"I drank to drown my pain,

but the damned pain

learned how to swim."

-Frida Kahlo

"Where is she?" I asked, almost panting because of the amount of panic I was in.

"I...I don't know, we couldn't find her." He said, his eyes filled with anxiety and fear.

I broke out in a cold sweat, thinking about the consequences of her absence.

"How can she not come?" I muttered, running my fingers through my hair.

"She was mad you, Olivia. You hid so many things from her. And you used her-"

"I did NOT use her." I said, with finality in my voice.

Ryder shrugged. "Whatever you want to say, you and I both know that her safety wasn't the first thing in your mind."

I ignored his foolish allegations and tried to concentrate on the matter in hand.

"What if she never turns up? Can we get another date?" I asked him, my eyes looking frantically at the clock that had almost hit 3.

"Unfortunately, no." He said shaking his head. "Werewolves' courts finish their proceedings mostly within a single meet. Plus the allegations on you are high and evidences against you are abundant. I doubt you'll get another date."

"So..." I gulped. "So does that mean that I'll be thrown out of the community and will be converted to a rogue?"

Ryder had sadness in his eyes as he looked at me with sympathy. "I'm sorry, Livy. I wish I could-"

"Forget about it." I sighed.

"You know you can still finish this off if you apologize to him." He said, in an uncertain voice.

Those words boiled my blood and angered me to no extent. I curled my fists and glared at him. Even the thought of his face made me want to hit someone and he wanted me to apologise to a heinous being like him? An extremely odious, detestable and atrocious person.

"I am not sorry for anything that I did. And if my actions come with repercussions and if nobody's ready to stand with me, then so be it." I said boldly, but before anything else could be said or done, a voice came from other side of the room.

"Ms. Olivia Hart, please come in the front, your case shall be opened. We hope that you're aware that you've been accused for treason and lese-majesty."

(A/N- it is completely normal for you to not understand the prologue. The prologue in my books is a part of the book from the future. That means that BOOK 2 does not start from this chapter, instead this is a part from somewhere in Book 2. This chapter will make sense to you much later and as the story unwinds itself. I hope you understand, love you ❤️)