Chapter 279

279 The Day Of The Trial (3)

Kieran Locksworth stood at the podium, looking back at the hundreds of eyes that were looking down at him.

While some of them harbored mixed reactions, the majority had nothing but contempt for a former Beta who decided to speak against the Alpha that he used to serve.

“Quiet, everyone!” Gregor shouted when a round of murmur grew louder and louder.

“Beta... No, Alpha Kieran... Do you agree to serve as a witness for Alpha Ronan?”

Staring at the Alpha who sat some distance away, Kieran nodded stiffly.

“Yes.”

In return for his testimony, Ronan agreed to drag neither Lillian nor Kieran to court. The paternity of the baby would also not be put into question. The matter was to be resolved privately between the three of them.

That was the best scenario that Kieran could hope for.

For the sake of Lillian and their son.

.....

For their little family.

“Then, please tell the court what you know about the relationship between Madam Lucrethia Woodland and Elijah Summertide.”

Chained up in his chair, Elijah widened his eyes at Kieran.

“About three years ago, when I just took over the Beta position from my father, I caught an intruder in our Ironclad Claws Pack House,” Kieran said. “At that time he refused to tell me who he was. When I brought him to my Alpha, the man was released immediately. After that, I was told by my Alpha that this man was a servant of Madam Lucrethia Woodland.”

“Are you referring to Elijah Summertide?”

Kieran nodded.

“Yes.”

“You are wrong, Beta Kieran!!!” Elijah howled. “I have never seen you in my life!”

“Shut up!” Gregor hollered at Elijah.

“I saw him a few more times after that,” Kieran confessed. “The last time I saw him was about a week ago.”

Elijah turned pale from fright.

It was when Lucrethia gave him the poison vial with the order to end Lucien’s life.

“Is it good enough?” Ronan asked Gregor.

Before the judge opened his mouth to answer, Lucrethia spoke up.

“Of course not,” the elderly lady said. She did not look at all affected by Kieran’s testimony. Those who attended the trial soon found out why.

“Kieran Locksworth stole the Alpha position from the Woodland family,” she pointed out. “He is trying to destroy the reputation of the Woodland family to secure that no one from our family dares to reclaim the Alpha throne ever again.”

All of a sudden, Kieran the witness became Kieran the usurper.

“That is not true!” Kieran shouted. “Conrad Woodland openly said that he no longer wanted to be the Alpha. No one else from the Woodland family wanted the Alpha seat! Not even his sister, Ms. Vera Woodland!”

Conrad rocked back and forth in his seat while murmuring unintelligible words and clamping his hands tightly on his ears. Vera Woodland was pale with fright.

“Vera, is that true?” Lucrethia smiled at her youngest daughter. “Did the two of you drop the Alpha position on the ground for every vulture to peck on?”

Vera raised her eyes to meet her mother’s. Once she caught sight of the cold wrath within, she quickly averted her eyes.

She might be the less talented daughter that her mother was never too fond of, and also never put a lot of hope on, but she knew very well of her mother’s ambition.

Lucrethia Woodland had always wanted to be an Alpha.

Conrad was out of his mind due to accumulating stress, leaving only Vera to take charge. Lucrethia would have wanted Vera to claim the Alpha position, especially during these difficult times when no one wanted it.

But who in their sane minds would do that???

Vera might not be talented, but she was not dumb!

“N-no,” the elder woman denied.

“No, what?” Gregor dug further. “Ms. Vera Woodland, can you elaborate?”

“I am sorry, but I don’t remember much of it. By the time I snapped back from my daze, I already stood outside of my pack house and Kieran already named himself the new Alpha.”

Alas, no one else but Conrad, Vera, and Kieran himself were present when Conrad relinquished the Alpha position. Kieran had no one to back him up, although everyone knew that he did not lie.

The Alpha position of the Ironclad Claws pack, now and then, was still a hot potato that no one wanted to hold onto.

“See?”

Lucrethia had a bright smile on her face.

“So sorry, Alpha Ronan. Unless you can bring another witness to the stand, your theory remains a theory.”

Ronan sneered.

“This won’t do, Mr. Gravecrown,” he said. “I can bring a second, a third witness to the stand, but if Madam Lucrethia Woodland continues saying that all testimonies are done to destroy her or her family’s reputation, we will never get to the bottom of this matter.”

Gregor hummed.

“In that case, what do you want me to do?”

“Give Kieran Locksworth the benefit of the doubt. The court must not automatically side with Madam Lucrethia Woodland. With all due respect,” Ronan added while nodding toward the elderly.

“Hmph,” she scoffed.

“Very well. Does Alpha Kieran have more to say to his testimony?”

After he was put in a difficult position, Kieran was burning with rage. The last pint of his patience already evaporated into the air seconds ago. He was going to talk even if the whole court told him to shut up.

“Yes, Mr. Gravecrown, indeed I have. During my tenure as Beta, I get to know about one more major crime that the matriarch of the Woodland family personally masterminded.”

The hall was deafeningly silent. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Kieran to drop the bomb.

It was indeed a bomb.

“Madam Lucrethia Woodland triggered at least two incidents to sow discord and drive a wedge between the two biggest packs, the Infinite Eclipse Pack and the Night Prowler Pack.

The first one was the attack on Alpha Kinnon in the presence of Annalynne Clearwater, then not yet serving as the Alpha of the Silent Walkers Pack.

The second one was the attack on Alpha Kinnon’s son by hiring an outcast who hailed from the Infinite Eclipse Pack.”