Alpha Sylvester informed us, a couple of days later, that he had it on good authority that Cathania was coming to visit and that he was going to get the confession from her if she was indeed responsible for poisoning me. We were to stay in another room. A bug and a camera were planted in the room where Alpha Sylvester would be with her and we would hear everything she said, and see all her reaction.

She breezed in, in her normal Lady - of - the - manor, manner and we gathered in the large room we had prepared for this occasion. Alpha Christopher was there with us as well.

'Alpha, you are a marvel. You have not been in contact with the woman you are supposedly engaged with!' she said without preamble when she saw Alpha Sylvester.

'Did I invite you?' Alpha Sylvester asked.

'Do I need any invitation before I can visit you?' Cathania asked, sounding furious. 'I have spent my years loving you, waiting for the day you'll make me your Luna, and you ask me why I have visited you without being invited?'

'Cathania, why did you do it?' he asked, looking piercingly into her eyes, as though she had not spoken.

'Do what?' she asked, and I sensed fear in her voice though I could not be sure. 'You mean visit you without invitation? Do I really need an invitation to visit my fiance?'

'Don't play dumb with me, Cathania. We already know you poisoned Millicent with wolfsbane', Alpha Sylvester said in a very deceptively quiet voice.

'If others suspect me, Sylvester, of such a thing, would you not stand by me, knowing that I couldn't do that?' she asked looking pained. 'Where is Millicent anyway?'

'Cathania, we are alone here and I want to hear it from your mouth so that I can help you the best way I can', Sylvester said, still looking at Cathania in a disquieting manner. 'but if you insist on lying about it, you know there are ways of finding out the truth and making you confess to your crime, and by that time, I will not be able to help you!'

Cathania was quiet for a while and we all though she was not going to respond to it, you know, take the bait.

'Sylvester, I did it! Cathania said furiously and we all exhaled. 'Do you blame me?', she continued. ' I have loved you all my life and you choose to side with a maid whose father murdered your parents, over me? What have I ever done to wrong you? Even now, I was doing it for you. I was doing your work. Something you should have done long ago', she was becoming hysterical. 'I do not know why you did not kill her when you murdered her parents!'. Christopher caught my hands in his, squeezing and his warmth gave me strength.

'When she was supposed to be serving you, you kept ignoring her rebellious attitude', she added. 'and even when you exiled her, you could not bear to be away from her, so, you went and got her back, hiding behind your discussion with the council of elders.

'Cathania, you were saying, you did it for me? What - exactly, did you do for me?' Sylvester asked

'I tried to kill Millicent with wolfsbane, for you, for us, so we could finally be together like we were meant to be', Cathania said. 'But the girl must be a cat with nine lives or a witch and she has refused to die'.

'When did you turn so vengeful and bitter?' Alpha Sylvester asked, shaking his head sadly.

'Since you started ignoring me for your new pet!' she said, laughing hysterically. 'And look who's talking about being vengeful. Were you not vengeful when you murmured her parents and destroyed her pack? Were you not vengeful when you maltreated her when she was a maid here? Are you being hypocritical on me now?'

'I regret all I did against her', Alpha Sylvester said. 'but it's no concern of yours'. Then in a harder tone of voice, his Alpha voice, used in sentencing and giving punishments, he said, 'For the crime of trying to kill the future Luna of the Moon Ville Pack, you shall be kept in custody and I shall decide what punishment will be best to give you. Or better still, Millicent will decide how she would want you to be punished!'

At Alpha Sylvester clap, some warriors came to take her away.

'Take her away and put her in custody, no one is allowed to visit her until she is made to serve the punishment I shall name!'

'You can't be serious, Sylvester!' Cathania shouted, struggling against the hands dragging her away.

The scene that came into my mind unbidden was how I must have looked as I was being dragged away from the corpse of my father.

'I am the daughter of an Alpha too! You can't treat me like a nobody!'

As the guards dragged her away, Cathania looked into the room where we were and saw us all looking at her.

She looked back at Alpha Sylvester with shock. She must have realised that there was no escaping the punishment for her crimes.

'You are starting a war, Sylvester', Cathania said. 'My father will not take kindly to the fact that you are detaining me here!' she said.

