The short drive to the council building gives me little time to gather my thoughts. We've taken multiple cars, a few in each. Phoenix doesn't ride with me, instead climbing into a car with Caine. I ride with two of the council members I still don't know, strangely relieved to have a few moments away from Phoenix's intensity.
There are more than a dozen cars in the parking lot of the building when we arrive. Many of them are unfamiliar to me, especially the two large, armored vans parked parallel to the front doors. I gulp reflexively. They must have brought Viktor and Erland in those.
We walk into the front lobby and I feel my heart drop at the sight of the people inside. There, next to Alpha Julian, are my three sisters. Tears spring to my eyes and I run to them, collecting them in my arms. They are crying as well, clinging to me tightly.
"Dahlia!" Izumi, the oldest of the three, exclaims through her tears. "We thought we were never going to see you again."
Mai, the youngest, speaks next. "Julian told us you were here, but he wouldn't let us come see you." Her voice is filled with emotion and I cling to her tighter, remembering that I had missed her first shift.
Kira is quiet, crying softly to herself. I stroke her smooth, blonde hair and kiss her on the forehead. She meets my gaze, her dark eyes swimming. "Daddy left us, Dahlia."
The words are like a knife in my gut, twisting to increase its effect. I sniffle and nod. "Yes, Kira. Dad left us and he won't be coming back. Not for a long time."
The girls look at each other in fear. "What's going to happen to us?" Izumi asks hesitantly.
Julian butts in before I can answer. "We can discuss those arrangements after the council meeting. Right, Luna?" He looks at me as he speaks, his eyes tight.
I nod my head and smile at my sisters. "Of course. We have a lot to do right now, but I promise we'll see each other again."
They all nod at me and then Mai perks up. "Oh! We brought something for you." She goes behind Julian to a box sitting on the floor. She pulls something out and brings it to me. "We've been watering it and taking care of it the best we can. I hope it's okay." She extends her hands out towards me.
I stifle a gasp, looking at the glass containing the small flower I collected so many months ago. It has wilted slightly, likely from overwatering, but its petals still look as soft as I remember them. I take the glass from Mai gingerly, my eyes again watery with tears.
"Thank you. This means more to me than you could ever imagine," I say in a choked whisper. I hear someone call my name from the other side of the room and I turn, seeing Caine gesturing for me to enter the council room. I sniffle and hand the glass back to Mai. "Can you hold onto it for me until the end of the meeting? I'll come back for it." She nods vigorously, grasping it tightly in her hands. I kiss them all again and smile at Julian before making my way towards Caine.
He brings me inside of the council room, which is set up differently than the last time I was here. The tables have been moved to the far end of the room, no longer facing each other. Instead, they face fifty or so chairs in the middle of the room. At the very back of the room, between the two tables, is a cage, large enough to contain a full-grown Alpha wolf, set up with a chair inside.
I tense, knowing what this cage is for. Caine must notice the change because he turns me away. "Do you know why we're here today?"
My body is trembling in fear and anger, but I shake my head. "No."
Caine sighs and looks around the room. "The council has voted to expedite Sokolov's trial due to the statements taken from you and a few prisoners from Aurora." He pauses and takes a deep breath, meeting my eyes. His normally soft, green-blue eyes are as dark as the needles of a pine. "Sokolov will be tried for his crimes today, in this room."
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."
Wolfsbane. So he is drugged. Wolfsbane doesn't work the way humans have made it seem. It isn't lethal or fatal to wolves; it only acts as a strong sedative when refined and ingested or injected. They must have used it to make it easier to transport him.
A sudden rush of courage fills me. "I heard you injured a few of my comrades." I spit the words, making no effort to hide my hatred of him.
His smile widens, his gray eyes more alert. "You speak." He hums in the back of his throat. "I don't think I've heard that voice since you were a pup."
I clench my jaw, looking away from his sharp eyes. "Do you know why you're here, Viktor?" My voice is shaky despite my courage.
He lets out a choking laugh and reaches for a bar of the cage, shaking it. It doesn't budge, the frame having been bolted securely to the floor. He leans back in his chair again, shooting me a lustful look. "Because you couldn't handle the greatest cock your little pussy will ever see."
His words cause rage to surge through me and I stand, walking quickly towards the cage before I can stop myself. I stick my arm between the bars, startling the guards, and grab the collar of his shirt, yanking him towards me. In his weakened state, he isn't able to pull away, instead, coming close enough for me to feel his hot breath on my face. I can feel my wolf's fiery hatred fueling me, urging me to speak.
"I will rip you apart for what you did to me," I whisper at him, my voice calm. "Do you know that? It doesn't matter what happens in this room today. I will rip you apart piece by piece until there's nothing left of you but a pile of bloody limbs. And I'll start with your cock." I tilt my head to the side, pulling him even closer to me. "Got it, kotenok?"
