"I would never try to harm my own mate. Someone else was here. He had his face covered." I silenced their uproar, my gaze never leaving Astride. "I'm falsely accused." I needed him to know that I could never hurt him, let alone attempt to murder him. But the look on his face told me he didn't believe me.

"Astride, I swear I didn't–" I couldn't help the tears that had begun to form in my eyes.

Racheal stepped forward. "Stop lying, you want me dead. You also want Astride dead."

Gosh. I wanted nothing more than to send a slap across her face. She should just shut the hell...