Florentine leads me to the Pack Room, a large conference room where important meetings take place.
Today's meeting just happens to be a trial against me.
It's fucking ridiculous because, obviously, I'm not a rogue. Sure, I almost turned into one, but I didn't actually turn. I know I'm innocent, and my very existence in the trial room will prove that. But I'm wondering why Alpha Briar called a trial on me in the first place.
"Hazel Wren has arrived," Florentine announces as she opens the door. Immediately, I spot raised eyebrows and hear hushed murmurs throughout the crowd. They obviously weren't expecting me to show up. Since I'm supposed to be rogue and all.
I scan the room. Chairs are set up in rows in front of a large table that spans the width of the room. Pack Elders and Leadership are seated at the table, with Alpha Briar in the middle. Maxton and Luna Briar are at his sides. Beta Mathias and Theta Young are next to Maxton, and the Pack Elders are next to Luna Briar. The rows are filled with miscellaneous pack members, like pack administration and other important pack functions, but trials are typically opened for all pack members to watch. I spot Blessing and Maxton's friends towards the back. The first row is empty, except for my family, who are seated in the corner away from the door.
"Sit with your family for now," Florentine mumbles under her breath. I give her a slight nod even though I'd rather throw myself out the window.
She promptly takes her seat with the Pack Elders, who have copies of The Lycanthrope's Constitution and Law littered across their table. I slowly make my way across the room to where my parents and Blessing are sitting.
All eyes are on me. So I force myself to hold in every wince and whimper that I want to release as each step aggravates my wound.
Mom and Dad look positively haggard, but their eyes widen as I approach.
"Hazel," Mom breathes out. "Where have you been?!"
I say nothing as I take the seat next to my father. Blessing is sat in between the two of them. She's as still as a statue, a picture of icy, beautiful grace. She has her hair done up in an intricate bun and is wearing a floral white dress. She refuses to look at me.
I turn towards Maxton, who's already staring at me. His face is pale, but his eyes light up when I look at him.
Screw that guy.
I roll mine and settle into my seat, arms crossed.
"Hazel, we have to talk. Please." My father pushes, trying to catch my eye, but I stare straight ahead blankly.
I think I'm supposed to feel something after seeing them. Sadness. Anger. Pain. Anything. But I don't. And I don't respond.
My body is cold. So cold.
"The trial against Hazel Wren will now commence!" Alpha Briar's booming voice echoes throughout the room, and everyone immediately quiets. My mother and father reluctantly turn towards the Alpha, but they keep glancing at me regardless. The anxiety I felt before should be gnawing at me. My wound should be hurting. But there's nothing.
Just me, my beating heart, and cold, hard resolve.
You will always have somebody as long as you have yourself. You are not a rogue.
Prove them wrong, Hazel.
"Reports from last night say that Hazel Wren turned rogue. Hazel Wren," he turns to me, "can you confirm whether or not this is true?"
"It's not true," I say flatly. Alpha Briar looks like he'd rather be anywhere but here as he continues. So he must think this is ridiculous, too. Why'd he call it then?
"Can you prove it's not true?"
"Because I'm sitting here in front of you," my voice is a matter-of-fact but dead.
"How does that prove it's not true?"
In the back of my mind, I know he's just doing his job. These questions are obligatory when conducting rogue trials, as per the The Lycanthrope's Constitution and Law. He is obligated to ask them.
But that doesn't make it less fucking stupid.
The coldness in my body turns into a icy rage. What the fuck is this? I'm sitting here talking to you. Of course, I'm not a rogue!
"Because there are tell-tale signs of a rogue," I say, standing up from my seat and moving towards his direction.
"One. Rogues are known for being carnivorous and vicious, and they kill anything in their path. Have you discovered any dead pack members recently?"
"No."
I step towards him.
"Two. Rogues are known for causing chaos and destruction. Has anything on pack grounds been destroyed recently?"
"No."
I take a more steps towards him until I'm standing directly in front of his table, where he can get a good look at my face. I lean in.