His eyes are wide with shock, my words clearing having an effect on him. I shove him back as I hear the doors to the room opening again. He falls back into his chair, silent for the first time in his godforsaken life.
I turn to the council members entering the room. Phoenix is with them and he is all fire and rage. He walks to one of the guards and takes him by the collar, similar to the way I just grabbed Viktor.
"Why the hell is he out here with her?" His eyes are bright with his wolf, the air beginning to shimmer around him.
The guard doesn't speak, just shaking his head vigorously. I reach out to touch Phoenix's arm, distracting him. "Let him go. I'm okay," I say, my voice surprisingly calm.
Phoenix just stares at me for a moment, the hate in his eyes softening until he releases the guard. He huffs and looks back at Viktor. "You say one word to her and I won't wait for the execution order."
Viktor just stares at him, the smug smile returned to his face. His gaze flicks to me and he winks. Without thinking, I spit in his direction. I'm still close enough to the cage that it lands on his knee and everyone goes still. Viktor looks at the fluid on his leg for a moment before looking at Phoenix.
"If only she was this fiery every time she fucked me."
The guards catch Phoenix as he lunges for Viktor through the cage bars, the fine trembling that occurs before a shift washing through his body. "You sick son of a bitch!"
Viktor just laughs as Phoenix is pulled back to the room he came from. The rest of the council members regard the situation in silence, their eyes alert. Once Phoenix has left the room, they settle at their respective places at the tables. Caine leads me to my seat once again.
Are you okay? Caine's voice in my head startles me and I look up at him. He is staring at me, eyes clouded.
I nod my head and push through the internal barrier to respond. Yes. Phoenix shouldn't have gotten worked up like that. I was fine.
Phoenix has every right to want to tear Sokolov to shreds. The council witnessed what he said to Phoenix. Maybe it's good he was provoked.
The feeling of Caine in my mind dissipates and he rubs my shoulder before walking to take his seat at the table in front of me.
Julian walks in from the front of the room, where I had left him with my sisters. He moves to his place at the table, but doesn't sit down. The mostly empty room quiets as we await his words.
"For council record, I'd like to note that, due to the nature of the crime, today's trial will be open to the public. It will also be attended by the Elder Emir of the Lycan Elders, who has traveled here to bear witness to the proceedings." Julian's voice almost seems nervous as he speaks. He gestures to the law attendants near the front double doors and they open them, revealing a man dressed in a long, elegant black cloak.
Elder Emir looks exactly as he did in paintings of him from hundreds of years ago. His face is surprisingly young, very few lines gracing his skin. His gray-streaked, dark hair is braided down his back, reaching to his waist. Under the cloak, the dark skin of his chest is exposed, the mark there extending from throat to waist. His violet eyes flicker around the room, taking in the people sitting down. His eyes graze past me, then return, meeting mine.
He looks surprised, as if he recognizes me. He returns his eyes to the front and addresses Julian. "Thank you, Alpha Remus, for allowing me to attend your trial today." His voice is heavily accented, though its origin is not familiar enough for me to recognize. He nods at the rest of the council and makes his way to the front row of chairs, settling for the one next to me.
I barely notice the rest of the people who enter the room, most being high ranking members of both Artem and Aurora. My attention is focused solely on the man sitting beside me. He is breathtaking, though not in the traditional sense. His presence makes me exorbitantly calm, but also incredibly nervous. He turns to look at me, his eyes locking on mine again.
"You're even more beautiful in person. Has anyone ever told you that you resemble Aphrodite?"
The words elicit a shocked laugh from my mouth. "Actually, yes, Phoenix has."
"Phoenix," Emir says, looking ahead to the empty spot at the table. "Alpha Lykaios, I presume?"
I nod quickly. "Yes. My mate."
Emir hums softly. "I've heard about the young Alpha." He pauses, looking at me again. His bright purple eyes are eerie, inhuman. "You truly do resemble her."
I blink at him. "Who?"
"Aphrodite," he says, a smile gracing his lips. It makes him look even younger; his even, white teeth a beautiful contrast to his coffee-bean colored skin. His dark eyes shimmer as he says, "She was even more beautiful than the myths portray."
My brows furrow at his strange words. "She was?"
Emir just continues to smile at me until the door behind the tables opens again. Phoenix walks out, significantly calmer than he was before. He takes his seat at the table, keeping his gaze forward to avoid Viktor's stares.
Once he's settled, Julian stands again. "I'd like to thank everyone for attending today's trial. I'd also like to thank our witnesses again for their cooperation during our investigation. If everyone is settled in, then we shall begin the trial."