Trashed & Treasured

16

"No." I don't know what I was expecting him to say but his response hit me rather hard.

"Do you wish to explain yourself?" She also seemed shocked by the way he answered without hesitation.

"I do." After giving my hand a squeeze he let it go and stood in place, facing the remaining Council members head-on. "As you know, I left the territory after the loss of my mate and relocated to the coast. My wolf was nearly non-existent before I met the beautiful young woman that's sitting behind me. My wolf called to her the way he called to my lost mate and I allowed him the control that led to me claiming her. She did not bear the mark of another and at the time I assumed she was human. It wasn't until we reunited that I learned of her mate and that she had been rejected by him."

The faces of the Council members twisted when he said the word "rejected" and they both looked toward Cameron questionably.

"You rejected your mate?" This time the guy spoke and didn't seem at all pleased.

"I—I—well not formally."

"Are you aware that filing false charges is punishable, Mr. Hoyt?" I had to bite back a smile as the irritation in Councilman Kraft's voice grew more evident.

"Y-yes, Sir I am. Jade and I didn't have the normal beginning as others have and I have expressed my desire to be with her which is why I took it back. I love Jade and I want the chance to have a life with my mate. Whatever he did when he claimed her has clouded her vision of who her mate truly is."

Biting down on my lip to contain my anger wasn't helping me anymore. My leg started bouncing up and down as my fists curled into balls with my nails digging into my skin. Dominic whiffed the air catching the scent of my blood and looked back at me with darkened but pleading eyes.

Calm down. He mouthed to me but it just wasn't happening.

The two Council members looked down at a sheet of paper that was tucked into a now opened file that I figured was about me considering the way they both looked to one another then looked at me. "This changes things considerably. Doctor Hemming, we've been told that you've had the chance to test a few theories. Can you explain this to us?"

Doctor Hemming stood and cleared his throat, "Jade's dormant gene was not reacting to any of the tests previously conducted to see if we could bring forth a shift. She showed no sign of having a wolf and no sign that she'd ever shift. Being the doctor that delivered her and her brother, I've been around for years monitoring her progress. A blood sample taken recently, after she was bitten by both parties revealed that her gene has been infused with that of Mr. Cruz, connecting them as mates. I believe that his bite is what has enabled her to shift and the fact that his wolf claimed her is why he sees her as his mate and vice versa." He then went on to explain how he tested my strengths and senses and how my wolf went to Dominic instead of my born mate. This puzzled the Council members who continuously shared unreadable glares and even looked to Dominic's Dad for answers.

"In your opinion, Doctor, which of the two is Ms. Emmerson's mate?"

"They both are. While Jade's wolf has shown more of a pull to Mr. Cruz, there are still connections between her and her born mate, Mr. Hoyt."

"Before we deliberate, we'd like to call Ms. Emmerson forward."

My eyes widened and my heart pounded furiously. Me? I really thought they were going to go through this whole thing without talking to me and was actually thankful for it. I don't think I can be anywhere near as calm as Dominic and I fear saying something that may make things worse. Stepping up to Dominic's side, I stood with my hands clasped and my lips pursed.