Luna Revealed

Chapter Twenty Four

My eyes slip shut as I process this information. So, Viktor will be here. I will have to see him again. My wolf shudders at the thought, moving to close herself up in her corner. She attempts to take my memories of him with her, but she is still weak, her walls fractured from my forceful entry earlier in the week.

When I open my eyes again, Caine is still there, staring at me with concern. "If you can't handle it, you can leave at any time. No one will stop you or blame you for not wanting to be here."

I shake my head. "No. I need to be here."

Caine lets out a breath and nods, leading me towards a chair at the front of the room, closest to the table labeled with names from Artem. I see Phoenix's name on the chair closest to the cage and shiver. Can he be that close to him without causing a scene?

I settle into my seat and Caine pats me on the shoulder with his bandaged hand. "Everyone else will be here in just a moment. We're just updating law records before we start."

I turn to ask him about his injury, but he is already walking away towards another, smaller room behind the tables. I clear my throat and look around, taking in my surroundings. It's not quite the same as a human courtroom, but it's definitely similar. I've never watched a trial before, but I've read about them and seen pictures of rooms like this from packs all over the world.

The trial will likely last all day, but is much shorter than a human trial. Usually, the council begins with a recap of statements given by witnesses. Any newly discovered witnesses will also come forward to speak. Then, the offending wolf will be allowed to speak and give their statement to the council. From there, the trial will break for deliberation. Deliberation by the council can take only a few hours, or sometimes days. After deliberation, there is sentencing. In this case, Viktor is being accused of one of the most serious crimes in Lycan law. Unless there is clear evidence showing that he may not be guilty, then he will be sentenced to death by public execution. The council will then choose an executioner. Executions are usually held very soon after the trial, some even the same day as sentencing if the Elders approve quickly enough.

That's another thing entirely. The Elders have to approve of every step of the trial. This is a sort of "checks and balances" within our society. They also require a detailed, written record of every council proceeding, whether there is a trial involved or not. Since today's trial happened so quickly, the council must still be finalizing last night's meeting minutes before they come out. In some extreme cases, an Elder will even come to watch a trial. This usually only happens in especially heinous crimes, such as genocide or crimes related to children. They will come just to keep the peace and ensure that the offending wolf is being treated fairly, despite their crimes.

My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a door slamming open. I look to my right to see a group of men leading another man into the room. He is almost unrecognizable in this state. His usually cropped hair has grown since I last saw him, the dark brown locks dirty. His head sags forward as the men pull him towards the cage. It rolls to the side and I see the stormy gray eyes of his wolf. He seems drugged, but his lips lift into a smile when he sees me.

"Dahlia, my sweet kotenok." The familiar way he coos my name spears my heart with fear. The Russian endearment – meaning "kitten" – rings in my ears; memories of him whispering it in my ear flashing through my mind. The men put him in the chair inside of the cage, locking it behind him. He is still smiling at me, his eyes glinting in the bright lighting of the room.

"You are just as beautiful as I remember," he says, his accent thicker than usual. He twists his neck, stretching it out. "You should tell your comrades to go easy on the wolfsbane next time, kotenok."