Free Web NovelChapter 35: Chapter 35: The Truth Ritual
"So, tell us about your date yesterday!" Lena starts, dragging Nyra towards the cafeteria the moment they see her.
Nyra laughs, shaking her head. "Nothing. I told you it wasn’t a date."
"It was...!" Leah argues, pulling out a tray. "And you need to give us every little detail."
"No holding back." Naya adds.
Nyra rolls her eyes, but still tells them about the horse riding, but purposefully not including Jason’s confession yesterday.
Leah, as if reading her mind, shoots her a suspicious look, "I don’t know..it seems like you’re leaving something out."
"Yeah." Naya says suspiciously. "Anyways... I think Jason likes you."
"He doesn’t!" Nyra says quickly, looking down at her lap. "They’re friends, how can he like me?"
"Who?" Naya frowns, "That jerk Adrian? And why do you care?"
"True that." Leah says. "Besides, I think Jason will treat you much better."
"But what about bond?" Nyra sighs. "I can’t break it, so how can I-1-"
"Didn’t Adrian sleep with Anna and get her pregnant, when you were both bonded, so why do you care?" Naya cuts in bluntly.
Nyra tenses at the mention of Anna’s pregnancy, and looks down. She’s not mad at her because knows Naya means well, it’s just her still being sensitive.
She just didn’t expect Adrian to really get Anna pregnant.
The other girls notice immediately.
"Naya shut up!" They snap, "Nyra ignore her. You can do whatever you want."
Naya realizes her mistake, and grimaces. "I’m sorry Nyra. I didn’t mean--"
"Senior Adrian and Jason are tearing each other apart in the training ring!" One of the juniors announces from outside, cutting their conversation off.
They are what..?
The four girls exchanged horrified looks before sprinting out of the cafeteria without hesitation.
By the time they reach the training ring, the place is a complete mess.
Several students are shouting from every direction, some standing on benches just to get a better view of the fight.
Inside the ring, two enormous wolves continuously crash into each other, while the floor has enough blood that all four girls’ eyes widen.
"Why do you think they’re fighting!?" Leah asks.
"I don’t know. But it looks bad.." Naya responds, watching with wide eyes as Adrian’s massive black wolf slams Jason into a wall.
Jason’s back is bleeding as he claws free by digging his nails into Adrian’s shoulder. Adrian growls in pain, before shoving Jason across the bloodied sand.
"They’re going to kill each other!" someone cries behind them. "Stop the fight!!"
The coach blows his whistle over and over, but neither boy listens.
"Stop!" He yells, finally running into the ring with the other trainers. "If you don’t break apart right now, neither of you will be allowed to compete!"
The moment he says that, both wolves reluctantly, finally backs away, chest heaving.
Ignoring the onlookers, both boys instantly shift back into their human forms, breathing heavily as blood drops from the cuts scattered across their bodies.
Their teammates immediately rush forward to help them.
John throws Adrian a pair of shorts while another teammate hurriedly covers Jason’s bare body with their team banner while someone runs to go get them proper clothes.
Though they’ve stopped fighting, both boys still look like they want to tear each other apart.
Jason looks away first, his eyes sweeping through the crowd. The moment he sees Nyra, he freezes.
Adrian follows his gaze, and also freezes when he sees Nyra watching both of them with a shocked expression.
Nyra stares moving toward the ring, ignoring the crowd muttering around them. And for one hopeful second, Adrian thinks she’ll come to him.
But then she just runs past him, straight toward Jason.
"Jason!" she gasps, kneeling beside him. "Are you okay? You’re bleeding!"
Jason manages a tired smile. "I’m a werewolf, I’ll heal."
Behind them, Adrian is boiling with anger. Without thinking that he’s only wearing a pair of shorts, he rushes over to them and grabs Nyra gently but firmly by her wrist, and pulls her away from Jason.
"What are you doing? You’re supposed to be on my side!"
Nyra stares at him in disbelief. "Your side? Can you even hear yourself?"
"Yes!" Adrian snaps. "You’re my mate! You’re supposed to-"
Before he can finish his sentence, Nyra slaps him. Hard. The sound echoing across the now silent training hall.
Everyone freezes. Because no one has ever slapped the future Alpha before.
Jason looks satisfied.
Nyra is shaking with rage, "Don’t ever call me that again! Not after everything you’ve done."
Adrian stands speechless, staring at her. He doesn’t even seem angry that she slapped him, he seems sad that Nyra doesn’t want to be called his mate anymore.
He opens his mouth to say something, but before he can John runs over with his phone and a shirt.
"Your father has been calling nonstop!"
Adrian sighs, wiping the blood on his shorts, before he takes the phone.
"Hello?"
"Come to the mansion immediately. Bring Nyra with you. This cannot wait!" He cuts the call without waiting for a response.
Adrian looks at Nyra. "My father wants us back at the mansion. We can go back--’
Nyra doesn’t even let him finish. "I’ll find my own ride." freēwēbnovel.com
"You don’t have to--"
"I said no!"
She walks straight past him toward her friends, who are now helping Jason up.
The moment Naya sees her, she immediately loops an arm through hers.
