A dead silence passed over everyone as Diana showed her vicious side. She had been trying for this position since John started plotting to become the Alpha. It was easy to get to know from the members that Diana was utterly favoured by John and the reasons were as simple as either they were in love and he wanted her to be a Beta when he became the Alpha or because she was one of the strong Omegas and he was using her to later make her a loyal Beta for him.

Either way, Diana was shown too many dreams of becoming the Beta of our pack. She had apologised to me at the beginning for her misunderstanding about me so she could add me to her pawns. Unluckily for her, I was her biggest rival.

"Don't be a sore loser, Diana," said a girl with a boy cut, biting on her chewing gum. If I remember correctly, she was Rita Hudson, the tomboy of the pack who used to nonchalantly stay in one corner.

Diana scoffed at Rita's words, walking to stand in front of her. "Oh please, don't you say anything. You joined the pack for the free money you get out of patrolling, no actual intentions you had there to protect Winterwells." Rita was taller than Diana and she looked into Diana's eyes like she was least bothered by Diana's words. Diana was not taking anything well right now, "Don't talk when you don't care about the village and are here for the sake of money."

Rita was not at all affected by Diana's words; she indifferently replied, "So what? I don't eat out of your pockets now, do I?"

Diana got agitated, seeing how one more person did not give her the reaction that she was expecting. Her own group that she held pride in and followed her after John's death were being sceptical of her right now. Diana's real face was showing, and it made everyone give a disdainful look to her.

Channing was still holding my wrist, and it was only now that I understood how he was letting Diana taint her own self. Over it all, this would show Channing, who was on John's side.

"You are making a ruckus out of nothing, Diana," added Suzan. "It is the Alpha's decision-"

"Don't you see how your lovely Selene has seduced Channing," Diana fumed. She walked to me and Channing to hold up his hand that was holding my wrist. I was immediately conscious to try to pull my wrist away from his hold, but he held onto it. Diana smirked, seeing how Channing was not backing away from his hold on me, "See, look at how Channing is holding on to her like she means everything to him and Selene isn't denying."

The misunderstanding was planted in the member's minds and Channing was letting it be that way. I turned to him, concerned, but he gave me a reassuring smile.

Suzan was angry at the way Diana was showing things to everyone. She stepped ahead, "Diana, you are being unreasonable here. We all know Channing never mixes his personal life with the duties he has as an Alpha."

"Oh, really?" Julianne stepped ahead to give a mocking reply to Suzan. "Why does it not look that way, then? Why is Channing still holding onto Selene's hand as if being protective of her?"

It finally satisfied Diana to see someone speak and react to the false claim she was trying to make on Channing and me.

I knew Channing, and almost everyone knew that Channing would never let his personal matters or emotions affect his work, or his just judgement. Even during John Walter's case, Channing had warned me that if I was at fault, he won't take my side even if I had saved his life. The day in the hospital flashed in my mind as if it was just yesterday -

----

["You didn't answer my question," required Channing

In my overwhelmed emotions, I totally forgot the question, "Which one?"

"The very first one. Should I really believe in your story entirely?", He repeated.

"Yes!" I answered, with no hesitation. "You can believe everything that I have said!"]

[He chuckled, "This will be a tough one, Selene! I just hope the evidence stays safe at the crime scene by the time I reach there. But don't worry, I have given you my word, so rest assured. I'll do everything I can, to prove your innocence. But remember this, I will not support a wrong person even if they have saved my life!"]

----

Channing had told me how he had almost fallen for me when he knew I was the one who had saved him. When his emotions had slipped at my house, he had mentioned that was a debt he never wanted to repay, yet he had clearly asked whether he should believe me while in hospital. If Channing was really a person who involved his emotions in his work, then he would have saved me back then blindly.

Coming back to reality, I saw how Suzan had almost lunged at Julianne in anger while Sam was holding Suzan back by locking his hands on her shoulders. Suzan yelled, "It is none of your business what goes between them."

Julianne flipped her hair arrogantly, "So you are saying that there is something between them? That gives Diana's statement all the benefit of the doubt, doesn't it?"