"Three. Rogues lose their humanity, which is signified by the loss of whites in their eyes. Their eyes become yellow. Tell me, Alpha Briar, are my eyes yellow?"
"They are not."
"I'm not a rogue. Case dismissed." I sneer with a roll of my eyes. Alpha Briar growls at my sign of disrespect, but I can't seem to find it in me to care.
I hate them. I hate this pack. I hate it here.
The coldness in my body has robbed me of feeling anything. Any guilt, remorse, empathy. Nothing. I feel nothing.
"You would do well to respect me, Pup!" He growls in my face.
"You're wasting my time!" I hiss back, positively seething. "Everyone's time! I'm not a rogue! Drop the charges!"
"Hazel, please! Let's-" Maxton grabs my arm but I immediately jump back like I've been burned.
"Don't touch me! You have no right to call this trial! According to lycanthrope law, you can't accuse someone of turning rogue without tangible proof! You have no body, no destruction, nothing to prove I'm rogue! I'm walking, I'm talking, and I will defend myself! This trial is unlawful! Page three hundred and twelve in The Lycanthrope's Constitution and Law. Look it up!"
The Pack Elders immediately flip to, what I assume is, page 312 and start whispering while pointing at the lines. I sneer in victory.
I remember everything I read. Don't test me, Alpha.
"I didn't call this trial Archivist!" Alpha Briar growls, his Alpha instinct obviously flaring at my tone. I just roll my eyes and cross my arms again. This is fucking ridiculous.
"Blessing Wren did!"
My inner seethings pause.
Everything pauses.
I thought I was cold before, but now it's ice.
Freezing. Still. Ice.
All sounds slowly drown out until I can only hear the faint beat of my heart.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
It's like I'm in a trance as I slowly turn towards where my so-called family is sitting. I mechanically walk towards them. The blood has drained from my parents' faces. Blessing stares straight forward, refusing to meet my eyes.
"What the fuck is he talking about?" I say in a low voice through gritted teeth.
Thump.
Blessing says nothing.
Thump
"Hazel, wait-" my mother tries to interject, but I don't even spare her a glance.
"Drop the charges," I demand, my gaze focused on Blessing.
Thump.
"No," Blessing says flatly.
Thump
"I said. Drop. The. Fucking. Charges!"
Thump.
"No!" Blessing screams before rushing past me to stand in front of Alpha Briar. "She's obviously ill and insane! Just look at her! She threw a table at the wall yesterday! That's proof of destruction! She hit me!"
Mom and Dad are up on their feet too, desperately trying to pull her back but she continues screaming about how crazy I am.
Betrayed. I think I should feel fucking betrayed. But I've experienced enough betrayal and disappointment from these people to last a lifetime.
It's fucking ridiculous. It's hilarious at this point. It's fucking funny how predictable they are.
I should've known. I really should've known it was her! It's even funnier that I even thought it could've been anyone else.
So silly. I'm so fucking silly, aren't I?
I bring one hand to my face to hide the dead smile taking over my features. But I can't stop my shoulders from shaking as I burst into laughter. The hushed murmurs that permeated the room quiet down. I just keep cackling manically.
So. fucking. silly.
"Oh, little sister," I say, pretending to feign concern after finally calming down. "You are so full of shit."
I stride past her, standing in the middle of the room so everyone's eyes are on me. She wants to put on a show? I'll show her a fucking show.
"Let's get this shit straight," I announce. "He," I point at Maxton, "rejected me for her." I point at Blessing. "I didn't know it was for her until I walked in on them shoving their tongues down each other's throats yesterday!"
The Pack Elders frown, mumbling to each other and shaking their heads. Elders are traditional. They'll never look upon rejection lightly. All the blood has drained from the Maxton and his parent's faces.
I see my parents. They look so regretful. So concerned.
Bullshit.
"And my dear old parents here," I bark out a laugh, pointing at them, "took her side! Can you imagine! Your daughter is fucking your other daughter's mate, and you take her side! And guess what?"
