Raised Mateless (On Hold)

Chapter 20

“State your name and purpose here.” The deep voice seemed to consume the whole open room, bouncing off the marble floors.

Harper West, and because life hates me, I thought to myself. While, I remained silent on the far side of the courtroom.

The vast room seemed to swallow up anyone inside it. It held seats upon seats in a circles slowly rising towards the ceiling, similar to a stadium. The whole hall was decorated in lavish stone statues to match the pitch-black marble floor and beige marble walls. In the center of the room was a wooden structure that held a solid platform with extravagant, red velvet chairs and singular pedestals in front of them. On each side of the platform were massive stone pillars, standing strong and holding up the looming ceiling.

All of the Elite Council were dressed in black robes with gold accents along the collars, their hoods over their heads and covering their faces. They were about five feet higher than the rest of us, sitting on the raised stand with a podium in front of all ten of them. None of them were looking at us; their eyes were glued to my son.

Dakota stood in the middle of the black speckled marble floor standing tall and proud. His usually messy brown hair was smooth and slick to the side in a formal fashion, the gel making his hair seem closer to ebony. His grey tailored jacket stood out in the contrast of black surrounding him. I could see he had his hands shoved in his jacket pockets – the only way you could see how nervous he really was.

“Dakota Ryan Foster, sir.” Dakota’s head snapped from its previous position of staring out the window to meet the councilmen’s eyes. “I’m here to declare my rightful place as the Alpha of the Black Crescent Pack.”

I felt a lump form in my throat from the emotion and pride running through my veins at my little boy. Though I could barely call him little anymore. He was the same height as me now, the size of a twelve-year-old boy. His size and change in personality caused a pang in my chest for the little boy I had lost.

A hand grasped my shoulder tightly, in comfort, shaking me from my thoughts. I turned to meet the faces of the people on my side. On my right stood my father, head high, beside Shane, Emilee, Nathan and Joseph Shang.  To my left held Alpha Foster and Diana Foster, and Johnny. All their eyes held the same look of respect for my son as I felt. 

There were only two people missing. But they would never show. One was shackled in the middle of the pack grounds, being treated as an unwelcomed threat to the pack. Another, my own flesh and blood, couldn’t bare being in the presence of Shane. Even for her nephew.

“Very well, lets begin.” A familiar voice spoke; I searched for the owner of the voice to find it belonged to Evelyn, her short brunette bob coming into view as she dropped her hood.  She was dressed in the traditional black robes that made her dark eyes seem even larger than before. They still held a cold edge to them and her posture remained stiff and unwarm – a true council member.

A man stood from his place on the raised council seating and dropped his hood as well. His skin looked smooth and was the colour of mocha, which made his ice-blue eyes a true sight to see. He briefly glanced at me. A ghost of a smile passing his lips as he bowed his head to me, I gasped lowly to keep from anyone hearing. The Elite Council does not show emotion, never mind acknowledging another person with anything but disdain.