Deceit

AYSU

Aysu narrowed her eyes at her father. She heard what he said loud and clear but she had no reason to be moved by it because she knew the truth. So, she tried glaring at her father with the hope that he would dismiss his ridiculous statement and get off the stage.

He didn’t. He remained in serious silence while every other person murmured in confusion about what he just said.

Beta Richard then continued, “It sounds incredulous. It truly does.” Aysu’s soul churned at the level of pretence her father was displaying. “The moment the Council Members found out this truth, they had to recheck the facts they found but despite that, the truth remained the same. And that truth is that The Alpha King of The Night Crimson Pack is the killer that has disturbed the peace of this pack for so long.”

“If you say so,” a voice from the crowd firmly demanded, “where are those facts? Where is the evidence that backs up this ridiculous tale?”

“Yes!” Another spoke while the people nodded their heads in agreement. “Also, who are you? Why are you making this announcement and where are the council members that launched the so-called investigation?”

“Please,” Beta Richard eloquently hushed the room, “let’s stay calm. I am just a mere mouthpiece for the council but I can tell you that the evidence you seek is available to be shared on the big screen behind me. And I am not here alone, the Council members are all here, they will back up the message they sent me to deliver if need be.”

“Show us, then!”

The screen behind Aysu’s father indeed came on and to everyone’s surprise, a video of someone being stabbed to death was played. While a lot of people looked away due to the goriness of the video, Aysu and Ximun kept their attention on the screen and watched as a look-alike or perhaps, a deep fake version of Ximun yielded a dagger and took the life of the weak wolf beneath him.

“I apologise for the abrupt and disturbing content of this video,” Beta Richard said. “We have many videos and images such as this which will be presented to the court eventually. The council could no longer take the deceit the Alpha King was posing, that’s why they had to take this drastic step.”

This time, the murmurs grew louder and all eyes came to rest on Ximun whose eyes were firmly fixed on Beta Richard.

Aysu could deduce that Ximun was about to lunge at her father. That would be a bad look for her mate, so she reached for the side of his face and made sure their eyes connected.

Then, without voicing out, she said, ‘We have to get out of here.’

‘I have to-’

‘Whatever you do here, Ximun, will be used against you. This is not the time or place to react. We both know this moment is a lie, so let’s go back and work out a way to make sure the real truth is revealed.’

Ximun sighed heavily. At the same time, he glanced at Beta Richard who was looking smug. ‘Let’s go.’

And, without much delay, they turned. But before they could walk a few steps, Ximun abruptly faced the crowd.

“My people!” His fierce voice commanded silence. “Lies have been spouted today. I won’t tell you who to believe, but please, always remember that I have and will always protect and cherish you all just as I do for my mate and myself.”

After that, Ximun and Aysu walked out, the loud murmurs in the hall trailing after them.

Nothing was said between Aysu and Ximun about the insane moment in the hall till they reached the palace.

“Where do we go from here?” Aysu asked her mate the moment they alighted from the car.

“We have to get to the security room. We need as much evidence as possible to refute what the Council has told the public.

Ximun reached for Aysu’s hand and with fast strides, he led them to the mentioned destination.

“Do you think Beta Richard was telling the truth about the Council’s investigation?” Aysu asked, her soul trying hard not to think about her father’s deviation from the path of being a good soul. “What if he’s just using tactics to lure you to a dark pit?”

“The council is definitely involved. There’s no way Beta Richard is doing this alone.”

Aysu frowned. “Why would they do this?”

“It is truly a long story. But let’s just say they always hated that I, a wolf of no particular origin, was selected to be the Alpha King. And their prejudice towards me worsened the moment they found out that I was cursed. Most of the members made it their job to find ways to get rid of me.”

“You have been fighting them alone all this time?” Aysu looked up at Ximun whose hair was bouncing as they sped-walk past many doors.

“I am afraid so.”

“That sounds terrible, Ximun.”

Ximun faced her with a smile. “I survived all of their tactics, Aysu. And I will survive this one.”

That last statement was a hopeful one, but Aysu was scared that there was a chance things wouldn’t go well. But she didn’t voice her concern. Instead, her legs hastily moved with Ximun’s till they reached the security room.

“Your Majesties,” the men in the room chorused.

“Do we have more visuals of our culprit?” Ximun asked.

“We do, Your Majesty. It is all thanks to the hidden cameras. Our previous equipment would not have captured a single thing. Also, we have a particular video that shows how the killer ended the victim’s life. This, some videos and captured images will be presentable to the court as evidence.”

As the men talked, some images were displayed on the screen, most of them showing a hooded version of her father yielding a bloody dagger while hovering over a body. Aysu looked away from that scene before it could become an addition to the ugly memories the past few days had brought her.

“Good.” Ximun was still holding Aysu’s hand, so he pocketed their joined hands. “Make duplicate copies and parcel them to the strategic locations we earlier discussed with discretion. If a word of this gets out, you will pay with your lives. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” The men chorused again and they remained at attention until Ximun and Aysu stepped out.

After a few steps away from that door, Ximun relaxed his stiff shoulders and faced Aysu.

“We are going to win this, Aysu,” he said, the usual twinkle in his eyes absent. “I won’t let them take this away from us.”

Aysu moved closer and engulfed him in a huge hug. “Whatever happens, Ximun, we will always be fine, because we have each other.”

Ximun returned her hug and after he planted a kiss on her forehead, they remained in that position as though they were lovers that were about to part ways.

A day later, a court hearing was raised and both parties involved; The Alpha King and The Council, were summoned to the hearing.

Aysu saw that her father was present as well. That made her anger rouse but she managed to keep it in check.

Then, the proceeding began, the Judge presiding over the hearing, a visibly aged man.

“Though in a crude manner, a representative of the Council of The Crimson Night Pack brought to the public’s attention a very crucial matter that must and will be attended to today.” The Judge’s voice was surprisingly deep and thick. “Do both sides have their arguments ready? Has all evidence been submitted to the court?”

“Yes, Your Honour.” Both Alpha Ximun and the representative for the Council replied.

“Alright. Let’s get down to it. Alpha Ximun, please step out into the booth. Take the oath and narrate what you have for us with adequate evidence backing everything you have to tell us.”

Ximun got up after Aysu gave his hand a little squeeze. Aysu silently wished him the best but deep in her soul, a feeling that there was a chance that things wouldn’t go well rested. Of course, she still did not voice this thought out. After all, beyond those thoughts, she truly wished for Ximun to win that particular battle.

Ximun took the oath and soon began, “I am not the killer. Though the power vested in me as the Alpha King permits taking matters into my own hands when it comes to life and death, I have never used my hands to take the life of someone innocent.

A few days ago, while the security team investigating the many killings met with the Luna Queen and me, the news that a helper in the palace had been murdered came to us. And we were swift enough to take actions that allowed us to get many details of the killer that has always wrecked chaos in our land.”

“And your evidence today will show us the real killer?”

“Yes,” Ximun replied to the Judge. “I would like to have exhibit A on the screen.”

Aysu wasn’t so sure about the details of the evidence submitted, but she knew that the exhibit was a video of her father taking Magnetino’s life.

It would be painful to watch, but Aysu wished to see the smugness on her father’s face disappear so she remained confident and continued to assure herself that all would be fine.

Only that nothing was fine.

The moment the video was played, Ximun’s face was in place of Beta’s Richard’s and as the video showed the cruel way the killer took the victim’s life, Aysu’s head sparked with sorrow because there was no doubt that they had just lost the case.