'He might change his mind when he hears what your crimes are', Alpha Christopher retorted. 'How could you do that to another? You have no Luna qualities in you at all'.

'It is going to be your word against mine! You cannot prove anything!' she said.

'You have just confessed to your crimes. Your confession was recorded and has been sent to your father. He already knows you are paying for the crimes you committed', Samantha said, the look in her eyes, incredulous.

'Even if your father wants war after seeing what you have been up to, then we shall be happy to oblige him and I promise you, the state he will find his pack would be a joke!' Sylvester said, threateningly, before the door shut behind Cathania and I believed him. Look at the state he left my pack of origin. That reminded me I wanted to ask around and find out what became of my birth pack.

'Alpha Sylvester wants to see you', The maid, Ann came to my room one day to tell me.'He said you should join him in the garden'.

'Alright', I said, thinking that what he wanted to see me for must be very important for him to ask that I should meet with him in his precious garden, though of late, he had not been too rigid about people entering the Reserved Area. No one went there, though except he sent them there for any reason, the fear of entering that place had already been instilled in them.

I put down the book I had been reading and straightening down the big round - neck polo shirt I had on over my jean short, I combed my hair, looking in the mirror to check that my appearance was good enough, I heaved a satisfied sigh, at least I wasn't looking unkept. Then, I walked out the door and through the back exit door, entered the garden.

I saw him pacing in the garden, lost in thought. But at the sound of my approaching footsteps, he turned round towards me with a welcoming smile.

'Millicent!' he called, spreading his arms for me to walk into them.

'Alpha Sylvester!' I greeted. When I was still a maid, I found it difficult calling him Alpha but now that I could call him by his given name without fear of repercussions, I call him by his title. Maybe because I feel that calling him by his name sounded intimate and that was not how I wanted to feel with Sylvester.

To prove to myself that I wasn't scared of any close proximity with him and to show him that I wasn't snubbing him, nor his attempt at friendliness, because I felt that was what it was all about, I walked into his arms. But unlike other times he had done the same thing, this time, he drew me close, enfolding me in his arms. I looked up into his face to assure myself that I wasn't misjudging this, I gasped at what I saw in his eyes. And as though he had been waiting for that exact reaction from me, he dipped his head and caught my lips with his, in a searing kiss.

I was shocked at first and stood rooted to the stop and he continued kissing me, then murmured, 'You taste so good. Just like I knew you would'.

That brought me out of my shock. I pushed him away. 'Alpha Sylvester, what do you think you are doing?' I asked, trembling with emotion.

'I am doing what I should have done long ago', he said, huskily, trying to pull me back into his arms. 'And you can call me Sylvester. Adding my title to it when we're alone like this, feels impersonal and that's not how I want to feel with you'.

'I'm sorry but I take exceptions to such behaviour!' I asserted, pushing him away again. I could not believe I was standing there, listening to what he was saying and allowing his hand on my body but I had started pretending that I was getting close to him, before Alpha Christopher came into the picture and stopping now might just raise a lot of questions.

'You don't have to be shy, we are mated and you will soon be my Luna', he said smiling at me. 'We are not doing anything wrong at all'.

'Well, until that time, I'd like us to maintain our distance!' I said, more forcefully than I intended. 'What I mean is that...'

'I know exactly what you mean', he said. 'If it were Christopher here now, would you have pushed him away?' he asked, roughly. What it pain I saw in his eyes? It couldn't be. The Alpha Sylvester I knew did not have a heart and hence could not feel hurt.

'Ann, told me you wanted to speak with me. I presumed it was something important...'

He hesitated as though he wanted to question me further but he must have changed his mind because he said, 'Yes, I wanted to ask you what you plan to do about Cathania!'

'Cathania?' I asked bemused.

'What punishment would you like her to serve for poisoning you?' he asked. 'I had promised to leave it up to you, else I would have given her a deserving punishment for poisoning the future Luna of the Moon Ville Pack'.

Did he mean that sincerely? What about his feelings for Cathania? Is he that fickle minded that his feelings changed with the tide?

'I have forgiven her', I said. 'I am only thankful that I survived it. There's no need punishing her. Moreover, she did it because she cares alot about you and felt threatened by my presence here!'

