The people let out loud gasps. Shock written on most of their faces. Even the judge had a deep frown of confusion etched on his face.
"But that's not possible!..." Carol quickly says out loud in disbelief.
The old wolf raises an eyebrow at her questioningly.
"Are you calling me a liar!?" He asks, his eyes narrowing dangerously in her direction.
"No, Alpha, just that what you said is– it's simply not possible!" She vehemently denies on her husband's behalf.
"I'm sorry sir. I meant no disrespect of course but I know my husband! We lived together for twenty years and that's long enough for me to know what he could and couldn't do. I know he would never commit treason against you! Why would he do that!?
You saved his life once, brought him into this pack, accepted and trained him to be your Beta and he's forever grateful for that! He was dedicated to his duties. He adores you and practically worships the ground you walk on, Alpha, so why would he commit treason against you!? He has no reason to!
I'm not saying you don't know what you're saying. All I'm saying is, there must have been a mistake somewhere. You must have gotten him mixed up with another person, maybe? I'm sure if you would just let him explain like he wanted to just now, everything would be clearer." She hastily says before turning towards where Owen stands looking forlorn
"Owen, c'mon honey, tell the Alpha what happened. Tell him what you wanted to tell him before he stopped you from speaking. Don't just keep quiet, your reputation is at stake! Tell them, they are all waiting!" She urges but Owen only looks at her in mute hopeless appeal. His fist balls by his side.
Carol's face pales considerably. Looking at her mate's expression, he doesn't need to say anything. His guilt is boldly written all over his countenance. Guilt and fear of what is coming next. She's suddenly lost for words
"Daddy!" Victoria whispers to her father. Her pain-filled eyes shine with unshed tears while a hand covers her mouth, stifling her sob.
"Oh my god, Owen! What have you done!?" Carol finally finds her voice, clutching the neckline of her dress tightly like she wants to rip it off her body. "You committed treason!" She whispers
Owen looks away from his wife to his daughter.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry." He says to Victoria before turning back to Carol. "I wish I could tell you what happened but I can't!... I– I dare not!"
He turns to my dad
"I'm sorry Alpha. Carol was right about everything she said. I'm indeed grateful for all you've done for me and..." He swallows with a heavy sigh
"God, I'm so sorry! I regret that it had to come to this. That it had to end this way between us and... Alpha, you would do the same thing I did if you were in my shoes. I know for sure that you would do the same thing. You wouldn't have hesitated to give your life or anyone else at that if it meant saving Thor's life..."
"Are you being blackmailed? Is your family being threatened?" The old Alpha cuts in
He vigorously shakes his head
"No, no, no... I– I'm not being blackmailed. Nobody is threatening me..."
"Then, what do you mean by I would do the same thing you did if it meant saving Thor's life!?" The old Alpha snaps.
I look around the courtroom once again. The people, including the judge, are watching and listening with interest. This is no longer a courtroom. It feels more like a theater. An interesting drama is playing out. They're all eager to see the play to the end.
"Why didn't you come to me for help if you were in trouble? Why didn't you trust me?"
Owen sighs in resignation
"I trusted you... but there's nothing you can do to help me... I know I committed treason and I'm ready to pay for my crimes but please, my family had nothing to do with this!" He turns away from my dad to me,
"I know the law but please Alpha, spare their lives, they are innocent in all this. Please!" He desperately pleads with me
"No!..."
I'm surprised when I hear the judge loudly say in reply to Owen's plea.
"You know the law yet you're asking for your family to be exempted from it!? Did you beg for his family when the situation was reversed just now?...
Never again! Not in my courtroom will I allow you people to use me as a pawn in your stupid games again!" He says vehemently.
I wonder what he meant by 'use him as a pawn' and who he was referring to as I continued to listen to him talk.
"Regardless of who you are, the law is the law and shouldn't be changed for anyone, isn't that right? One of your elders quoted that to me some minutes ago.
The law is the law! You committed treason, one of the most severe crimes a shifter can commit which is punishable by the death of not only you the criminal but also your entire household.
Owen Hampton, I find you guilty of treason and therefore sentence you and your entire household to death by heart extraction. Your sentences will be carried out in three days." He says in finality and hits his gavel on his table before standing up to enter his chamber.
"Noo!... Noo!... Please, god! Noo..." Carol cries, rushing to where Victoria is standing in shock. She hugs her daughter close to herself as if that can protect her from being killed for a crime she didn't commit.
Owen becomes panic-stricken. He rushes to where my dad is still sitting in the witness box and kneels in front of him, begging for him to use his influence in appealing to the judge
''Eric, I don't want any photos or videos of what happened here today to get out. See to it right now that it is contained!'' I quickly tell Eric when I see some people are about to start leaving the courtroom
''Of course." He replies and immediately starts to give the necessary command to the team through our mind link.
As I turn away from Eric, I see Evelyn and Justin are almost at the door and I quickly move to stop her. She lurchs to a stop when she suddenly sees me appear in front of her. She looked with surprise towards where I was standing with Eric and back to me. Bitch wanted to sneak out. She looks surprised, I'm sure she's wondering how I can move that fast.
"Going somewhere?" I ask them with a raised brow
"Isn't it obvious? I don't live here or do you?" She says sarcastically but I just smile
"Go sit your asses down, I'm not done with you both yet!"
"Who the hell do you think you are!?" She shouts, attracting people's attention to us. "What gives you the right to think you can boss us around!? I am still the Luna..."
"I am your Alpha, bitch!" I shout back and she immediately shuts up.
"For as long as you live in or still associate yourself with my pack then you will obey me, Evelyn! When I say jump, you ask how high..." I direct my gaze to Justin who is practically hiding behind his mother
"... and when I tell you to lie down, Justin, you not only lie, you also roll over like the dog that you are, do I make myself clear?" I say so coldly even my men pauses from what they are doing to look at us.
Evelyn blushed bright red in embarrassment. She calls for attention but can't handle the spotlight when it's directed at her
"Well don't just stand there, do something!" She furiously says under her breath to Justin.
In order to save face, Justin steps away from behind his mother, puffing himself up so he will appear bigger than he is.
"I am a pure-blood Alpha! Not a bastard like you, Thor! Everyone in this room knows who the legal Quinn is and who the rightful heir to the throne is between the two of us. The fact that you're blindly favored by the old man because of your brute strength will never make you better than me!
It will never change the fact that you will forever be beneath me just as your mother was beneath my mother many years ago before her death. That is why I will never submit to your rulership! And that is why I will forever be a thorn in your flesh till I send you back to the barbarian world where you came from! Now do I make myself clear!?" He asks.