And then there were four

Rise of a Luna

   Damian POV
   I should have known that coming here was going to be a problem. That they were so adamant about us bringing Ivy it should have thrown a red flag, and I should have resisted. She was still in a fragile place, and far more unpredictable than I liked.
   So the moment she walked off down the hall, I couldn't take my eyes off her, and neither could my brothers. What if this was the last time we saw her?
   "I will kill them all if they touch her,' Talon said to the rest of us through our link.
  'Ditto,' Hale and James replied.
   I knew they would keep to their word as well. They would rip everyone apart, and the twins losing themselves wouldn't be good. No one knew what they were. Not even Allison knew the exact truth.
   It was something we tried to hide as much as we could. No matter how much she tried to pry into our personal lives.
   'Just keep a level head. She will be fine.'
   My reply to them was forced. I wasn't sure she would be alright at all. However, as the doors to the council room opened, it was clear that this meeting was anything but nice.
   Walking in with my brothers at my side, I watched the elder men sitting ahead of us in their high placed brown seating. Guards lining the walls in the room, and a sense of hostility floating through the air.
   I should have been worried, but staring at the elder who came to my house, I wasn't.
   "Afternoon, gentleman. Shall we begin?" My response to them was one an Alpha would give. I found the best approach was to remain stoic, but through it all, I wasn't sure if they would react well.
   "Damian. You and your brothers are brought before this court because you are accused of not properly running your pack, and bringing light to humans about our kind. It's known that there are rumors of false claims to the Luna position by someone who isn't even your mate, but, instead, a human falsely claimed."
   Shock and anger flowed through me at his words. Was this really what Allison was telling them? "That's all false."
The main elder Sir Edgar looked up at me from his papers and raised a brow. "Is it?"
   "Yes, it is. I'm not sure who is telling you these things, but all of it is lies." I replied, seething. I could feel my brothers also in anger, but they knew better than to say anything. Considering I was Alpha, I needed to address the issues.
   "Bring forth the witnesses," Edgar replied as a side door opened, bringing forth Ivy's father, Zane, and Allison, my godmother.
   "What the hell are they doing here?" I asked Edgar, with confusion. This meeting was supposed to be about private matters, and to have Allison and Zane here in a private meeting was not protocol.
   "They are witnesses for the trial. They have a place here." Edgar replied with a smirk.
   "Trial?!" I exclaimed as my brothers growled. "What trial? This is supposed to be a private meeting to discuss issues, not a trial."
   "Unfortunately, you were told wrong. You're on trial, Damian, and if you and your brothers don't get yourselves together, you will be put down."
   The way he said put down sounded like he was addressing a dog at the pound. Even though this could be the equivalent. "This is bullshit, Ed. I did nothing wrong."
   Edgar sighed dismissively as he turned his attention to Allison and Zane.
   "Did you not give a written statement to us they took a human against her will and forced her to mate with them even though there was no bond?"
   Allison stared at me with a fake sorrowful glance and nodded. "Yes, her name was Ivy. The poor girl didn't stand a chance against them, but please... go easy. They are still suffering from the loss of their mother."
   "Are you fucking kidding me!" Hale yelled as he and Talon grew angrier. "She is fucking lying! She hates Ivy, and she tried to kill her!"
"Enough!" Edgar yelled, his voice booming against the walls. "I will have order in my courtroom!"
   The four of us grew silent as we heaved with anger, trying to figure out what was going to happen next. I wanted to scream and yell, but knowing that Ivy was down the hall alone and unprotected forced me to follow Edgar's rules.
   "Zane." Edgar finally said, letting out a heavy breath as his glance slid from me to Zane. "Can you please state who you are for the courtroom?"
   "Yes, I am Zane Thorne. Ivy Thorne's father."
   "Very good, and Zane. Can you tell us what happened to your daughter?" Edgar asked, looking over papers and glancing back up at Zane.
   "Yes. After my daughter graduated, Damian glimpsed her photo and caught her scent. He wanted her more than anything, but I told him I wouldn't allow it. When she came to stay with me for school, he roped his brother into forcefully taking her. This way, he would have control over me and steal my company."
   The fucking bastard! I groaned internally. I was going to kill this fucking bastard once I got a hold of him. He was more a liar than Allison, and the fact these elders were actually believing the shit was a bigger problem.
'We are going to have to get out of here.' James said through our link, panicking,
   'Just calm down. Everything will be okay. No one does anything I told them not wanting them to make a break, and make themselves look guilty.
   We had done nothing wrong. Allison and Zane were only showing their true colors, and I was going to make them pay for their lies.
   "If I may say something," I called out, watching all eyes turn to me. "They—"
   "You may not speak, Damian." The elder snapped, cutting me off. "We have heard enough from you and your brothers, Guards,
take them into custody."
   Shock filled me as the guards came towards us. My brothers, fighting against the restraints they put upon us. Silver and chaos clouded the area and roars of defiance spread through the room.
   There was no way we were going to go down and leave Ivy.
   "Get off me!" I growled, throwing a man to the side as they wrapped silver chains around my neck and arms, dragging me to the ground.
