At that moment, the wrought iron gates pulled open, and Polly stepped in, accompanied by the guards who had gone to get her. All eyes turned to her, and the shrine instantly became quiet, like the first fall of snow in winter.

Rael was about to speak when he heard the gates creak. He turned to the entrance, and as though in slow motion, his heart beat slowed.

He’d seen her a thousand times, but at that moment, as he watched her walk towards him, it felt like he was looking at her for the first time. The surroundings seemed to disappear, his gaze stood transfixed.

His chest ached and his eyes burned as if holding back tears.

He wanted to move his eyes away, but he could barely move them, his eyes clung to her as though he was under a spell.

Rael knew she was pretty, but she had never caught his fancy. Right now, though, he didn’t know why she suddenly looked like the prettiest woman he had ever seen. Rael forced his gaze away from her, steadying his breath. Was it because she was about to die? Was he suddenly feeling pity for her?

Adelaide’s hands held the sides of her white flowing dress, which was shiny with crystals and rare stones. She looked ethereal, regal, like she had just walked out of a painting.

On her neck was a large gemstone that rested beautifully between her breasts. She had applied a light makeup and let her red hair flow down her back. Her eyes looked like they held the warmth of the autumn sun, and she looked ethereal.

The crowd was in awe, standing in utter silence as they watched her walk in, as though they’d just seen a ghost.

Then there were little murmurings, people pinching themselves as though wondering what was happening. Did she realize she was coming to die?

Adelaide didn’t pay any mind to anyone as she walked like the princess she was towards the altar.

When she reached the Alpha and the high priestess, she bowed slightly.

The high priestess smiled as her eyes fell on Polly.

‘’You are late, child. You’ve kept the elders waiting,’’ she said, and Adelaide looked around her for the first time. The elders of the council were standing to the right, all dressed in white, a sign of washing their hands off her blood.

She searched among them, but she could not find Polly's parents. A part of her was not surprised; the pain of watching their own child die was unbearable. She didn’t blame them for not coming. She breathed in as she turned back to the high priestess.

‘’I am about to die. I don’t think taking a few minutes of the elders’ time would hurt, do you?’’

Rael turned his gaze to her again, and almost at the same time, their eyes locked. It was like a bolt of electricity, and Adelaide felt her body tremble the moment her gaze met his and she instantly tore her gaze away from him.

Rael blinked and turned to the High Priestess, clearing his throat, he spoke;

‘’We should begin; we do not have time on our hands.’’

The High Priestess nodded and turned to the crowd as she addressed them.

‘’The accused has chosen to be tried by the moon spirit. The moon trial has been conducted for centuries since the inception of the Bloodmoon pack. It has always been fair, vindicating the just and sentencing the unjust to its own punishment.

The last time the moon trial was held was fifty years ago, and the next time would be today.’’

She paused as her eyes fell on Polly.

‘’The accused will be prepared and submerged in the stream. If she lives, she is innocent, and no one will ever speak or accuse her wrongly again. But if she dies…’’

The priestess paused and then she looked at Adelaide, and continued; ‘’Her body will be burnt, and her ashes scattered in the Forest of doom, where her soul will wander for eternity.’’

At the priestess’s words, the crowd began shaking their heads in pity.

Adelaide bit her lower lip. She had mentally prepared herself for this, but now that the time was here, she was scared. She didn’t want to die.

She felt like running away, like screaming to any God who could hear to save her, but she couldn’t. There was nothing she could do. No one was coming to save her.

‘’Bring the girl in.’’

The High Priestess spoke, and two guards grabbed Adelaide and led her into the shrine.

The Alpha followed, then the Elders, while the crowd remained outside.

The High Priestess lit the incense and began saying some incantations. Polly was led to the bank of the stream as the High Priestess continued swaying around, speaking in strange tongues.

The High Priestess dipped her hands into a liquid and rubbed it over Polly’s face. After minutes of speaking in strange tongues, she finally paused.

‘’Step into the waters.’’

She commanded, and Polly shakily took off her shoes and walked forward. She stopped when the water brushed against her feet, shuddering as she looked around her. The Elders were staring at her as if they couldn’t wait for her to die and get everything over with, as though they were sure there was no way she was going to survive.

Adelaide’s eyes moved from them and landed on Alpha Rael’s, and for the first time, her eyes glistened with a plea. She didn’t know what came over her, but at that moment, she wanted to beg for her life. If he would save her, she would forgive him… she would forget everything he had done to her… she would let it go. But Rael just held her gaze for a few seconds and then looked away.

Adelaide trembled as the tears she had struggled to hold back finally dropped from her eyes.

‘’Get in, child, and let the waters judge you.’’

The High Priestess commanded, and Adelaide chuckled internally. ‘’This was it then; she was going to die.’’

She said finally as she dipped her legs into the waters, and in a flash, without warning, she was pulled underneath by an unknown force.

Adelaide pushed against the torrent as she struggled, but her strength could barely do anything. The waters burned like gasoline and flames; she had not experienced anything so excruciatingly painful like that before.

She opened her mouth to scream, but only water gushed inside, burning her from the inside out.

Adelaide struggled as her whole body quaked, the waters still pulling her deeper and deeper until she gave up fighting and let it take her.

She closed her eyes and prepared for death, but suddenly, the tide stopped pulling her, and as though in the blink of an eye, it started pushing her to the surface with sheer force.

Alpha Rael stared at the surface of the water the instant Polly disappeared beneath it. He knew she was going to die the moment she stepped into the water. For a second there, his heart wavered. She had stared at him with such pleading eyes he had wanted to stop her, but he held himself, she had killed someone, and she chose this path, he could not intervene.

The tides became rough the moment she disappeared beneath the waters. The water rumbled for about ten minutes before stopping and becoming silent. There were no movements and not a single sound underneath the surface.

Alpha Rael waited a few seconds as he stared at the water, his jaws clenched and he waited… and waited…

For a moment, he wanted to believe that a sort of miracle could happen and she would usurp from the waters.

But nothing happened. She was gone.

The High Priestess walked to the bank of the water and looked in.

‘’The Moon Spirit has judged her and found her wanting.’’

The High Priestess said and then turned to the elders. ‘’Her body will be delivered up in a day or two, and…’’

She was still speaking when a loud noise erupted from the water, and Adelaide burst out from the surface, falling onto the bank of the stream.