Oliver joined in this time, turning to Diana and asking her instead of asking Channing, "Is it true, Diana, that the Alpha and Selene have something going on between them?" He was smart in referring to Channing as the Alpha and not by his name. But that was not going to get him out of the list of followers, as I knew very well how arrogant he was towards me a day back.

Diana walked ahead to him and their group of 8 people that had unconsciously separated from the rest of the members. If Julianne had not spoken against Suzan a while back, then their group would not have been distinguished.

Oliver was a smart lad, and he was careful even now to not get the red mark on himself.

"Yes, Oliver," Diana confirmed his doubts. "I saw Channing go to her house that night when she was injured. How did Selene heal this early? I doubt they must be soulmates and Channing had used the healing between soulmates to make her perfectly alright."

Sam stepped ahead this time, "Enough Diana! Those are all baseless assumptions. Selene is still not yet healed properly and everyone knows that."

Diana smirked, folding her hands over her chest, "Is that so? I did not see her wincing when all of you dear friends of hers were flocking around her." Diana turned to me and my jaw clenched at the way she was throwing accusations my way. Diana tilted her head to the side with a pitiful expression, "Come on, Selene, the only way for you to heal those injuries in two days was for your soulmate cause I doubt our healer, Elaine, is capable enough."

It made Elaine wash with guilt in a helpless sense, knowing how that day she wasn't able to help me. This was not going right and the people I cared about were getting hurt, but how can I speak when Channing had held me back.

There were doubtful eyes that we were receiving from the members, and it was frustrating to not clear them immediately.

I turned to Channing, whispering to him, "How long are you going to watch the show?"

Channing turned to me, and a faint smile replaced his lips, as if he liked this little attention he was getting with me because, when this was all over, Channing very well knew I was going to sort things between us. There were a lot of questions I had in my heart about him and so much to tell him. Somewhere my heart ached to see the hurt he carried in his eyes, already knowing what was coming with me.

My brows creased as everything else became silent for the both of us and I spoke in a low voice, wiggling my wrist, "Channing, stop this, isn't it enough to know which eight members were on John's side?"

He looked at me and chuckled, hanging his head down. Channing's eyes met mine, and he whispered back to me, "If only I could make any moment with you last forever."

My eyes shifted between his eyes. I could see the hurt it carried, and I had to avert him away from this. "Did you choose me for the Beta because of your feelings?"

Right now, I would take that as well, since I wanted to return to the castle and plan for my wedding soon. If Channing had in fact chosen me because of his feelings for me, then it was wrong and too much of a character change on his part. But I doubted that was the case. My eyes met his questioningly, and he looked troubled by my question.

"No," he said, crinkling his brows, and Channing finally let go of my wrist. "You are worthy of it Selene, I truly believe that there will be a change that you will bring in Winterwells. Not just with your mission, but also within the pack."

I stared at him and looked away, biting into my lower lips. There were hopes he had with me, and maybe it was to aid my mission to settle the feud, that he chose me as the Beta.

But this was not a time to keep thinking of those things. Right now, there were doubts in the minds of the members that were to be cleared, and I had to make Channing speak. I turned to him and this time said in a normal tone, "I think you should stop whatever problem has been created here soon."

Channing nodded his head and shouted, "Members!"

Everyone's attention turned to Channing, and there was a quiet that surfaced in the crowd just to be replaced by questions of Diana, "We need the answers, Channing, what kind of relationship do you share with Selene?"

Channing stood tall and pridefully addressed everyone in general, "If anyone could prove their loyalty towards the Alpha of Winterwells and this village, even as half as Selene to me, I will give them the post of Beta right away." He had never used such body language and tone before and the members all went quiet over those words. Diana bit into the inside of her cheek to shift her eyes between me and Channing.

She diverted the topic in her favour again, "You have not answered the question, Channing. We are all very much loyal to you, but how can we follow you when you are being biased and keep us in the dark-"

"Diana," Channing's gravelly voice thundered even when the tone was low. "Where was your loyalty when John led you away from me and your Alpha was under attack?"