Chapter 40

Darren looked smaller than ever to Mila. She had the urge to lunge forward and bring him into her arms the same as Rori. She even swayed, wanting to step forward, but Winnie held her back.

“Darren, when the elder was poisoned, what did you see?” Annika asked clearly.

Darren removed a grubby finger from his mouth and pointed toward the alphas. “I was in the kitchen, playing hide-and-seek. I saw Kiara talking to someone while making tea. She told him something and he poured powder into the elder’s cup. Only the elder’s cup.”

Mila saw him point toward one of the wolves guarding the witches. Kiara’s face didn’t change, but the guard swayed slightly under the accusation. He held onto the silver chains that were being used to bind the witches even as it burned his own fingers.

Mila glanced toward the other guards. They all wore gloves. Thick welder’s gloves that covered their forearms so they could hold the chains without injury, but not that one. He wasn’t wearing the welding gloves that fully covered his fingers, but instead wore fingerless gloves, allowing the chains to sear off his fingerprints.

Had he drawn the short straw when they didn’t have enough supplies to cover the entire guard? He looked sweaty and nauseous even from a distance. Was it because of the silver? Or was he using the silver to cover something else?

It made sense in Mila’s head. The guard being ordered to poison the elder. He would probably have needed to handle the poison closely at some point, possibly while dispensing it. Depending on the poison, it might have marred his skin.

Was he burning himself on purpose to get rid of the evidence?

Kiara smiled almost pityingly. “It was sugar, little one. I merely asked him to add a sugar packet. Now, if someone had tampered with that sugar packet beforehand, then the answer remains the same. Someone intended poison a member of the pack.”

It was a fine enough excuse. One that could easily be believed, but Mila could hear that persuasive alpha voice seeping into Kiara’s words. Lies.

Most of the crowd seemed like they could have been pacified by this excuse. But now Kody murmured more urgently to his father. The other alphas shifted in their seats, looking uneasy.

“And it makes perfect sense to do it in this careless, roundabout way?” Annika said, derision coloring her childlike voice. “It makes sense because it’s something you would do, isn’t it?”

Kiara openly glared at the child who showed no signs of backing down. Mila could feel herself gawking. It had been years since she’d witnessed anyone with such a strong backbone.

Whether it was because this child would soon be an alpha or as a sibling to Kiara, she understood Kiara’s mind better than most, Annika was not taking any crap. Mila felt a most unusual coil of pleasure at seeing the child so determinedly fighting for their sake.

It troubled her. She should be focused on an exit strategy. Rori wasn’t curled against her body for protection anymore. It could make it harder for her to pull him along. But Rori’s focus was now riveted. Though his wooden, bone-like face barely moved, he still managed to look a little star-struck.

“It’s funny that you should say that we’re taking the place of the humans in this world. You always despised them. More than anyone.” Annika sneered.

“I hardly see the relevance,” Kiara groaned and waved her hand. “Shouldn’t we be proceeding with the trial.”

“Funny to see you so eager to take the place of the humans-!” Annika continued loudly. “When it was their bigotry and disregard for others that made you fear them so!”

Kiara’s mouth opened to argue the point, but Annika wasn’t giving her an opening now. She was so bold while standing in front of the counsel of alphas and the confused crowd. Mila could feel Rori’s tail twitching, beginning to wag like a dogs’.

“We wolves – wolves, witches, and wendigos alike – have lived in the shadow of humanity for centuries because of our fear of them. We who are naturally stronger were forced down because of numbers and organization. Because we were never able to unite properly while living under them, we couldn’t fight back effectively and because they shunned us, they are now gone.” Annika turned slowly, making eye contact with each of the alphas then looking toward the crowd.

It was the makings of a pretty speech, but Mila knew well that these pretty speeches didn’t always end in ceasefire. Her muscles were still bunched in preparation to run, but she leaned forward. She was preparing to reach for Annika should someone make a move on her.

There was every chance that this could end with an attempt on the child’s life. Particularly with the way Kiara was glaring at her sister.

“Of course, we might be able to take the place of the humans, but we should be asking ourselves now how it is we want to do it. The elder brought us here and invited these outsiders because she knew the value in not closing ourselves off from the world. She may have passed, but it was a risk she took in the pursuit of our future. Are we going to squander that with baseless accusations without proper proof?” Annika asked sincerely.

The crowd no longer roiled. They whispered amongst themselves. The lack of evidence hadn’t seemed like a big deal while they were angry and looking to point the blame. Now it felt that they had attacked prematurely.

Many of them still distrusted the witches a great deal. It was unthinkable that one of their own would be responsible in any way for the death of an elder, but surely they were trying to be more civilized. The elder had believed in this mission of unity between species the most.

“And how long do you intend for us put this trial on hold, sister?” Kiara’s eyes narrowed, not willing to concede.

Before Annika could bite back, there was a sudden clacking sound. The guard that been holding onto the witch's chains bare-handed, had dropped the chain and collapsed to his knees, crying mournfully.