Book 2 Chapter 50
John
They had moved the sentencing until sundown, and I was training in my frustration. Thankfully I wasn’t training with anyone, because the tree I clawed was pretty much mostly sand now… I had stayed up trying to come up with ideas, and I knew what I would have to do. It’s that I didn’t want to. The King took an overnight flight here, and I could feel his presence from my house… so it was needless to say…that he was pissed.
It was to accommodate his delayed arrival, and to buy me a little time. I went back inside my house to get my mate, and she looked worried for me, but honestly I could handle it. I had made my peace, and used the tree outside to hone my anger on something. And just like that, before I could say anything to anyone, we had been summoned.
No shower, no shirt… just black jeans for the blood, and my beat up training boots in case I needed to shift, because I knew I would tonight. I would have to do things today that I had no choice but to agree with.
I was to meet them at the packhouse, the same spot where she was lashed. It was where sentencing like this took place, there was no judge and jury…. With wolves there is Alpha and Luna, unless the pack can convince us otherwise. It was the spot where Heidi’s wolf lashed her the first time… it should have been my father.
That way it would have hurt. At least then her wolf would have been more likely to try talking since to her. They agreed on many things, and this was one of them, but no one wants to be whipped. It’s humiliating as it is painful.
Heidi spent her time reading her tomes, she looked like she was looking for something, but I would ask her about that later. Her rat looked at me with narrowed eyes, but looked as if he was reading with her. I didn’t like or trust it since all he ever did to anyone was bite…. At least he hadn’t touched my mate. I think those to had some kind of unseen connection, but if it could link or talk I wouldn’t know.
“John, whatever you decide, I’m behind you.” She said sweetly as she could, but I knew she worried for me… She didn’t have to be… I was for her sake because she was so sweet.
“I know… you don’t have to come.” I warned her, but she shook her head.
“John… I have read pack law with your mother these past few months. This kind of thing… You might have to kill your own sister.” She almost whispered looking down, but I put my finger under her chin.
“Heidi, she stopped being my sister when she crossed this line. I love her, I was raised with her… but she put the pack in danger… especially you…” I gave her a gentle kiss, one that I wanted to savor. Today I would be Assistant Alpha…. there was no saving her.
We walked, followed by Ann and Garnet. He seemed chipper today. Jesse was a target of his, and even though he couldn’t act on it. She was pack. That was her only saving grace right now, because as I walked with my mate, it was all I could hear. ‘Alpha’s going to punish the traitors.’ ‘They could have destroyed us all.’
They weren’t wrong… The Old Ones were not to be messed with. Any one of them could cause a chain reaction for the apocalypse… I didn’t realize that we were almost there. This was going too fast… way too fast. The entire pack was here on the punishing grounds.
This place was dedicated for this, though it was just mostly grass. There was an area to flog, and an area to fight, but that was about it. The pack surrounded my father, and adopted father and sister and someone else. I could only make out the top of the head and I knew from the scent who it was. The King was outside, red eyed, and holding the throat of a white haired girl. There was a small pile of bodies at his feet, though there was a light brownish-tan haired girl standing next to him. He dropped the white haired girl to the ground after a crunch was heard, and she was limp.
Jess and Xavier were handcuffed, kneeled on the ground covered in bruises. Someone had roughed them up, and I knew it was Garnet… but punishing him would serve no purpose… it would make me look bad, plus he had his reasons. One he looked up to and it probably broke his heart that he would lose his mentor… and the other messed with his mate. He was also a functioning pack member, as well as my mate’s protector day and night…. But who were those other girls at the King’s feet…?
He shot me a glare. He wanted me to hurry up. I did what he’d asked, carrying Heidi with me so she wouldn’t be left behind. I set her down and she grabbed his hands, hearing him growl softly. “Forgive me my fragile pup…. I did not know all these she wolves knew not their place.” He snarled, and Heidi hesitated, but hugged him.
“Grandfather… you didn’t have to come.” She said quietly, looking at the bodies of the girls who were probably friends with Jesse… and it was her fault they laid there returned to the Lady.
“I did, I did not know there were so many she wolves beyond their place, save this one.” He glanced in the tannish-brown haired girl’s direction. “I must see this, and I must share words with Ronitus. This is his fault as well. The Key of the Great Labyrinth was unsecured. He will bleed this day as well.” He snarled, though my father stood like a soldier.
“Grandfather no please!” She begged, shaking his arm, but his glare made her back away.
“An injustice has been done to you, My grandpup, and you think there will be mercy? Heidi I will not allow this.” He snarled, and she looked at the ground. I comforted her.
“Then for her sake, your majesty, may I punish?” I gently moved her away from him, but he followed, sitting next to her. Someone had brought lawn chairs for him and my parents. Heidi wasn’t as shaken as I thought she would be, and for that I was thankful.
“Do what is right.” He sneered, trying to calm down for the affect he had on everyone else, and I took a deep breath.
“Hear me pack.” I yelled as loud as I could, and everyone’s attention came to me. It even got some of the pack to submit. “The King himself graces us…. As well as the Goddess. May she be merciful, for I will not.” I hesitated, looking at my adopted mother… it was an ironic cruelty that I, the child she did not bare is now killing her child… “I, Lower Prince, Assistant Alpha Johnathan Stone, the Earthen One judge Jesse Robins… my adopted sister.” There were a few gasps, and I continued.
“I was raised by this family, and within it… they treated me well, but something must be said. Jesse, I do love you as my sister, but I cannot allow what you have done to slide. You put the pack in danger, wielding the Key to the Old One the Beast prince, with the intention to release him.… and caused your own father to break his oath of service because you linked him to come save you… and worst of all, you did all that in hopes to hurt my mate. The Penalty for treason is Death. Is there anyone who would speak for or against this she wolf.” It was silent a few seconds before there was a raised hand.
“John, you can’t be serious.” She mumbled dismissively, rolling her eyes, and there were murmurs of disapproval.
“You will be silent.” I snarled, and she submitted. I could tell it still hadn’t sunk in yet, but she bit her tongue for now.
“I speak against her, your grace.” Said Garnet, stepping forward. “She had been given chances to reform, yet never changed. I know I speak from a bitter place… she broke my soon to be mate’s arm, and was punished for it, though I still want her blood….
“Relevance.” Said the King, and Garnet turned to him, looking him in the eyes.
“I must admit, that has none your majesty… But in the grand scheme of things… I’m not important compared to nearly ten thousand souls for the Old One to feed off. She jeopardized the pack. The Beast Prince has stirred twice in the past few hours… the Key pulses for someone to open the door. She’s the kind of idiot who would … and I know she’s the kind of person who would try to again. She is too arrogant to be a pack wolf. However, … I do speak for Elder Xavier. He is a good man, and I don’t think he would have helped her and broke his oath if he knew the full context of WHAT she’d done.”
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