Chapter Thirty-Seven
This is Elora Raines, I'm sure most of you know of her. What happened to this young woman is preposterous and it disgusts me. Ember Chambers, Hannah Willet and Mitchell Wyomi, come to the front,” Axe demands.
No one in the crowd moves. One look from Axe and his soldiers jump into action and bring the three of them to the front while they struggle and yell.
“Your charges are a countless number of physical assault counts.
The three of you will be on trial at a later date.
Until then, you're sentenced to prison.”
“You can't do this.” Ember struggles in the soldier's arms.
“We haven't done anything wrong,” Hannah protests.
“You would believe the crossbred over pure pack members?” Mitchell asks aggressively.
“Actually, just like every case, there has to be proof. I looked over this woman from head to toe, the majority of her body covered in purple bruises. Not only that, her ribs were broken,” Axe goes on.
“You can't prove we did that,” Mitchell fights.
“Are you so dim-witted to not understand the senses a werewolf possesses? I can hear your heartbeats right now. I know when someone's lying. I'm not arguing with you about this. Like I said, you'll have your say when the trial commences. Soldiers, guard them until this meeting is over,” Axe says.
The soldiers hold the three of them in a tight grip off to the side after putting silver handcuffs on each of them.
Silver doesn't kill werewolves, but it contains the exact opposite mystical energy vibrations to the moon.
Since we are creatures of the moon, once silver chains are attached to us, we cannot break them.
The moon powers us. Since silver symbolises the opposite of that, it's our downfall once we're bound by it.
“Next, the Raines family, Ardryan, Sarah and Kieryn,” Axe calls.
I've been waiting for this. I think I'll get more satisfaction out of these punishments than the other three.
They get escorted to the front, Step-Bitch staring daggers at me, Kieryn looking at Axe with worry and my father giving me a heartfelt look. Since the stage is high, I'm literally above them right now. Staring down at them gratifies me.
“Kieryn, you're charged with the same crime as those three. It sickens me that someone so young could hurt someone, their sister at that.” Axe's eyes are dark.
“She isn't my sister,” Kieryn denies, but his voice isn't as strong as it usually is.
“You will be on trial too. I don't like to decide the fate of someone so young, but you brought this on yourself. Sarah, same charge. Trial for you too.”
The soldiers handcuff those two and make them stand with the other three. Axe is putting everyone on trial. I guess that's the fair thing to do. But I want to know what their punishments will be.
“Ardryan Raines,” Axe says with distaste. “You don't get a trial. You will be sentenced now. I only have one question, did you know of the abuse your daughter was suffering?”
“I knew people didn't like her but I didn't realise the extent of it. She always kept things hidden,” my father answers.
“You didn't notice the pain she was in when she was living under your roof.” Axe's tone is deadly.
“I'm sorry, Elora. You never came to me. I...” my father tries to apologise but Axe cuts him off.
“No use for apologies now. Not only are you charged with neglect of your child, none of us know what you did to her mother. You can tell whatever story you want, you lay with a rogue. Whether she gave consent, we don't know. This is an investigation that can't be solved without her mother.”
“I didn't hurt her,” my father defends hopelessly.
“Your sentence is exile. You will live the rest of your life as a rogue.
I think it's ironic; your sentence will be the life Elora's mother had to endure.” Axe gives my father a sadistic look.
I never would have guessed that as my father's punishment.
But Axe is right about the irony. “Soldiers, escort him off my land. The only things he takes with him are the clothes on his back.”
“You can't split me from my mate.” My father tries to pull out of the soldiers' hold.
“The moment I give you your sentence, you reason you can't be separated from your mate.
You're not even trying to make things right with your daughter.” Axe looks disgusted.
But I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed that.
My father chose his mate over me, again.
“I don't want to be someone who condemns someone to a life without their mate, but you did the same to Elora. You kept a young girl from ever knowing her mother. The pain you caused Elora will be the pain you now have to endure. Soldiers.”
I know Axe would be pained to separate two mates since he lost his mate and wouldn't want anyone to go through that, but in this situation, I know Axe feels what he's doing is fair. The soldiers drag my father away but he won't go smoothly.
“Elora, please, don't do this. I'm still your dad,” my father pleads desperately.
“If you have a problem with his punishment, you can tell me.” Axe looks to me.
I look to my father who's on the verge of crying.
If my father's punishment is exile, I know Axe will be merciless with his justice for me during the trials.
He is fire and I'm the gasoline. If I want to add something, it will just fuel him even more.
“I don't have a problem with it,” I murmur. My father was never there for me when we lived in the same house so why should I care that he won't be living in the pack anymore?
“Case closed,” Axe states.
The soldiers finish dragging my father out of there. I look to Step-Bitch and she looks lost. Kieryn looks like he is in a place of regret. Well, you can't take back your crime now, you little shit.
“There will be one more sentence, then we'll end this meeting on a happy note,” Axe says. “Joel Lewis.”
Joel pales and slowly gets to his feet. He actually walks to the front without the soldiers needing to grab him.
“Joel Lewis. You committed the ultimate sin in werewolf history. Elora is your mate, and you rejected her. You are scum. You are a disgrace. You don't get a trial. Your sentence is solitary; locked away from all civilisation. After rejecting your mate, you deserve to be truly alone,” Axe declares.
I'm surprised by that sentence. I thought Axe would kill Joel in a heartbeat. But he hasn't been violent at all tonight. I guess solitary is the best punishment. After Axe says what Joel did, everyone in the crowd looks shocked. The three monstrosities' jaws drop at that news.
“But I tried to make it right with her. She turned me down.”
“I was saving this news for the end but there's not a better time than now. I could say the reason she turned you down is because you rejected her first but the real reason is...” Axe turns to me, wrapping his arm around my waist, pulling me by his side before giving Joel a haunting smirk. “I've mated Elora.”