The Recording

••• Hayden’s POV ••• I saw Sofia’s disheveled state, but I couldn't care less about it at this moment. “Sofia... I heard from someone that you were the one who deliberately framed Charlotte so she would leave the pack,” I told her coldly. I didn't tell her that it was Charlotte who gave Noah the evidence. Noah came to me this morning and gave me a pen. He said it was a gift from Charlotte and contained a recording of her confession. I sneered when I heard that it was about her confession. I thought she was a coward for not daring to confess straight to my face. I pressed the play button, expecting to hear her confession, but was shocked when I listened to the content of the recording. Even Noah was shocked to hear it. When I finished listening to the recording, I quickly took the pen with me, searched for Sofia, and found her at the doctor’s office. “What... What do you mean, Hayden?” she stuttered. I took out the pen from my pocket and pressed the play button. The voices from the recording sounded immediately. “Charlotte, do you think Hayden loves you?” Sofia’s voice sounded from the recording. “Sofia, what do you mean? I’m Hayden’s mate, and I’m the Luna of the pack,” Charlotte replied. Sofia laughed in the recording. “Do you think you are important to Hayden? Let me tell you something, Charlotte - I am the only woman he cares for. And I will prove it to you.” “Prove it to me?” Charlotte sounded confused. “I’m going to jump off this cliff and pull you with me. Then I’m going to tell Hayden that you were the one who pushed me. Let’s see who he believes. I’m sure he will believe me and chase you away from the pack. You will no longer be the pack’s Luna after that,” Sofia’s smug voice sounded. “Sofia, what are you... Wait! Sofia!” Charlotte’s panicked voice sounded. And the next thing that could be heard from the recording was Sofia’s cry for help before splashing sounds sounded. We all knew what had happened after that. I pressed the button again to stop the recording from playing and looked at Sofia coldly. “Hayden, it wasn't what it seemed,” Sofia came to me and tried to hold my arms, but I dodged it. “Hayden... The recording had been altered. It didn't record the words Charlotte said before I said all those things,” Sofia looked at me, and her eyes turned red as if she’d been wronged. I frowned and asked her to explain. “Charlotte said I shouldn't be in this pack anymore since my mate had died, and she was now the Luna of the pack. She said I was a nuisance because you care for me more than her,” Sofia’s voice trembled, and her tears started to fall from her eyes. “Hayden, you know I love your brother so much. I never thought of taking you away from Charlotte, but she saw me as a threat. I said and did all those things because she taunted and threatened me,” she started sobbing. “I love your brother and this pack. I was scared you would be affected by her words and believed her and chased me away from the pack. I'll have nowhere to go if you banish me from this pack. And I was pregnant with your brother’s baby. It was the only gift he left me. I wouldn't endanger myself and the baby if Charlotte didn't taunt or threaten me,” she looked at me with tears, looking so pitiful that my heart couldn't help but be moved by her words. Charlotte did seem like the type to threaten Sofia because what Sofia said was true. I cared more about Sofia than Charlotte. She must have felt threatened by Sofia’s presence and decided to threaten her. Sofia brushed her tears away and smiled sadly. “I know I’m a burden for you. You have to care for me because of your brother and the baby I was carrying. But now I had lost the baby. Maybe Charlotte was right. I shouldn't be in this pack anymore. I will leave right now.” She turned around to leave, but her body swayed just as she took three steps, and she dropped to the floor. “Sofia!” I caught her before she hit the floor and placed her on the bed. She looked so pale. This was all Charlotte's fault. She still dared to drive wedges between Sofia and me, huh?! I wouldn't let her go easily this time! “Hayden, you stupid fuck! The evidence clearly shows that it was Sofia’s fault, and you still believe her just because she acted pitiful? You are really a moron!” Rhett yelled at me. I was about to retort to him when I heard Noah’s voice through the mindlink. “Alpha, the pack knew about the recording.” “How?” Noah had only given it to me this morning. Did Charlotte tell anyone else? That bitch! “Apparently, someone heard us when they were passing through the study this morning, and the news has spread through the pack. The matter has become a scandal!” Noah’s nervous voice sounded. “Ask all the members to gather in the meeting ground. I’ll explain it to them,” I told him and closed the mind link. “Please take care of her,” I didn't forget to ask the doctor to take care of Sofia before going to the meeting ground. When I arrived at the meeting ground and stepped onto the podium, I could practically sense the high tension amongst the pack members. I could even hear their murmurs. “I can't believe that Charlotte was so prepared. She must know that Sofia would do something to her.” “But are you sure that the recording is not fake?” “Have you heard what they said? The recording clearly showed that it was Sofia who jumped off the cliff by herself, and she pulled Charlotte along to frame her!” “But why would Sofia do that? Everyone knows that Alpha Hayden prefers her to Charlotte.” “But if it’s true, then Sofia is the vicious one. She even didn't think of the baby in her belly.” “Sofia must be jealous of Charlotte and wants to be Luna of the Red Claw Pack again.” “Why must she be jealous? Alpha Hayden doesn't love Charlotte.” And many more words came out of their mouths. This was worse than I had imagined. This scandal could taint the Red Claw Pack’s reputation. “Everyone, listen up!” I spoke in my Alpha tone, and they all went silent. Even though the meeting ground was very vast, my voice could be heard by all members, even those who were at the far back as werewolves had good hearings. “This matter is not what it seemed to be. And I don't want to hear anyone talking about it anymore.” I swept my gaze through the crowd to show them how serious I was. This was all I could do at the moment to calm the controversy. They wouldn't dare to go against my command. As expected, no one dared to say another word after I said those words. I left the podium to go to my study with Noah and a few subordinates to devise a plan so the scandal wouldn't spread. But to my annoyance, one of my subordinates told me that many werewolves from other packs had already known about the incident. Fuck! This was getting out of hand. There was no way for me to silence members from other packs. Suddenly the study door was opened with a loud bang, more like being kicked open, and my dad, Alpha Marcus, appeared with a furious expression. Even though he was no longer the Alpha of the Red Claw Pack, his Alpha aura was still strong enough to make everyone look down and bared their necks to him in submission. “Hayden! Look at what your women Sofia and Charlotte had done! This is humiliating to the Red Claw Pack! I suggest you deal with this immediately!” he roared, and even I was affected by his Alpha aura. I wanted to tell him that Sofia wasn't my woman and Charlotte had broken our matebond, but I knew this was not the time to bring it up. “Don't worry, Dad. I’m trying to find a way to calm the situation down,” I told him calmly despite being angry and annoyed about the scandal myself. “You better do that!” Dad snorted and left furiously. “Bring Charlotte here!” I commanded my subordinates. “Alpha, she had left the pack yesterday after she gave me the recording. And she said she wouldn't be coming back,” Noah told me. What the fuck? She must have known the recording would cause a scandal to the Red Claw Pack, and she dared to escape? “Find her and bring her to me no matter what!” I commanded my subordinates. She was the one who caused this, and she should be the one who deal with this fucking issue.