Chapter 2 Jail fever

ABOUT A YEAR AND FEW MONTHS LATER

Rosetta Sanders" the Warden called while proceeding to unlock the doors and usher her out.

Rosetta's ears were alert on hearing her name.

"Finally, he has responded and come to see me after all these years," she said inwardly, smiling to herself.

"And why are you smiling?" The Warden asked in a harsh guttural voice.

"Move out quickly before I change my mind and lock you back in the cell" she warned.

Rosetta moved out of the cell with the Warden walking behind her clogging her breathing space.

"He's here" she smiled to herself, picking up a familiar scent.

"What was that?" the pale strict-faced warden asked.

Rosetta covered her mouth, scolding herself that she had uttered it loudly.

"Nothing" she muttered, still smiling as she walked to the attendance room.

Her smile disappeared as soon as she walked to the desk. The person she saw was not whom she had expected.

"It's not Jackson or Anchor" she said to her wolf Rue, who was already forlorn and disappointed from the shattered hopes.

It was her best friend Ashley or more like just her friend. She did not have many friends and Ashley was the only one she ever spoke to, it was only right to call her a best friend.

She walked dejectedly towards Ashley, sadness was evident on her face and they hugged tightly.

The Warden pulled them apart, clearing her throat.

"You know the rules" she hissed at Rosetta, delivering a cold stare at them.

"No hugging here" she warned.

"Be quick and get going" she added before walking over to the counter and flipping through a bunch of papers.

Rosetta sat on the opposite chair facing Ashley, and fresh tears began pouring down her face.

"There's no need to cry, I'm here to help you" Ashley said, cleaning her tears with a handkerchief.

"How?" Rosetta asked with tears streaming down her face.

"It's high time you do the right thing."

"What?" Rosetta questioned.

"You're telling everyone the truth and getting out of this prison"

"I can't do that," Rosetta lamented. "It's going to get Jackson in grave danger."

Ashley rolled her eyes and hissed, irritated at Rosetta's devotion to covering up for Jackson despite all these years of trying to change her mind.

"It's been a year and ten months already, haven't you suffered enough for his sake. Tell everyone the truth already for goodness sake."

"I can't, it's just two months left and I would be out of here"

"Are you hearing yourself Rosetta, you're being delusional and I'm tired of trying to convince you to do the right thing"

"I can't Ash, I just can't, I love him"

"Love what?" Ashley asks, irritated. "You love that scoundrel who is enjoying his life and you're here suffering for his crimes. Stop it and get over it, that fool doesn't love you. If he did, he won't allow you to be in this place, he won't..."

"Just shut up, Ash" Rosetta backfired at her. "Jackson is not a fool nor a scoundrel, he loves me!" she said, almost shouting. It was quite evident that her wolf was the one getting upset at Ash referring to their lover as a fool.

Ashley shook her head, pitying her friend who had been stuck in the same delusional state for months now.

"If he loves you like you claim, then why hasn't he come to see you for the past six months?"

"He had been coming" Rosetta responded unwilling to give up.

"Had?" Ashley asked. "What happened recently, when was the last time he came to see you?"

"Last month", she lied.

"Really? You think I don't know that he hasn't come to see you for almost a year now."

"Just forget about me Ash, he loves me and I'll stand by him, besides my jail sentence is left with two months and I'll soon be out of here"

"Why are you being so difficult even after all these years?" Ashley sighed.

"I love Jackson and that's final. Have you forgotten all that he has done for me?"

"Done what? Letting you go to jail? Are you forgetting that he isn't even your mate? You guys are just in some brainless boyfriend and girlfriend situation and you're doing all these stupid things for him. Don't you know that a mate comes from the moon goddess and not some stupid rela..."

"He is my mate" she bellowed cutting Ashley short. "He's my mate and if this is what you came to tell me, I suggest that you leave."

"You're unbelievable. If you're not going to do it yourself, then I'll do it."

"What? You won't do such a thing!"

"I would. Since you don't want to comply, I'll tell the truth myself. I'm already tired of your stubbornness"

"Don't, please" she pleaded with Ash.

"I would."

"Ash, please I'm begging you, don't do it."

Ashley shrugged her shoulders, shaking her head, she looked at her friend who was pleading with her with teary eyes.

"Why shouldn't I do this? You're hurting yourself."

"Please don't" was all Rosetta managed to say.

Ashley sighed and did not utter a word.

"I have just two months left to complete the jail term, then I'll be out of here. Please don't, just help me."

"I'm trying to help you Rosetta, that's why I want you to tell everyone the truth and stop suffering" Ashley responded.

"I'll be fine," Rosetta said, holding her friend's hand tightly and pleading with her.

Ashley could not help but notice how her friend's hand had become bony and coarse. Her eyes were covered with dark circles below which spoke of the suffering she was going through. Her hair was also in a mess and she looked a bit malnourished. A prison was one of the worst places to be and Ashley felt sorry for her friend.

"Okay, I'll let you out on this one"

"Thank you for understanding," Rosetta said, hugging her friend tightly.

"What did I say earlier?" the warden questioned, showing disapproval at the two hugging.

"Sorry ma'am" they apologized.

"Sorry for yourselves" the warden replied sarcastically.

Rosetta rolled her eyes at the warden. The white looking woman who always had her hair in a bun and had cheekbones too deep for her face had made her life a living hell since she got here. "What did I expect, this was prison after all" she said to herself.

"Take care of yourself, I'll be leaving now" Ashley said.

The duo felt tempted to hug again but restrained themselves as the Warden's hollow eyes issued a stern warning to them.

She watched Ashley walk out through the door and continued staring into space in that direction, even after she left. The Warden did not wait a minute before bundling her back to the cell.

She sat on the floor of her prison cell. She tried hard to brush off the negative thoughts that she was having.

"Jackson has left you for someone else"

"You were stupid to take the blame for him"

"He has possibly being mated to another person"

All these thoughts kept spiraling in her head.

"No, he can't leave us"

"Maybe he has been sick for a while and unable to come" she said comforting herself.

"You took the blame for Jackson, didn't you?" Her fellow inmate said to her.

Rosetta's mouth was open in shock. No one else apart from Ashley and Jackson himself knew that secret.

"Could she be reading my thoughts?" she asked herself.

"How did you know?" Rosetta asked.

"Do you know who you are?"

The woman's questions only made her more uncomfortable.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll find out soon, nothing is hidden under the crown." She replied leaving Rosetta more confused than before.