Chapter 42

This trial went significantly smoother. It was clearer with more evidence that the witches hadn’t been directly involved. Kimber was able to identify the residue of the poison, even while injured. She gave open and honest testimony.

Later, Kimber would say, “Believe it or not, but we witches do not bear a grudge against the wolves for their violence against us. It is a great sorrow to lose a member of one’s family. Though it will take time to rekindle trust between us again, we are not averse to trying once more in the future.”

Kimber handled the trial with such grace. She met the eyes of her accusers without reserve with her chin raised proudly and answered questions with ease.

It didn’t last too long with at least two witnesses and proper evidence. Kody also pointed out the way Kiara was abusing her alpha voice to manipulate others. Kiara was guilty of murder, child endangerment, and abuse.

Wolves had their own ways of handling laws. Mila was surprised to see the verdict. The male that had handled the poison was sentenced to death on the spot. His pack’s alpha performed the killing blow as the man hung his head in shame.

Females were regarded too highly due to rarity. Kiara might have been a murderer, but she was still an able-bodied female. So rather than killing her as they’d done to her lackey, she was made into an honorary omega.

Winnie, a natural omega, had risen to the status of at least a beta since giving birth. She’d had triplets and of the three, two were female. It was considered a huge victory for the pack to have two girls born at once and their mother was still capable of future births.

Now, Kiara was having her position stripped. Naturally, the ones to dole out her punishment would be the alphas of her pack, but in this case, they were also her family.

Mila felt that this whole thing could have been avoided had they made more of an effort to properly control Kiara’s greed. Had they only shown the same amount of resolve before something like this had happened.

Mila watched with a stony expression while Kiara was tied to a chair. She was fitted with old-fashioned shackles made of silver that smarted the skin of her wrists and ankles. She cried and screamed and attempted to use her alpha voice, but all that was left were unable to be persuaded by it.

Winnie held Mila’s hand, watching with her brows drawn together in disgust. Jed rested a hand on Mila’s shoulder, his expression entirely blank. She knew that if it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t have bothered to watch.

“Mother, please! D-daddy, let me go! I will never use my voice again, I swear it.” Kiara wailed.

Kiara’s mother said no words of comfort. She pulled her eldest daughter’s head back so Kiara was looking toward the sky. Holding fast while the girl struggled.

Kiara’s father gritted his teeth. He used his bare hands to hold a pair of silver black-smithing tongs that were tarnished with age. He forced open Kiara’s mouth, even as she bit and begged.

He used the tongs to grip her tongue, pulling it out as far as it would go. The silver made a small sizzling sound. It would surely leave a nasty mark on her tongue that may never heal. It may even strip her of her ability to taste.

Annika brought forth a small blue box that appeared to be made for carrying jewelry. When it was opened, Mila saw that it did indeed hold a piece of jewelry. It was a necklace, a simple pendant on a long, thick leather rope.

The pendant was a silver ball about the size of a ping-pong. It was polished like a mirror and Annika handled it very carefully, extending it over Kiara’s mouth while her sister screamed.

The pendant was dropped into Kiara’s throat where it was held until Kiara’s throat convulsed and her screams ceased. When it was removed, Kiara cried silently, unable to make so much as a whimper, let alone use the power of the alpha.

From there, they sheared her hair sloppily and marked her face with the old Greek letter for omega. The shackles would remain for months or until the counsel agreed as a whole to allow her freedom from the torture, but the shame would never be erased.

Mila went with Winnie then to meet the newest pack members while Kimber retreated back to her coven to heal. Mila felt a wave of affection as she watched Rori hold Winnie’s boy. He crooned softly to the child with sounds only a bird could make.

Annika joined them after a while to congratulate the family, but by then Winnie was already fast asleep, the exhaustion setting in.

Mila smiled to her affectionately. She noted the way Rori peered shyly at Annika through narrowed lids. He definitely fancied the girl.

“Are you going to stay with us, despite what happened?” Annika asked quietly.

Truthfully, Mila wasn’t sure anymore. She had believed in the elder’s mission and Annika greatly impressed her, but she was shaken. She wasn’t sure what was the best thing she could do for Rori. Would he be safe here? The wolves had never liked him and it had taken so little time alone for him to be treated badly by them.

Had she been later, they might have killed him.

“I don’t know,” Mila sighed.

Rori cooed, clearly upset. Of course, the girl he liked was here. He was so young too. He needed to be around peers.

“I think we might need a little bit of space for a while.” She replied cautiously so as not to upset him. “Not forever, just for now. Let everyone have some time to heal before we try again.”

Annika nodded amiably. She was so mature for someone so young. Mila could certainly see why she’d been the one to catch Rori’s eye.

Still, Annika had hardly so much as glanced his way. However he might feel, it was entirely possible it would amount to nothing. But she wouldn’t be the one to dash her son’s hopes.

“We’ll spend some time with the coven for now.”