"What’s wrong?"
"The Alpha wants to see us right now."
Jason grunts, holding his stomach. "Just give me a minute! I’ll take you-"
"You can barely sit straight!" Leah cuts in, shooting him a look. "Let Naya take her, we’ll help you to the infirmary.’
They all nod in agreement. And without another glance in Adrian’s direction, Her and Naya walk toward the parking lot together, leaving him standing alone in the middle of the training hall with everyone watching.
---
The first thing that greets Nyra is a group of maids hurrying down the hallway, carefully carrying ritual herbs and bowls.
"Do you really think Lady Anna is telling the truth?" one whispers.
"I think she did it just for attention!" the second responds, "I don’t even know what that young master ever saw in her!"
"True, I’ve never really liked her. Anytime she comes here, she talks to us like we’re her servants."
"Anyways, let’s see what the moon Goddess says, she never lies."
Nyra blinks at the commotion. What is happening?
And could Anna really be lying?
Would she really go that far just to get Adrian to stay with her? But knowing her sister, she really can’t even put it past her.
The moment Luna Selene sees her, she smiles brightly and ushers her in. "Come in, come in." As she hugs her, Nyra can’t help but enjoy the scent of the Luna’s sweet pheromones.
"What’s happening?" She asks as they pull apart.
"We called you here so you can watch the ritual with the rest of us."
Nyra blinks, "What kind of ritual?"
"We’re going to do a Truth ritual alongside the medical test for Anna." Luna Selene explains, "The Goddess’ will must be made clear in this matter. Are you ready?"
Nyra nods with a sigh. She also wants to know if Anna is really carrying Adrian’s heir, but what would happen if it turns out true?
Would she be cast aside by the Blackwood family now? Will she go back to being just the rejected mate?
Luna Selene seems to know exactly what she’s thinking because she squeezes her arm reassuringly.
"Nothing is going to happen to you child, you have my word. Now come, let’s join the others."
They walk together down the wide hallway, and into one of the smaller, informal halls-- the small hall the Alpha uses when he needs to address his personal council.
Adrian comes in a few seconds late. He wordlessly goes to stand by one of the windows at the far end of the hall. And for some reason, he also looks like he doesn’t want the news to be true.
Nyra hates how a small part of her likes that.
Meanwhile, Alpha Darius is seated at the very front. He looks visible upset, eyes raking over Adrian’s wounds, but but he doesn’t ask anything about it and looks away
In the middle of the hall, the royal Oracle stands beside a makeshift altar, neatly arranging ritual herbs and crystals.
Alpha Darius breaks the silence first, "Are you even sure this child is yours? Did you sleep with her?" He doesn’t bother to hide the disgust in his voice
Adrian avoids Nyra’s eyes completely, staring fixedly at the floor. "Yes father," he admits. "But not recently."
And it’s true. Anna hasn’t let him sleep with her since the rut incident, insisting that she didn’t want her sister’s leftovers. They only did other...things.
Still, the possibility of her being pregnant is very high.
Nyra squeezes the hem of her dress, the confirmation hurting more than she thought it would.
Once the oracle is finished setting up, she steps forward gracefully. "We will begin the ritual while we wait for Anna to come in. The Goddess’s insight is needed here. The medical examination will follow once she arrives."
Luna Selene nods, already seemingly familiar with the ritual. "And where is she? She was told to come downstairs promptly."
So she never left? Nyra thinks. Because she didn’t even see her in school at all today.
None of the staff offer an answer, but the Oracle still lights the herbs,
"I’m sorry, Alpha, Luna, but I will be needed in the temple soon-- we really should begin now."
Alpha Darius nods in understanding, turning to one of the maids. "Go and get Anna from the guest room."
"Yes, Alpha." The young maid bows, but before she can move, the Oracle interrupts her.
"I will go instead." She says quietly, "We can’t risk anyone else touching her, or it might tamper with the results."
The hall falls into tense silence once more as her silver hair disappears down the hall.
Adrian keeps stealing quick glances at Nyra from across the room, but she refuses to meet his eyes, focusing instead on the smoke already filling the hall.
Luna Selene notices the tension between them, and sighs. "We know this is difficult for you, child. But we need the truth for the future of the pack." She squeezes her hand, "Rest assured this won’t change anything. You are still the Goddess’ chosen future Luna of Moon-Crest."
Nyra forces a smile. "I just want it all to be over."
---
Meanwhile, the royal Oracle reaches the guest room that Anna is staying in, surprised to find the door already slightly open. She pushes it and steps inside the dark room without knocking.
"Anna?" She calls softly, but there’s no response.
She turns on the light in the room, only to find Anna sitting upright on the bed, one hand covering her stomach, the other one pressed over her mouth.
Her face is pale, eyes red like she has been crying for hours.
The Oracle moves closer. "What’s wrong? It’s time for the ritual. Everyone is waiting."
Anna doesn’t even blink, as she turns to look at her.
"I..please, I need your help." She whispers with a hoarse voice. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
The Oracle blinks. "With what?"
Anna finally meets her eyes. "I need to tell you something very important!"
