Accidentally Pregnant By My Alpha Best friends (Madeline) novel Chapter 441

Madeline:

I had had enough. I did what I should have done months ago. I turned her around, stopping her from leaving.

I raised my hand and struck her cheek. The contact sent a sharp sting through my palm.

She cried out, and her earring flew off from the force.

Even so, I had been careful not to harm her because of her condition. I made sure her warriors stood close enough to catch her if she fell. That was exactly what happened. They grabbed her before she hit the ground.

Silence fell over everyone, but Kaylee looked the most shocked. She pressed her hand to her cheek, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open.

She glanced at her warriors, pulled herself free with a grunt, and then looked at the crowd. People stood frozen, whispering to each other.

Then Kaylee turned toward the council leaders. The three of them looked as if they had seen a ghost.

"How dare you?" Kaylee screamed, but her voice sounded shaky and broken. "How could you hit a Luna?" she added, tears spilling down her face.

Her pride was so shaken that she struggled to form a full sentence.

"Did you all not see what she did? She hit a Luna," Kaylee shouted again, lowering her hand to point at her cheek.

Everyone looked and gasped. It was not just a handprint. The mark had already started to swell.

"Yes, I did. And it will not end there. I'm sure everyone saw what the Luna has been doing too," I shouted back, my voice louder than I expected.

She fell silent. Her lips trembled, and she straightened her posture.

"This is unacceptable. Hitting a Luna or an Alpha is a serious crime, and you should face the worst punishment," she muttered, her fists clenched and her head shaking as she tried to control her anger.

"Can somebody please say something?" one of the women in the crowd cried, looking at the council leaders.

"Exactly. Someone should speak up," Kaylee added.

"And about what exactly?" I asked Kaylee, my voice calm this time.

I turned to face everyone.

"I came here because you all requested me, but I cannot work like this. I warned you, Kaylee, and I warned everyone when I listed my conditions that I would not work if I was disrespected."

I kept my voice steady to show I was not being emotional and that I was making this decision with a clear mind.

I felt confused. I looked at the crowd and realized they had not been telling someone to shut me up. They had been talking about Kaylee.

"Wait, what are you saying?" Kaylee asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

She turned toward the crowd. People were glaring at her, their faces tense as if they would lose patience if she spoke again.

"Did you not see that she slapped me?" she screamed, pointing at herself.

"And why should we care about you? Your job is to help us, not to come here and cause trouble. Do you not see the children in our arms? You want us to defend you while our children are dying?" an older woman shouted, holding her sleeping grandchild.

Kaylee looked close to losing control. She kept looking from one person to another, swallowing hard as tears filled her eyes. She avoided looking at me, and I could see the embarrassment on her face.

"Everyone, please calm down. You need to understand that this is about respect, and I think both of you should have held back," Lady Abigail said as she stepped in, taking Kaylee’s side in a careful way.

"No. Your Luna should have kept quiet. Why did you even bring her here? It seems like she only came to cause trouble," another woman yelled.

For the first time, the people were speaking in my favor. I knew it was because their children were sick, but I still saw the defeated look on Kaylee’s face and realized this was my moment.

I was going to bring both Kaylee and Lady Abigail down to my feet.