BETA TIM’S POV “Traitor, I said she is a traitor. And I say she should not be in our midst” the accuser would not stop screaming and asserting his claim. Right at the moment, the only thing that was on my mind was the conversation I just had with Mildrid and it went thus. Me: I didn’t know she will be the one, I never imagined that she would return before that weakling. Mildrid: You don’t want to offer some wimpy to me. Moreover, she is your only daughter, remember you never acknowledged the other one. Me: (thinking) Oh no, this witch is very evil. All along she made me believe that I have two daughters to pick from, she made me feel that I can give Scarlet to her if she had returned first. Not my precious daughter, Dawn. I am already feeling so terrible that I could not give her the welcome she deserves. She means so much to me and I feel I could take her and run far away from here, or maybe replace her with someone else. I cannot bear to see her look at me this way with so much hurt and questions on her face. How do I explain to her that I am giving her up because of power, how do I make her understand that I unknowingly picked some immortality over her? In anxiety, I turned to Mildrid and requested. “Isn’t there another way? You should be willing to accept some sacrifice. I can get you even more zombies than you can ever think of” Mildrid: (Giggled) This is the agreement, Tim. Moreover, what do you want, are you ready to sacrifice it all for a daughter that would not recognize you in a short time to come? I did this for you, Tim, you would have long been dead if not for me. Me: (At this time Patricia tried to pull away again but I stopped her. I don’t want us to give our dearest daughter false hopes) I accept, Mildrid, I want immortality and a lot of power. Back to now. I looked at the multitude of people surrounding us. I hope his accusation is true, or else I will see to it that he is beheaded by me. “You keep quiet or have you gone insane? Do you even know who you are talking to? How do you stand there and refer to your beta’s daughter as a traitor?” Patricia yelled at the man. She was both furious and frightened but that was not the case for me. Should his accusation be true, it will be a case of killing multiple birds without having to lift as much as a finger. Murmurs of anger and dissatisfaction erupted within the crowd. I could see the eagerness with which they awaited the final determination of this case. “She is standing before us and she is not a kid. She has a mouth, let her speak for herself” someone from the crowd yelled in anger. “Yes. She is quiet and wouldn’t say a word in her defense. If what the young man is saying is not true, then she can refute it herself. Let her speak now” another person yelled and this stirred a lot of emotions and approval from the crowd. “We know her, she has been gone for so long and now she is back. What has she been up to all along?” One of the ladies said. Dawn remained quiet all along and did not dare to say a single thing. Should this be true, then I am disappointed, I thought I know her. Even though right now I am disappointed in a good way, it doesn’t stop the fact that I expecting more from her. I thought I brought her up better than this. “She left immediately after the war was announced and now she comes back as if nothing happened. It is either she is rogue now, or she is a ghost and we don’t accept rogues among us, and a ghost has no place among humans” another yelled. “This is who you are eager to risk your life for, Tim” Mildrid whispered scornfully. “She is a disappointment, I expected better. I guess I was not just cut out from having female children, they all end up as an embarrassment” I replied in a low and deflated spirit. She giggled and returned her focus to the randy crowd. “She does have an explanation to make. She is a traitor and deserves not to live?” the accuser yelled. “Yes, let her talk now before we ambush her” another supported. “Dawn...” Patricia called with a trace of disappointment in her voice. “Mother” she responded to Patricia’s call. But come to think of it, there is some sense in their accusation. Where could Dawn possibly have been all through the entire period of the war, or has she gone rogue? Has a beta wolf of our great Pack gone rogue? What must have informed such a belittling decision? Next, an elderly man from the crowd spoke up. “Our beta is here, he should decide on this case. If she is found guilty, then she must be adequately dealt with and there must be no favoritism” Dawn looked up at me, and I again looked away. I still have that soft spot for her, but right now her life means nothing to me. She must go low for me to remain on top. It is now time for me to decide, I don’t know how this would play out, and under what basis Dawn is accused of being a traitor but I know that whichever way it goes, Dawn must be found guilty.“Father” she called me for the third time. I held my eyes shut. I wouldn’t be doing this if things are different. But then, there can be no better situation than this. I am finally getting all I want and I am not about to give that up for anyone. “Dawn...” I began. “Is the young man correct, are you to be considered a traitor to our noble Pack? I asked. This was a hard task and it was not as easy as I thought. There is a bond we share, and I can feel it breaking with each word I spoke to push my daughter to her death. She was silent and rolled her face at the crowd. Then her eyes went to Patricia before they landed on me. I could see some tears in her eyes, but they got no hold of me. I must do what I must do. “Speak, girl, that is a huge accusation leveled on you, and you know that consequences associated with such an act of betrayer to the Pack,” I said. I have not listened to her, I have not waited for her to speak, but I have already found her guilty. All I needed was the right words, and I will formally pronounce her guilty and impose a punishment whose minimum sentence must be nothing below death. “Tim, you don’t find her guilty already, you haven’t heard a word in her defense” Patricia attacked when she saw the direction that my verdict was heading. “Keep quiet, woman, beta Tim is an upright man, and you cannot close the eyes of justice” a man yelled. With the response from the man, I was calm. At least no one would point fingers at me for her death. I do this for my people. “Yes, you think you can manipulate the situation, we are all here to witness. She must pay for her crimes” another added. “You keep quiet. Who are you to talk in this situation...?” Patricia yelled but Dawn stopped her. “Mother” Dawn called. “Dawn” Patricia cried. “It is okay, mother, I will respond” Dawn appealed.