   "I have every right to kill this one," Zane said through clenched teeth as he stepped in front of me, his eyes glaring down at my form knelt upon the tile flooring.
   "Yes, well, I suppose that would only be fair," Edgar replied, causing my eyes to open wide as Zane raised his hand to kill me.
~~~~~~
   Ivy POV
   Bursting through the doors, I felt the chaos consuming my mates. I couldn't believe my eyes. My father stood there with Allison, and even though I didn't know what was going on, I saw my father about to strike Damian, and my blood ran cold.
   With a rush I never felt before, I charged forward and plunged my hand into his chest, watching as his eyes met mine with shock I had never seen in him.
   "You broke my heart the day you betrayed me. Let me repay the favor."
   In one swift motion, I tore his heart from his chest and watched his body drop to the floor. My eyes stared down at him, but no remorse filled me.
   Instead, I enjoyed watching the blood seep from his body as the life left his eyes. I wasn't sure if this new feeling in me was good, but I felt victorious.
   The same hunger that filled me rose, and as my eyes darted towards the elder council, I tilted my head and let a sadistic grin cross my face.
   "Let them go unless you want the same fate as my father."
   "What is this?" one man yelled, standing to his feet. "Murderer! Cease her!"
   Two guards rushed at me with silver chains, and before they could get close, I had killed them both. "If you men know what's good for you, you will unhand my mates and step back. I will not hesitate to kill you all."
   Allison's screams echoed around me as she stared at my father's lifeless body. Her pain filled me with joy as my eyes turned towards her. I had killed her mate, and at the end of the day, I considered it a paid a debt for what she did to Talon.
   "You fucking bitch! I should have killed you when I had the chance!" she roared, charging at me only to be met with my claws at her throat.
"You tried to kill me, Allison. After you tried to kill Talon. Consider this us being even."
   She struggled beneath me as I looked towards the guards standing to the side with shock on their faces. None of them knew what to do, but none of them had seen someone like me.
   "Take her into custody now," I ordered them. Without hesitation, they complied and grabbed her, holding her in chains as I turned my attention to the council. "I am not sure what they have told you, but I want to know what right you have to take my mates."
   "Who are you?" Another man asked with confusion as hushed murmurs of agreement echoed around them.
"My apologies," I replied, looking down at myself, and quickly wiping my hands. "I'm Ivy Thorne. You are already familiar with my father."
Gesturing at my father's dead body, I saw a look on the men's faces that was one of confusion. "You're supposed to be human."
   "Ah, yes." I laughed. "Please let go of my mates now, and I will gladly explain. It seems that some of your guards aren't too sure who to listen to, and I promise you adhering to my demands would be wise."
   There was hesitation between them all, but eventually, the man at the head of the elder table nodded at the guards behind me. Turning, I watched them remove the chains of silver, and slowly back away from where the guys were on the floor.
   "Please continue." The man exclaimed with anger, causing my attention to turn back to where they sat. Staring at him, I was curious to know whether he had been a part of this conspiracy to attack my mates.
   It made little sense why there was this sudden harsh treatment unless it had been planned. "I'm not human. Even though I will admit I thought I was for a long time."
"So what are you?"
   The questions the men were asking didn't feel right. Something inside me told me not to tell them, and with a smile, I remembered what Priscilla said and decided against it.
   "I'm a shifter, just like them," I said. "I'm simply newer than most, and my father lying to you all and causing my mates to be hurt caught me off guard."
   "What do you mean, he lied to us?" A woman asked who had been quiet the entire time the commotion had been going on. "Please explain everything."
   "Of course, I would love to."
   "Don't listen to this scandalous bitch!" Allison screamed as she struggled against the men holding her. "She is a liar!"
   "Shame on you, Allison. It isn't very ladylike to act the way you are." I taunted with a smile. "Honestly, council... Allison is a very sick woman. She has delusions that have been plaguing her. However, she tried to commit murder by giving Talon Bella Donna for the past few months. Our pack doctors can confirm this."
   "Bella Donna?" They gasped. "How are you sure it was her?"
   "Because if she killed one of them, then they couldn't complete the circle with me, and he was the only one that wasn't of value to her." I smirked, watching the admission rise in her eyes.
   She knew exactly what I was talking about, and watching her realize that brought me great pleasure. She wouldn't win this war with me.
   Yes, I could easily kill her right now. However making an example out of her seemed so much sweeter. "Your honors, I ask that you reprimand her for execution. An attack on an Alpha or Luna demands payment by blood"
   "Who are you to order that?" The main elder asks with a scoff. His attitude toward the situation wasn't surprising. I was, in a way, taunting his power and forcing him to do something he obviously didn't want to comply with.
   "If you don't, then others will think they can do whatever they want without you having any power. Wouldn't it seem better to make an example out of her so that the elder council isn't questioned?
Hesitation again filled the room, and as the elders stared at me, I could almost see the clocks ticking in their heads.
"What about you then? You made a spectacle here. What makes us believe you will not overthrow us?"
   Laughter escaped me as felt the guys come to stand around me protectively.
"Your honor if I wanted to overthrow you... I would have done it by now"