84.

-HIM-

After looking at those footages, I head straight to the administrative building- where I know I am very much awaited. Dad has already mind-linked me several times in the span of half an hour. I know that the situations are growing grave every single second and I must meet the council now.

There’s this anxiety within me that’s eating me up. Even though I know that I am armed with strong evidence and have solid reasons, I know that the council is going to give me a hard time. I would be surprised if they don’t create a fuss out of this.

I collect myself as I enter the administrative building and head straight to the room where they’re waiting for me. My heart is palpitating in my chest when I reach the room. I take a deep breath to calm myself and my wolf before I step in.

“Here he is,” One of the council members comments before everyone’s eyes are trained on me. I am low-key surprised to find them awake even at this hour.

“Beta Jake,” The Judge nods at me in acknowledgement as I step in front of the huge ‘u’ shaped table around which they’re all seated. The Judge is sitting in the middle. His cold, hard, piercing grey eyes are trained on me pensively. Meanwhile, Dad is seated at the left end of the ‘u’.

“Your excellency, I sincerely apologize for keeping you and others waiting for so long,” I speak whilst managing to keep a straight face. I don’t miss the nasty, judgemental look decorating some of the council member’s faces.

“How’s your mate, Beta Jake?” Asks the Judge, completely ignoring my apology. There’s not even a hint of concern in his voice as he asked that. His eyes and face remain void of any emotion as he stares me down. He is unreadable- as always.

“She is well and resting,” I tell him, knowing that he doesn’t really give a crap about her. These are only some formalities that are often acted out in order to maintain the civility in the room full of wolves.

“That’s great to hear. Now, tell us what happened to her and where did she disappear?” Demands the Judge. I look around to study the council members before I tell them about the whole incident.

After I am done telling them about the incident, having intentionally missed out Cybele's revelations and the fact that Arles saved her, the Jude inquires, “Have you got any clues regarding who could have done this?”

I give him a prolonged stare and with that, I feel the tension escalating in the room. I glance at dad once to make sure that I am doing the right thing by telling them everything all at once. I have already told him about Tiffany through the mind-link.

After a slight nod from him, I answer the Judge, “Yes, I have and I am going to banish them from the pack,”

“Names. We want names, Beta Jake,” The Judge presses a bit impatiently. I don’t miss how he narrows his eyes whilst the wrinkles decorating his face seems to be intensified.

“It is Tiffany. Her brother abducted my mate on her command and he was going to kill her,” As soon as those words roll out of my lips, silence invades the room. I can see the bewilderment decorating their faces while they look at me with disbelief.

“What evidence do you have to prove your claims?” One of the council members demands angrily. I glare at him only to realize that he was the one who first recommended Tiffany to me.

“I have camera footage of their wrongdoings,” I answer the council member very grimly whilst holding his gaze as a challenge. He grinds his teeth as he glares back at me.

“Beta Jake,” The Judge speaks again to claim my attention, “We are going to be in your pack till tomorrow noon. I am very much interested in the matter as it involves a human and someone of our kind- who allegedly dared to harm an innocent. If you can persuade me with strong evidence that it was Tiffany’s doings then according to our laws, I myself will take action against her,”

The Judge’s words surprise me but I don’t think there could have been a better opportunity than this to get back at Tiffany.

“Thank you, your excellency,” I bow as I speak whilst fighting a small smile trying to climb on my lips, “If you give me half an hour’s time, I’ll present everything to you,” at my words, several council members frown but the Judge lifts his hand and waves it anyway as an approval of my request.

I don’t waste a second to walk out of that room with dad hot on my tail. I mind-link Brooke to make copies of the security camera footage and Davis to get some pictures of the bodies.

“I will leave you here,” Dad tells me while I am putting everything together in my laptop in my office at home.

“Thanks for all the help, dad,” I couldn’t help but say. He has saved me and my pack from a lot of trouble by attending to the council whilst we were trying to make sense of the situation. It reminds me that I still have to learn a lot of things as the Beta of my pack. He gives me a huge smile before patting me on the head as he always does whenever he’s happy, “I am very proud of you, son. You have handled the situation quite well,”

After cheering my spirit with moral support, he leaves me to work alone. I ask Davis through the mind-link if he has gotten any clues on where Tiffany is. She seems to have gone missing as soon as the news of Cybele being found spread like wildfire in the pack.

Hide as much as she could for now but when the council comes after her, no place – even hell wouldn’t be a good enough place for her to hide with her sins.

Davis answers me that they are still searching the pack for her but there are no clues on her. The Patrollers have been alerted so that if anyone crosses the pack borders without permission- especially Tiffany, they report to me right away.

I am able to put everything together in time and go back to the council. Brooke, dad and some other top pack officials decide to come with me this time as well. Meanwhile, Davis is still out looking for Tiffany with some warriors.

The Judge gives me a blank stare as I set everything up before turning on the projector. Not many of them are fazed upon seeing Cybele being hit at the back of the head but as soon as I show them the pictures of the bodies recovered from the lake, everyone’s faces turn white.

“Who did that to them?” Asks one of the council members in terrors. Arles’ name lingers on the tip of my tongue but I am afraid I wouldn’t be believed if I let it out. I decided to speak anyway but the Judge beats me to it.

“Arles,” If the pictures of the bodies weren’t enough to shock the council members and my pack officials then Arles’ name rolling out of the Judge’s lips did the work. I am myself taken back it.

“Your excellency, how could you be so sure?” Asks one of the council members to the Judge who has a look of disbelief decorating his own face as he looks at the pictures of the dead bodies projected on the big screen.

“I know,” He answers without caring to explain and looks back at the council member before he turns to me and asks, “Arles saved your mate, didn’t he?” His words have drowned me in bewilderment but I nod anyway.

“Blessed is your mate,” He says with a corner of his lips slightly tugged up in a small smile, “Arles hardly shows himself to us – his own people. It must have been something special about your human mate that he himself climbed down the sky to rescue your mate from the evil when you couldn’t,”

The Judge’s words prick me but I am happy that the thing which I was most concerned about – the council believing me, has been taken care of by its own. I will be grateful to Arles until my last breath.

“And now,” The Judge raises his voice to overpower the low murmur that has crept in the room. Everyone instantly stops talking and turn to the Judge before he asks next, “Where’s the she-wolf who is the reason behind this?”