Luna Revealed

Chapter Twenty Four

The short drive to the council building gives me little time to gather my thoughts. We've taken multiple cars, a few in each. Phoenix doesn't ride with me, instead climbing into a car with Caine. I ride with two of the council members I still don't know, strangely relieved to have a few moments away from Phoenix's intensity.

There are more than a dozen cars in the parking lot of the building when we arrive. Many of them are unfamiliar to me, especially the two large, armored vans parked parallel to the front doors. I gulp reflexively. They must have brought Viktor and Erland in those.

We walk into the front lobby and I feel my heart drop at the sight of the people inside. There, next to Alpha Julian, are my three sisters. Tears spring to my eyes and I run to them, collecting them in my arms. They are crying as well, clinging to me tightly.

"Dahlia!" Izumi, the oldest of the three, exclaims through her tears. "We thought we were never going to see you again."

Mai, the youngest, speaks next. "Julian told us you were here, but he wouldn't let us come see you." Her voice is filled with emotion and I cling to her tighter, remembering that I had missed her first shift.

Kira is quiet, crying softly to herself. I stroke her smooth, blonde hair and kiss her on the forehead. She meets my gaze, her dark eyes swimming. "Daddy left us, Dahlia."

The words are like a knife in my gut, twisting to increase its effect. I sniffle and nod. "Yes, Kira. Dad left us and he won't be coming back. Not for a long time."

The girls look at each other in fear. "What's going to happen to us?" Izumi asks hesitantly.

Julian butts in before I can answer. "We can discuss those arrangements after the council meeting. Right, Luna?" He looks at me as he speaks, his eyes tight.

I nod my head and smile at my sisters. "Of course. We have a lot to do right now, but I promise we'll see each other again."

They all nod at me and then Mai perks up. "Oh! We brought something for you." She goes behind Julian to a box sitting on the floor. She pulls something out and brings it to me. "We've been watering it and taking care of it the best we can. I hope it's okay." She extends her hands out towards me.

I stifle a gasp, looking at the glass containing the small flower I collected so many months ago. It has wilted slightly, likely from overwatering, but its petals still look as soft as I remember them. I take the glass from Mai gingerly, my eyes again watery with tears.

"Thank you. This means more to me than you could ever imagine," I say in a choked whisper. I hear someone call my name from the other side of the room and I turn, seeing Caine gesturing for me to enter the council room. I sniffle and hand the glass back to Mai. "Can you hold onto it for me until the end of the meeting? I'll come back for it." She nods vigorously, grasping it tightly in her hands. I kiss them all again and smile at Julian before making my way towards Caine.

He brings me inside of the council room, which is set up differently than the last time I was here. The tables have been moved to the far end of the room, no longer facing each other. Instead, they face fifty or so chairs in the middle of the room. At the very back of the room, between the two tables, is a cage, large enough to contain a full-grown Alpha wolf, set up with a chair inside.

I tense, knowing what this cage is for. Caine must notice the change because he turns me away. "Do you know why we're here today?"

My body is trembling in fear and anger, but I shake my head. "No."

Caine sighs and looks around the room. "The council has voted to expedite Sokolov's trial due to the statements taken from you and a few prisoners from Aurora." He pauses and takes a deep breath, meeting my eyes. His normally soft, green-blue eyes are as dark as the needles of a pine. "Sokolov will be tried for his crimes today, in this room."