More Than An Alpha

Trial Part Two

I bit my lip nervously, as I waited for the men to speak, just the thought of all the vile things that would spill out of their mouths had my stomach rolling in nausea. I knew realistically that there was no case against me but if their story was convincing, then I was more likely to die today.

Erik stepped forward not daring to look my way, but Ruben's head ducked and from under hooded lashes he peaked at me. When he caught me staring he looked away, his face turning red at being caught. Erik cleared his throat a little too confidently. His whole demeanour screamed that he was about to throw me under the bus. I'd known for a long time he couldn't be trusted, there was just this vibe I got from him that made me uncomfortable. His eyes said it all, he wasn't a good person and would do anything to get him in favour of the alpha. Erik wasn't a team player.

He spoke to the Lycian with his chest puffed out.

"We were by the south border around midnight when we heard the sounds of fighting." He began, "Two rogues must have gotten through the border because I saw Dorian finishing them off. Isabella was badly wounded, her healing couldn't save her. Calla was there right in the middle of it, just as her father finished off the rogue she attacked him."

A growl bubbled up from deep within my throat, I couldn't stop the sound from passing through my lips. He was lying through his teeth! No one looked my way, their eyes intent on the storyteller.

"He obviously didn't think his own daughter would harm him but he was wrong. She went straight for the jugular." Erik looked at me then, a sneer of disgust on his face.

I was so tempted to break his nose and wipe that look off his face. Everyone here that knows me will understand that I wouldn't do such a thing, I could only hope that they believed me when I told my side of the story.

The Lycian wolf nodded, Ruben began to tell his story, and it was pretty much what Erik had said. Ruben however didn't hold back on the details, describing exactly what the scene looked like except for the falsified number of wolves that attacked that night and died. They were covering it up, Darius had no intention of finding out the truth. He just needed to do this to appease the rest of the pack, they needed someone to blame and I was the easy target. Or so Darius thought when he sent out my picture. What he wasn't expecting was me coming back with my mate, a well-respected one at that. This trial was just a formality to appease Osckar and I hope he knew that.

I hoped that Darius knew there was no way he'd get away with it. His pack would crumble under the attack of the Silent Pack.

After Ruben's statement the mass of people that gathered to witness my trial broke out into chatter, their voices were loud as some agreed with Erik and Ruben, others protested, the loudest was Amy. I couldn't appreciate her enough for the effort she was putting in.

"Enough!" Darius called out and a hush fell over the crowd. "We will now hear from Calla and from there you can make your judgement."

I stood on shaky legs, my heart began to race as all eyes were on me. This was it, I had to convince them that I wasn't behind my parent's murder. I opened my mouth and began to tell my side of the story, from the time I snuck out of the house to the group of wolves that I found already in battle.

As I told my story I could see the sympathy etched onto their faces, Amy had her hand covering her mouth in shock. The moment she saw me staring at her she mouthed 'I'm so sorry'.

Osckar was standing at the back, taller than most, his face set in a grim expression. He cocked his head to the side, someone must be talking to him through the mind link. Whatever they said relaxed him a little because he gave me an encouraging smile. A burst of comfort swelled from within our bond, I wasn't sure how I'd cope without him. In the midst of my life being turned upside down his presence was like an anchor, keeping me from completely drowning in misery.

When I finished, tears had spilled over, running down my face then my cheeks. I quickly wiped them away, already tired of having sore eyes. I bit the inside of my cheek, willing myself to stop. Darius dismissed me with a wave of his hand. I wanted to lunge across the stage and rip his arms out of his socket but I held myself together and walked back to my seat.

I waited patiently as Darius and his close consultants walked off to have a private conversation. The crowd spoke in hushed tones, I watched them closely for any signs that they might think of me being guilty. Surely if I was guilty I wouldn't have come back. Then again they might not know that, I came to the understanding that alpha's don't divulge the pack in things they didn't want them to know.

There seems to be a mutual agreement between Darius and his group because they come back to the stage in silence. Erik and Ruben came to cease me, their hands wrapped tightly on my upper arms and then swiftly pulled me up forcing me to walk to Darius.

"It was a unanimous agreement that Calla should be executed for the murder of our beta." Darius announced.

Two things happened in the few seconds after that.

There was a chorus of cheers from the crowd, baffled, I turned to look at them. Did they all think I killed my parents? I found Amy frozen on the spot, stunned as I was as everyone jeered at me. The grips on my arms never loosened, not that I tried to get away.

In the next moment Osckar had rushed up on the stage with blinding speed full of rage, he had his hand wrapped around Darius' throat, dangling him in the air. Under the silent command of Osckar his wolves from our pack disengaged the hold Erick and Ruben had on me. They were quick to form a protective barrier between Osckar and the crowd.

"Did you really think you could take my Luna away and I would not retaliate?" Osckar said in a harsh tone, his feral side coming out. "Did you really think that just because we are few that you can kill us without you dying along with us?"

Darius made a choking sound and attempted to remove Osckar's unyielding hold but didn't succeed. Jeremy made a move to rescue his father but Osckar's growl stopped him in his tracks, it was a promise of painful death.

"You and I both know that Calla never murdered her parents." He brought his face closer to Darius "You just need someone to blame or maybe you have another agenda but right now you are going to let Calla go without putting a bounty to her name."

The Lycian stepped forward, his hands raised in surrender to Osckar but he spoke to Darius.

"I suggest you listen to him, killing his Luna would only bring death upon your pack. And right now you are in no position to refuse." He said to my surprise. "And from what I have witnessed at this trial, it appears to me that you are trying to get rid of this girl."

Osckar released Darius who took in sharp, painful gasps while trying to regain whatever composure he could. The pack was watching so it would be a difficult decision to make, let us go and he might be seen as a coward. Refuse Osckar's offer and risk the death of pack members when there is a clear and fair alternative.

Darius gave me a sour look "I'll let her go, under the condition that she can never set foot on my territory again and if she does I can kill her on site."

I wanted to scream in frustration, I couldn't believe he was going to banish me from my rightful pack. I knew Osckar felt my frustration seeping through the bond because he shifted his weight the same way I did.

It's the best we can do, your father did give up the right to the pack. It belongs to Darius now. Osckar mind linked.

I know but it doesn't mean I have to like it

"Fine." I said out of my clenched teeth "I'll leave and never come back."

Osckar stepped away from Darius and came to my side, his arm going over my shoulder as if he could shelter me from Darius.

"We will be gone within the hour." Osckar said and turned his back to Darius.

It was a sign of disrespect from one alpha to another, it meant that Osckar didn't fear Darius, he wasn't a big threat. I was sure that the Red Howler pack would never forget this. I had a feeling there would be bad blood between our packs in the near future.

"This isn't the end of it." I mumbled under my breath.