'That's no excuse and you cannot mean what you just said', Alpha Sylvester said with incredulity in his voice. 'If you do not punish her, others might think they could do anything against their leaders and get away with it. I like loyalty and punishing her will serve as a deterrent to others who might have any such thing in their minds'.

'Exactly, what I am saying!' I said smiling.

'What?' he asked bemused.

'She was being loyal to you', I said, 'At least that was what she thought she was doing when she did what she did', I concluded ,trying to point out to him, how Cathania's mind must have been working when she committed that grievous crime.

'So, you mean, you aren't going to punish her?' he asked, still not believing it.

'I shall not be punishing her and I plead with you to release her. She loves you and was only trying to protect her territory!' I said.

'I shall not let this go. She has to be punished', he said. 'If you do not want to punish her, then I will!'

'You shall do no such thing', I said with authority. He looked at me as though I had suddenly grown horns. Remembering he was not used to being ordered around, I said more gently, 'It is my prerogative to do with my chance to punish her as I desire! You said you will leave me to punish her as I see fit and I have just delivered my punishment. Which is for her to be released, let her conscience judge her. Moreover, she was your lover and I'll feel bad and morally unjust if I should make her serve a punishment other than the one I have given'.

'If you're sure', he said, uncertainly.

'I am very sure!' I said, confidently. 'Give the order that she should be released immediately.

'I'll do better than that', he said, looking at me with what I read to be grudging admiration and respect. 'Come with me, let's go tell her she is free to go!'

'You have come to gloat, haven't you?' Cathania said as soon as she saw us approaching her cell. 'Well, you do not need to. State what your punishment is and I'll gladly serve It. I'll have you know that I am not afraid of you nor your punishment!'

'Keep quiet Cathania', Alpha Sylvester ordered. 'You need to apologise to her for trying to kill her and for speaking to her this way'.

I shall do no such thing!' Cathania shrieked. 'It shall be over my dead body to apologise to a maid even if her status has been glorified', she looked condescendingly at me and then, looked with disgust at Sylvester. 'Sylvester', she called, 'you do not cease to marvel me. You are still going round with her, patrolling her as your future Luna when you know she wants another! Ha, ha ha!' she laughed like someone who was insane. ' State your punishment already, mighty Luna and be done with it because I need you out of my sight!'

'Cathania!' Sylvester thundered.And I touched him lightly on the arm, shaking my head to indicate that he should not say anymore.

'Cathania', I began, 'no one will be punishing you. I forgive you and have requested of Alpha Sylvester to release you from detention and he has magnanimously agreed', I said.

I didn't expect her to be grateful and I was not disappointed. ''I forgive you!' she mimicked me. 'Who are you to forgive me? Is this act intended for the pack to consider you Luna material? You have always been a maid and that is what you will remain!'

'But you know that's not true', I said, feeling my temperature rising in anger. This woman was really impossible! 'My status has always been higher. I was a princess and you know it!'

'Was, being the operational word', she said bitchily. 'You were a princess and got demoted to an Omega maid and that is why you are trying too hard to become a Luna but the title does not become you at all. I assure you, when all in the pack look at you, all they see is the Omega maid that served them in the past. Ha,ha,ha!'

'Cathania! if you do not stop this rubbish, this instant, I shall show you that I am the Alpha of this pack and you are under my custody!' Sylvester thundered.

'Oh, please, spare me!' she said, her eyes wild. I was sure her jealousy had gone into her mind and unhinged something, what she doesn't seem to get is that she was fighting the wrong person. 'You are not the only Alpha of this pack and your brother is a better option, I tell you. Little wonder then that this maid chose him over you!'

'Cathania!' Sylvester howled, furiously. 'If I didn't hate hitting women, I would strike you this instant!'

'Is the truth bitter? You cannot bear to hear it?' she mocked. 'But that's the truth and you have to swallow the bitter pill. I was doing you a favour by choosing you but you are an ungrateful element! Howl and roar all you want. I am not afraid of you!'

'Alpha Sylvester', I called gently. 'Leave well alone. She is frustrated and is just hitting back with her words. Don't let her get to you nor dignify her words with a response. Go on ahead, I shall be behind you'.

