Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 114617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
“No,” he continued, beginning to pace. “You’re here for them.”
I frowned at the silent audience. “Them?”
“They’re the ones who are going to decide your fate and your punishment, but unlike you, they’re not savages,” he spat. “You’ll have your trial. You’ll have your chance to defend yourself. And then you’ll get what’s coming to you.”
Slowly, I sat back—taking that in. My fates had hurt me plenty and their wolves hadn’t stopped them. That must mean the plans they had in store for me were so bad, not even their lax wolves could stomach it. Instead they’ve offered me up to a mob.
They wrapped me in a nice bow and stamped me with civility, but I wasn’t fooled. This was a mob, and they were waiting for the gates to open, and the bell to ring for chow time.
“First,” Nyx said. “Swear to Luame that you’ll swear to tell the truth.”
“What? But I can’t. You know that Luame hates when we—”
Both Mom’s letters vanished in a cloud of fire.
“No! Fuck you, you blood-soaked bastard!” My screams ravaged my throat. “Stop it! Leave her letters alone!”
“Swear!” Orion violently shook off Edric’s restraining hand. “Do it!”
“Argh!” My roar of frustration rattled the chandeliers. “I swear! I swear on Luame that for the ten-minute-long duration of this trial, I will tell the truth.”
Fury lit Orion’s handsome face, riddling his scar stark white on his cheek, and twisting it into the true hideous reveal of his soul.
Badr stopped him when he dove for more letters. “Calm down. Ten minutes is more than enough time. This won’t take long.” Badr turned to Ava and the epsilons. “Are you ready?”
The smirk Ava gave me ground my teeth. “Ready.”
As strict, rigid, and backwards as our society was, there was one thing that I always believed we did right. In a trial, the only people that were allowed to decide on a person’s guilt or innocence were epsilons.
The reason was obvious. An epsilon couldn’t be commanded by an alpha to find in their favor. They couldn’t be persuaded by a beta to ignore the facts. And they couldn’t be pacified by an omega into wanting to protect them... from prison.
They were the best people to uphold justice unless, of course, they already had a grudge against you.
“First question,” Ava called.
Someone from the audience stood up. That was another difference in our justice system. Members of the community asked the questions. They had the right to since they were the community that had to welcome me back if I was released. That should only happen if they decided I was safe.
At least that was the theory.
“Yeah, my question is why did you fucking do it!” screamed Tracy, Nia’s friend. “Why did you kill Nia? She was the only one who put up with you! Who even liked you! What is wrong with you!”
I gritted my teeth, fighting as my vow yanked the truth out of me. “I didn’t kill Nia! I’m a moon wolf and she was obviously attacked by a metal wolf. Or are all of you so stupid and obsessed with me, you can’t see that!”
Tracy snarled, fangs erupting from her jaw. That response did absolutely fucking nothing to endear me to her, or my biased jury.
Damn him! This is why you never swear on Luame. Now the vindictive floating wolf in the sky was going to make me answer in the most brutally honest way possible.
“Why did you come back here?” someone snapped, jumping up. “You don’t care about being our high priestess. You don’t care about Wolf Nation or fulfilling your duty, so what do you want!”
“I want to rule all over you sniveling, sycophantic worms with an iron fist! I want to rip away this backward world you love so much, and build my empire on its ashes! You will bow, worm. You’ll all bow!”
I hung my head, groaning before the gasps and shocked horror filled my ears. I didn’t need to look at Badr, Orion, Edric, Paxton, or Nyx to know they were grinning like it was Christmas morning. I just handed them the guilty verdict they were waiting for—wrapped up on a platter with a bow.
“Did you kill Holly?” Paxton asked, raising my head.
“No.”
He frowned. “Did you kill Hall?”
“No.”
Impatience leeched into his voice. “Do you know who did?”
“No.”
“Are you fucking lying!”
“No,” I blared right back. “You assholes made fuck sure of that!”
He growled and I did right back—two wolves ready to charge.
Nyx put a hand on Paxton’s shoulder, slowly moving him back. Meeting my eyes, he asked, “Do you know why Holly, Hall, and Nia died?”
My lips peeled back from my sharpened maw. “Well fuck you for being the smart one. Yeah, bitch, I know why they had to die, and they deserved every fucking bit of it— Fuck!” I burst out when more shocked gasps pelted my eyes.