My eyes dart around the room greedily, eagerly taking in the shocked looks on everyone's faces.
"My bond with my parents broke!" I say with a giggle, a crazed smile painting my chapped lips. "It fucking broke! It's gone! Poof! Broken! Torn apart!"
If they were astounded before, this pack is sure as hell horrified now. And they should be.
"Hazel, please, we didn't mean to-" Mom starts again, but I ignore her and continue with my rant.
"So my fucking bad for losing my shit. Just a teensy tiny little bit!"
I skip towards Alpha Briar with a calm yet cold smile.
"Tell me, Alpha. You almost lost your shit because I rolled my eyes. How would you react if you walked in on your mate with another man? Your brother of all people," I lean in as I say this. He gulps. I look at my mother.
"Tell me, dear mother!" I grab her shoulders from the side as if to give her a hug. "You walk in on dear Dad and another woman! Would you lose your shit? Yes or no?"
She chokes on her words as if the very thought of Dad with another woman makes her sick.
Good.
I let go of her and skip to the center of the room again. I throw my hands out to my sides like I'm giving some grand fucking announcement.
"Apologies ladies and gentleman! I lost my fucking shit! Please excuse me just this once! Because I'm sure all of you would react FUCKING WORSE," I yell at the top of my lungs, the smile finally dropping. "IF YOUR FAMILY AND MATE BETRAYED YOU THE WAY MINE DID."
The room is silent.
"And apologies for throwing the table," I give them a final curtsy.
The room erupts in murmurs, with the Pack Elders at the forefront of the whispering. They're all exchanging dark looks and glaring at Maxton, who looks like he's about to pass out and throwing judgmental eyes at my parents. My mother is a sobbing heap on the floor, and tears are leaking out of my father's eyes as he holds her.
I decide I don't really care and walk back to the chairs.
I sit in the furthest chair possible from theirs in the front row, closest to the door. I fold my legs and cross my arms. A whole minute passes without anyone saying anything.
"Well?" I question, tapping my feet impatiently. "Let's get on with it?"
Alpha Briar clears his throat, obviously unsure how to move forward.
"Well, we can rectify this, yes?" Luna Briar finally speaks up nervously. I raise an eyebrow at her. "Maxton accepts you now! You'll be mates! We can restore the bonds with your parents!"
I scoff.
"No thanks."
"Hazel I-" Maxton tries to speak up but Blessing cuts him off.
"NO!" She practically screams again. "If I don't drop the charges, then she's still on trial! You can't become mates just yet!"
Holy fucking shit. Did she call this trial because she didn't want him to accept me as a mate?
I incredulously chuckle under my breath at how fucking stupid this is. Are we in some soap opera?
What a waste of my fucking time.
"She's crazy! You need to put her in pack prison! Alpha!" She begs, "Alpha! I'll be a better mate for your son! My sister is unstable!"
My parents are trying to get her to stop. Maxton is trying to get a word in between her rambling. But she's not listening.
"Blessing! Stop it! I told you we're over!"
Oh sure. That's why you had your tongue down her throat last night.
I roll my eyes again at their theatrics.
"Maxton, just look at her! She's not good enough for you!"
"Blessing, she's my mate! Not you! Rejecting her was a mistake!" Maxton hops over the table to stand in front of me. He gets down on his knees and takes my hand in his like he's some fucking prince.
"I'm sorry, Hazel! I'm so sorry! I messed up. But I understand now! I take the rejection back and accept you as my mate!"
"Get your hands off me," I say coldly, leveling my dead gaze with his and snatching my hands away. "There are no takebacks in rejection."
The hopeful look on his face disintegrates.
"Hazel! Let's be reasonable! Surely, you can find it somewhere in your heart to forgive your mate! He's your mate!" Luna Briar bargains.
"I've been reasonable enough just by being here! He's not my mate. I'm not a rogue. This trial is over!"
We feel them before we see them.
A deadly, dominating pulse emanates from the outside. The door slams open, and everyone's eyes snap to the newcomers.
