Not a princess anymore

“What’s going to happen? You’re not just going to leave me in here are you?” I asked.
“Trial.”
“Really? No one believes me. I need evidence and I won’t get that stuck in here.”
Dean reclined on the bed then crossed his legs at the ankles. He patted the spot beside him. Did he think I was going to cuddle with him at a time like this?
“Dean,” I yelled.
“I tried to stop this, but my pack has laws. If you’re innocent, then you have nothing to worry about.”
I stood. He grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the bed. Before I could fight he climbed on top of me. He pinned my hands over my head. His wolf bore his teeth and mine exposed hers. My wolf would normally submit to her mate but this time she met him head on. I stared into Dean’s burning gaze. I consumed the alpha power covering me.
I shut my eyes and moaned. My wolf yielded and settled. Dean planted kisses on my neck. Damn him. I thought I could fight the bond between us, but I couldn’t deny the strength it had. My mind went all over the place trying to find a way out. Cora was dead and my pack was gone. I had no one left aside from the man on top of me.
“Don’t cry. I need you to trust me.”
“You don’t trust me though.”
“You’re connected to something Layla and that’s true. I know you’re not lying. There’s something going on that neither of us know.”
“So, what’s going to happen?”
“You’re going to stand trial. I won’t have a say in the outcome because I’m your mate. You won’t have a Luna trial because we haven’t had a mating ceremony. You’ll have a rogue trial.”
“Rogue trial? What the heck is that?”
“You’re not an official member of the pack. You’ll be treated as a rogue. That means in the morning you’ll be put in a dungeon.”
“What?” I attempted to jolt up but Dean’s hands kept me pinned.
“I’m sorry… after that you’ll be taken to Moon creek to stand in front of five elder wolves, myself, my brother and the betas.”
“Dean if you’re sure I’m connected to something what happen to me?”
“We’ll figure that out when we get there.”
“But—”
“Layla, you almost fell out a window. Let me hold you, please?”
He was right. I would have been a doormat if I hadn’t woken from the trance. I rolled on my side and settled in Dean’s side. In fear of going into another trance I kept my eyes open. My eyes roamed the room. I settled on the long chair near the balcony doors for a few minutes, I didn’t linger on the mirror just in case the female voice decided to manifest. I stared at the ceiling until my eyelids became heavy. I battled sleep until I was defeated.
When the sun came out I’d trade this wallpapered room with a king sized bed, carpets and furniture for a cold monotonous room under the castle.
Pounding jolted me out of a deep sleep. I sat up. Dean wasn’t next to me. The pounding continued.
“I’m coming,” I called.
I yanked the door open. Killian stood on the other end. He bore down on me with a sneer.
“What do you want?” I asked.
He replied by snatching my hand and pulling out bronze cuffs.
“What? What are those for?”
“You’re not a princess anymore. These are for murders like you.”
Killian slapped the cuffs on my right wrist. I slammed my weaker left hand into his chest. He grunted and scowled. He reached for my free hand and missed. Annoyance boiled in him turning his face red. He raised his hand to strike me I ducked and gasped.
“Hey!” Dean barked.
Killian dropped the cuffs and backed up. Had Dean seen him take a swing? He appeared on the floor seconds later. He couldn’t have seen Killian try to slap me.
Dean eyed me pressed against the wall then at Killian two feet away. He eyed the bronze cuffs on my right wrist. He picked up the cuff and snapped it open. Dean tossed the trashed metal at Killian’s feet.
“What the fuck are those for?” Dean asked.
“She’s a prisoner. She’s supposed to wear them.”
“You shitting me? She’s my mate.”
Killian managed to keep a straight face. This was the same guy that overplayed to get into my good graces now he tried to slap me?
“I’m just following the rules, Alpha.”
“Fuck off. I’ll take her down myself.”
“No!”
Dean and Killian stared at me.
“I don’t want you to.”
Dean’s brows burrowed. He reached for me and I let him cup my cheek.
“I don’t want to have the memory of you locking me up. Let Killian do it.”
Killian’s lips twitched. He relished the opportunity of locking me up. But why? I wouldn’t let him lock me up without bruising his crotch for a week.
Dean dropped his hand and turned to Killian. “She doesn’t as much as trip, you hear me?”
Killian nodded and took my arm. Dean growled like the wolf that lay beneath his skin. Killian loosened his hold. I turned to look at Dean before I walked down the stairs. His wolf flashed in his eyes.
*“We’ll be together soon, Mate.” *Dean’s voice said in my mind.

***

“Ouch!”
Killian opened the cage and shoved me in. I ran back but the bars slammed in my face.
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Killian spat.
“I won’t be here long; you know?”
The cell reeked of urine and dead rats. I bit my lip to hide how badly I wanted to hurl. I wouldn’t give Killian that satisfaction.
“You’ll regret leaving that little village of yours.”
“Don’t talk about my pack.”
“Is that why you burned it to the ground?”
Saliva built up in my mouth, shot out like a rocket and caught Killian in the eye.
“Ugh you bitch!” I shifted backward when he stuck is his hand into the cell.
“You’ll be dead tomorrow anyway.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Killian walked off. Leaving me in the grimy wet and cold room.
Ember pack didn’t have rogue trials or Luna trials. We had ordinary trials and those didn’t come often. The last one came three years ago when a woman killed her husband during the full moon. She was given a murder trial and the Alpha Mason judged it. He pardoned her because it was proven he used to beat her.
What the hell did a rogue trial look like? Did they give me a mark? Beat me? Ember was a secluded pack we didn’t get rogues. I paced the concrete floor. Curse Killian for dragging me out in bunny slippers.
Metal groaned somewhere above my head. I stopped pacing. I stood in the middle just in case Killian came back to get even. I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. A man with a beanie dressed in leather almost marched past me. He paused and walked up to the bars. The beanie nearly covered his eyes. He ripped the beanie off and glanced over his shoulder.
“Sam? Why are you dressed like that?”
He coughed and grimaced at the stench down here. “We heard you’ve been moved. You okay?”
“No, besides the smells I have no idea what a rogue trial is.”
“Ginger’s upstairs distracting the guard assigned to bring you breakfast. Rogue trials are hushed. They take place at night. You’ll appear in front of the elders who’ll decide your fate in the pack, but the death pool decides if you’re innocent.”
“Excuse me, did you say death pool?”
Sam cringed, “Yeah. I don’t know where it is here but you’ll have to enter it.”
“And if I live I’m innocent?” I burst out.
“I know it sucks. I don’t understand why you got this particular trial. You should have gotten an ordinary trial. It would have given us a chance to get more information on your pack.”
“Right, any luck?” I nibbled on my thumb nail.
Sam shook his head. I could remember faces but I didn’t know how to get there.
“Any names? Like the Alpha at the time? A beta. Did your pack have anything valuable?”
I froze. The Goddess’ tear. The one of most valuable thing in the shifter world. I shook my head.
“No, nothing valuable. The Alpha’s name was Mason and my father was a beta so was my mom. Dad’s name was Xander and Mom was Sarah. They died in battle. I wouldn’t kill them. I was an only child they were all I had.”
“Hey, you’re not alone in this. I’ll talk to Dean. He has to change the trial.”
A scream came from above. Sam pulled the beanie back up.
“Ginger, our time’s up.”
“Sam,” I called, gripping the slimy metal bars.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
He smiled before darting up the stairs.