The girls squealed and rushed to the front to line up. Seeing Stephany approaching, I quickly moved forward with the girls to hide. But then there was a commotion. The girls stampeded. I couldn't breathe so I struggled to get to the front for a space. And suddenly, I found myself falling at Alpha Luis' feet.
I stiffened at the sight of his boots. Looking up, my breath hitched. I noticed his pupils dilated and his eyes widen.
My wolf, Citi, thrashed. She became restless, and her howls nearly shattered my ears when I looked at him.
Then, a pair of arms helped me up. Alpha Luis raised me to my feet. When our eyes met, I heard Citi whisper, "mate.
"You're my mate," I heard Alpha Luis say.
I could feel the eyes of the people on me. They gasped and murmured, wondering who I was.
"Is she from here?"
"I don't know. I haven't seen her in our town."
"Maybe she's a witch."
Everyone's attention was on me. I wanted to leave, but I heard a familiar voice.
"I know her," Aunt Jezel said, stepping forward from the crowd. "She is my stepdaughter. She is the one who killed her father."
The crowd was shocked, especially Alpha Luis. Was she trying to portray me as a villain in front of him?
CINDY'S POV
"No, I didn't," I retorted.
I looked at my stepmother, who was surprised to see me fighting back this time.
"How can an 8-year-old kill an adult? As a matter of fact, you were with him when I found him lying on the floor unconscious."
"How dare you—"
"Enough," Alpha Luis cut Aunt Jezel off. He stepped in front of me to protect me from her.
"Don't accuse without proof. If you won't respect this event, you may leave now. Guards!"
In a second, two guards grabbed her arms and dragged her away. People moved aside to give way as Aunt Jezel tried to break free from their grip and screamed at the top of her lungs.
Stephany and Jenny ran towards their mother, hoping they could talk the guards into releasing her.
When the three were cast outside, the atmosphere of the mansion slowly returned to normal. The music continued, people talked, and Luis and I danced the night away. Everyone watched us as we devoured the wide space in the center with the gracefulness of our dance.
After our dance, Luis and I went to the balcony, where no one else was present. It was just the two of us. We talked under the full moon, sharing childhood memories and secrets that strengthened our connection.