Lycans. All of them.
My eyes lock with Kairos, and suddenly, the warmth rushes back to my body. But so does the pain.
Holy shit, my wound hurts so fucking much. I try not to cry out in agony as I realize some of the stitches came undone during my rant. The laughing must've done it.
And I didn't even feel it.
The gravity of what I did and everything I just revealed sinks into me. I'm about to double over in pain, but Cora and Sabrina instantly flash to my side and take the chairs next to me while discreetly pushing Maxton away. He tumbles off of his knees onto his behind.
"Sorry for the wait," Cora whispers. "Are you okay?"
I can't get any words out anymore. My whole body hurts. It's taking everything in me to not pass out from the pain. I just sink into their comforting hold on my shoulders. They seem to understand as they make sure I sit straight and tall while allowing me to rest my body weight on them in a way that doesn't aggravate my wound.
"Thanks for saving us seats," Corban winks at me with a mischievous grin as he strides past along with May, Kairos, and Allistar.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Alpha Briar bellows.
"By the royal decree of King Lycanus VIII, I, May Essa, Royal Messenger and Ambassador of the King, charge you, Alpha Jaxon Briar and the Rolling Woods Pack, with the crime of shunning Hazel Wren, your previous lawful pack member!" May announces, her entire presence taking up the room. A pulse from her aura follows every syllable.
No wonder she's the Royal Messenger.
"You can't be in here! This is for Rolling Woods pack members only!" He ignores her charges, yelling at the rest of the lycans.
"We have come to defend one of our own! You have my pack member in here. I have every right!" Corban states distinctively. He's standing straight and tall at May's side, a picture of elegant stoicism. If we're animals in a jungle, he's the king. And like a grand lion, he's shaking his mane.
Kairos stands on the other side. His eyes are on me. I feel the bond pulsing on my shoulder, sending warm, calming waves down my body. Are you alright? They seem to say. He doesn't care to look at anything else.
Allistar is a shadow behind them. His figure is slightly larger than Kairos and Corban and all the more menacing. His dark eyes trail around the room, looking for any danger. He's like a dragon, protecting his hoard.
"One of yours?! These are all Rolling Woods pack members!" Alpha Briar questions, slightly hesitating in the presence of their deadly auras. Funnily, I hardly feel it. To me, it's more like a protective blanket, like ripples in a serene pond. But I know that isn't the case for the rest of the wolf-shifters since they're hunching over in submission.
"Hazel Wren has joined the Lycan pack of Corban Lycanus, son of King Lycanus VIII, heir to the throne, and Cora Lycanus, daughter of King Lycanus VIII, second in line to the throne," May announces again. She pauses, allowing it to sink in. Everyone is silent. Even my mother has stopped crying enough to allow her jaw to drop open.
Corban and Cora are the children of King Lycanus?!
"But she's my mate!" Maxton is the first to protest. Kairos' possessive growl rips through the room, automatically silencing Maxton into submission. It's so strong that it leaves Maxton shaking.
It sounds so familiar.
"No. Hazel Wren has been marked and claimed by Kairos Lycanus, nephew of King Lycanus VIII, cousin of Corban and Cora Lycanus, third in line for the throne."
Word Count: 3000 words
shit is happening people!!!
i actually wrote the bones of this chapter quite a while ago (skipped like the last 10 chapters bc I was hyperfixated on writing this moment lol) and its crazy how much its evolved bc I added sooo many things. i really wanted this to be hazels fuck you moment and I thinkkkk she did it?? what do you guys think??
this was probably my favorite chapter to write so far! it's also the longest one I've written! 3000 WORDS ON THE DOTTT
EXCITED TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS YALL what do you want to see next???
next chapter about be dramatic as hell too (all my nosy people get excited) (I, as a fellow nosy individual, am telling u to prepare yourselves!!!) (nosiness is an illness fr)
please remember to read and comment and vote!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i hope you have a wonderful day jaani!!! <3
love libahrary