Good morning alpha Sky" Roxanne left her father's side and went to bow gracefully in front of Sky. Something in me wanted to strangle her for that. 
"Good morning Lady Roxanne" Sky replied in his usual cold tone paying little heed to the elegance Roxanne displayed in front of him. I smiled inwardly. 
"Beta Karl" her bow to Karl was slight but just as grateful. Everyone in the court was impressed by her mannerisms, her father smiling proudly. 
"Looking beautiful today Lady Roxanne" Karl's response was kinder and he even offered her a smile but other than that, he also did not seem interested. 
"Elder Dane" she bowed to the man just after where Sky and Karl sat signifying his position as the grand elder and lord of the Council. 
"Lady…
"Mr Grover, would your daughter greet each of us personally? I am an old lady hungry for some juicy gossip you see" madame Gertrude interrupted Roxanne
"You may all have your seats now" Sky said and instantly my entire foster family scrambled for their seats, choosing to be as far away from me as possible. 
"A guard found out that the girl stowed away in the alpha's car last night"elder Dane began only to receives to receive gasps of astonishment from both my stepmother and Roxanne.
"We also noticed that our stepaughter was missing just after the party" my stepfather said, careful to keep a calm tone. 
"I find this quite interesting. Did you say stepdaughter?" madame Gertrude asked, her gaze firmly on my foster family, looking at each of them suspiciously. 
The room suddenly became so tense as everyone waited to hesr from my dad. 
"Yes, we adopted Diana when she was only three months old" my stepfather confirmed leaving the entire court astonished "But after this shameful act…
…..she ceases to be our daughter" 

"What are you saying? You no longer want her?" madame Gertrude raised her voice which was a strange occurrence. I could see she was clearly hurt.
If only she knew that this news made me happy. 
"Please do not misunderstand me Lady Gertrude" my father began again, softly "It is not that we are running away from our responsibilities. 
"Then what is it like?" madame Gertrude was looking like a totally different person now. She was clearly infuriated with everything my stepfather was saying. 
"What she did was simply unforgivable" my stepfather stated, casting an angry glare at me "For a daughter to run off from a noble house at nightfall is a stain on our reputation" 
"Indeed" elder Dane chorused, following my stepfather. It was easy to tell that they got along very well and was why he liked Roxanne so much. 
"Won't it be a bigger stain to leave your poor and helpless child on her own" madame said, shaking her head. I knew she meant well. If only she knew that I did not want to go b

Chapter 10: Lies.