'Why?' he asked, looking at me and then at Cathania. 'I don't think that's wise', he said.

'Little maid', Cathania laughed at 'You better heed his words. He knows what he is talking about!'

'Sylvester, please!' I implored.

He hesitated but shook his head on second thoughts, but before leaving, he said, 'I want you behind me in the next three minutes! Don't make me wait!'

'I won't!' I said. Then turned to Cathania.

'So sweet and touching!' she said. 'But I am not buying it. Both of you are just deceiving each other. You do not love him and he cannot love you. So why the pretense?'

'Why can he not love me?' I asked, curious to hear what she would say.

'He cannot love you, my dear Millicent, because your father murdered his parents. If you were in his shoes, would you love such a person?' she asked and then burst out laughing. 'Oh, sorry. I forgot. That is the same reason you cannot love him and accept him whole - heartedly, now, isn't it? He murdered your own parents too, in cold blood! Ha,ha,ha, ha! You both deserve each other, I must say. I'm imagining a marriage based on mutual H - A- T- E'.

'What she said pierced my heart as it opened fresh wounds. But there was something else that got my heart thundering. I had heard something like that before. Where? My mind worked furiously, searching... Oh, at the garden.

'Why would he think that my father could possibly murder his parents? My father was not like that!' I said, my thoughts in shambles.

'I thought you were wise but you never found out how deep his hatred for you is and why. You just served him thinking he would let you go someday. I'm sure he still wants to make you suffer for his loss. And you? Do you really want him to get away with murdering your parents? I bet you have a vengeance plot ready to be executed, at least you should, if you have any sense in that thick skull of yours!'

I looked at Cathania and was shocked. I had to admit that she was really wise and had deduced at least my feelings perfectly.

'All that is in the past, his murder of my parents, that is. I was too young and have forgotten about it. And why should I hatch a vengeance plot against anyone? The Moon goddess has elevated me and I shall soon be the Luna, what more could I possibly ask for?' I asked, not wanting Cathania to guess at my thoughts. She would most definitely expose them to all, especially, Sylvester.

'But why did you say, my father murdered his parents?' I asked, wanting more information.

'I am not in a position to answer that', she said, smiling wickedly and the crazed look on her face caused me to take a step backwards. 'Ask your cheating Alpha, he will tell you all about it'.

'There will be no need for that!' a voice said and I swirled round to find Alpha Christopher walking towards us.

'Darling, what are you doing here?' he asked, looking at me appreciatively. 'Come away, immediately. This is no place for you'.

'I came to give my punishment to Cathania.

'Fickle minded!' Cathania spat. 'Didn't you say you were releasing me without punishment?' she said. 'Or was that just to impress Sylvester?'

'What's she talking about?' Alpha Christopher asked puzzled. 'She can't mean what I heard her say, can she?'

'Cathania', I said again. 'I forgive you and your punishment will be to be released without any punishment. Let your conscience do the rest!'

'Are you sure?' Christopher asked, looking at me with his eyes very round, sounding so uncannily like his twin.

'Very sure! Guards, release Cathania immediately', I ordered.

'Wait!' Christopher shouted, raising his hand, palms up to halt the movement of the guards who had started coming to obey my order.

'Can you see how kind and selfless, Millicent is? She has the qualities of the goddess herself', he said, smiling fondly at me and then looking at Cathania with irritation. 'She has done what even you cannot do. If you ever do anything to hurt her again, I shall personally see to it that you do not live to tell the tale!'

Cathania scuffed. 'You really love her don't you?' she asked and without waiting for a response, added, 'better make hay while the sun shines. If you delay, then your brother might just mark her before you do!'

'Forget about that!' Christopher said. 'Are you turning against your own lover? And you want to use us as your pawn? Oh Cathania, it won't work!' And he signalled the guards to release her.

'Believe it or not but if you do not get smart, you will lose her to your brother!' Then she shook her head, 'Perhaps, I am mistaken and you do not love her well enough to go against fate on her account, in which case, feel free to lose your beloved mate and you, 'Maid Luna' I said something to you before poisoning you. If you love yourself, heed that advice or not, it's your business and won't pull a hair from my head! she said, as she stepped out of the cell.