Chapter 64

Hannah’s POV

Queen Magnolia was in the foyer when we entered the palace. The guards dragged me in by force; Arnold came in soon after and Raya trailed in cautiously. I imagine that being inside the king’s castle was weird for her. She looked nervous and I couldn’t blame her for that.

Magnolia looked like she wanted to laugh as I was presented in front of her. The guards showed her my notebook and she pressed her lips together in a firm line as she assessed the picture of the moonstone scepter.

“So, it was true,” Magnolia said, looking from my notebook and to my face. “You took the scepter.”

“No,” I said firmly. “I didn’t take anything. I was only researching it…”

“How did you know about it?” She asked, eyeing me carefully.

“I…” My voice trailed off as heat rose into my cheeks. “I found it.”

“In his nightstand? Where he keeps it locked?” Magnolia asked, raising her eyebrows.

“I know how it sounds… but…”

“If she won’t talk, I can make her talk,” Jack said, stepping forward with his eyes darkening.

“With all due respect, Sebastian would kill both of you if anything happened to her,” Arnold chimed in.

Raya was peering at me nervously from behind him; I tried to give her a reassuring smile, but I knew I probably looked just as nervous as she did.

“Lock her away downstairs,” Magnolia muttered, turning away from me with disinterest on her face.

I swallowed hard. I knew the dungeon was downstairs; that was also where Sebastian was chained from my understanding. I could only imagine what it was like down there.

Before I had the chance to say anything in my defense, the guards were dragging me away from the foyer and towards the doorway that led down the stairs and into the dungeon.

I was met by a darkened room that only had a few dimmed lights hanging from the ceiling. The dungeon smelled of mildew and the ground seemed moist to the touch. There were a bunch of cells in a roll with thick metal bars to hold wolves inside. Each cell had a set of chains on the wall; I imagined Sebastian hooked up to the chains in his own cell and I had an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I didn’t see him in any of the cells, but I could hear him. His roaring echoed through the dungeon, bouncing off the walls and vibrating the under my feet as we walked. I shivered uncontrollably as his roaring grew louder. There was a separate door on the far side of the dungeon I knew he had to have been held inside. I could feel his presence within that door, and I knew he could feel mine.

I nearly tripped and fell to the ground as I was shoved into the cell. The doors clamped shut, leaving a ringing sound in my ears. I felt tears burning in my eyes as the guards started walking away.

I knew there was no escaping; I was too weak, and my body was too tired. I tried to mindlink Raya because besides worrying about Sebastian and worrying about my own fate, I also worried about her. But because of the cuffs that remained around my wrists, my mindlink was being blocked.

I just hoped Arnold was keeping her safe. I still couldn’t believe they were mates.

I sat against the cold concrete wall and pressed my knees to my chest, burying my face into my lap as I cried.

…

I lost track of time being in the dungeon; I couldn’t see outside so I couldn’t get a sense of how long I’d been there. Eventually, I cried myself into a night of sleep. When I woke up, Sebastian’s roaring and growling were gone. However, I could still feel him nearby.

“I’m going to prove her innocence if it’s the last thing I do…” Sebastian hissed; I could feel his fury even without my wolf. “Magnolia won’t get away with this.”

I couldn’t see them, but I knew they were lurking in the shadows nearby. It must have been the next morning because he was no longer chained in the next room.

“She had research on the scepter in her notebook,” Arnold said, keeping his voice low. “Did you know about this, your majesty?”

There was a pause where I knew Sebastian was wondering about it as well. I felt tears welling up in my eyes again. He feared he would think of me as a thief. I was unable to speak to let them know I was awake, and I was too tired to defend myself.

“She might have been researching it, but I know she didn’t steal it,” Sebastian finally said after a long pause. “I know her. She’s not a thief.”

“If you believe that, then I believe you,” Arnold said, sighing with relief.

“I believe him too,” Raya’s small voice chimed in.

She was sounding a lot better than she had the last few days; I felt her warm presence nearby and I was relieved she was all right and still by Arnold’s side. I should have known he would have protected her; that was his mate after all.

“I’ve only known her for a few weeks, but she’s the closest thing I’ve had for a friend in a long time,” Raya said softly. “She’s not a thief. She’s a good person.”

There was more silence that followed her words.

“There’s no use standing around. I’m going to investigate. Raya, stay with Arnold. He will keep you protected,” Sebastian ordered.

“Yes, your majesty,” Raya agreed, her tone uncertain.

“If you need us to do anything, let us know,” Arnold said as he led Raya from the dungeon.

Once Arnold and Raya were gone, I could feel that Sebastian was still nearby. It must have been the morning after the full moon because he wasn’t in the middle of his madness. I could hear his deep breathing though, so the effects probably hadn’t worn off all the way. I knew the irritation lasted a bit beyond the full moon for him.

“Sebastian?” I whispered, not trusting the extent of my voice.

He sucked in a sharp breath and came out of the shadows, making himself known to me. His body was tense, but his deep blue eyes were filled with so much worry that it made my heart melt. Tears welled up in my eyes again as he rushed toward my cell, grabbing onto the bars, and holding them tightly until his knuckles had gone white.

“Hannah…” he whispered. “I’m going to prove you innocent.”

“I know…” I said to him, trying to keep my voice from quivering. “I hope you know I didn’t steal anything.”

He was silent for a moment like he was weighing everything he knew so far. I saw the questions surfacing on his face, but he didn’t ask me anything. He nodded and brushed his thumb down the side of my face, making me tremble under his touch.

“I’ll prove you innocent,” he said again. “Trust me.”

I wanted to trust him, but there was still a part of me that didn’t. I worried that he was just going to hurt me once again. He might not have gotten Emily pregnant like she said he did, but he did forcibly mark me and that left a lasting impression on my heart and my wolf. We still feared him in a way, even though we knew he would also protect us.

I breathed in his comforting scent and allowed myself to relax. I knew he wouldn’t stop at anything until he proved my innocence.

I had to trust him at least with that.

He left and I felt more alone than ever. Hours had passed as I’m sitting in the cell, playing with my fingers, and waiting for it all to end.

Then I heard the doors of the dungeon swinging open and a couple of footsteps walking toward me. I knew it wasn’t Sebastian or anyone I was comfortable with. The aura and energy of the room shifted, leaving an icy feeling in my body.

I saw his dark and large shadow first and I scooted back on the ground until I was against the far side of the cell, against the wall.

Jack made himself known to me, along with one of his guards.

He grabbed onto the cell bars with his fingers and stared directly at me as he spoke.

“If you won’t talk… I’m going to make you talk.”