Alex

I tried to understand the magnitude of the whole situation at the moment and couldn’t quite get the reason why Someone like Ashley would attempt such. I was so terrified at what I would be moved to do if I had acted according to my emotions right then.

I brought out my Silver dagger from my rack and watched it closely. It glittered while I turned, admired and displayed it before the rest of the werewolf elders who stood with me while we deliberated on the issue. Of course she wasn’t going to be freed, she would definitely face the law and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. The royal court was filled with the men and now Lord Keren, Father to my Beta stood to address the court.

“My Lords, My Alpha, I stand on the mantle given to me by the council to speak, we all know what has happened should be addressed quickly, rumors are already flying around that the Alpha is weak…”

“And who the hell dropped such a bombshell?” I inquired as I turned to him gruesomely. My eyes were burning and my heart, heavy while he stared at me for some seconds before replying. He gestured with his hands in a single plea.

“My Lord, I am sorry for uttering such, but the truth remains, the people would surely see you as being weak if you don’t act so fast. You know today wasn’t just going to be your wedding, it was also a day to have you enthroned as the Alpha of the Pack, you have no reason to keep that girl inside that dungeon for as long as a day, she has just a few hours to live and we all know that.” He said in his frustrated gaze while staring deeply at me. He knew for a fact that I was going to backlash at him if he didn’t take back his words or have them fine-tuned.

“Hmm, I think you’ve said well, but at least by the laws of the pack and the code to which we stand, you and I both know that she deserved to be tried, we’ll have to see if there’s more to this. killing my father isn’t an easy task and you know what it would mean if she actually had something else in mind. Who knows if maybe she worked with someone else and maybe that person could be either controlled and manipulated to have me killed later in the day or maybe with time,” I replied quickly as I held up the stare at him. I wasn’t ready to dance to their tones at first, I was just boiling inside of me.

“I’ve heard it all, but for now I think we’ve got to take things a bit slow. Carry on, Keren,” I commanded and just then, someone walked into the scene. It was Aloysius. He was so determined to do anything to save Ashina and for reasons best known to him. I could tell that from his facial expression at the meeting right then.

“What’s the meaning of this my Lord?!” Lord Aloysius, father to Ashley’s Personal maid, stood to his feet to address the pack right away. “I don’t think she has to be killed and discarded right away, I think we have to give her the benefit of the doubt and not keep her for so long though, we have to be sure she actually committed the crime, we just saw her in the same room with the Alpha-King, we didn’t see her Strike the dagger,” he said as he retired back to his seat but the tranquil was short lived. He was countered by Keren immediately who stood to his feet to object.

“How dare you say that?! and in front of the Alpha?! You had the effrontery to take sides with the murderer?! And you think we would take that?!”

“I am not taking any damn sides with the girl, all I’m saying is that she should be given the chance to speak further, a fair hearing should be fair enough!” Aloy pointed out right away as he stood alongside. It was going to be a clash of elders in council if I don’t intervene right away, maybe I should just let the heat linger for a while so I get to understand where their loyalties lie.

“What are you trying to say, wolf? Are you out of your damn mind?! The Alpha-King is dead and you and I both know who his killer is, we even heard someone testify against her right there at the hall and in front of the people, what more proof do we need from anyone else? Or are you trying to let us understand that you also had a hand in the Alpha-king’s death?!” Keren threatened and this was repelled right away by Aloy who banged his hands on the table right away.

I felt so embarrassed that two of my most trusted and well esteemed members of the werewolf council would react this way so I had to come into the matter right away.

“Enough!” I echoed. My voice sent a clear message right away and the whole place was tranquil.

“You both are nothing but a bunch of disgrace! What the hell was that for?! And why would you both just shout and banter right in front of me? that shows no atom of regard for me at all. I think you both have to seat tight and keep your mouth shut, you don’t have to speak further, especially you, Aloy, I am so disappointed that you even had the guts to say such a thing, father was your very good friend and now he’s murdered, you stand to give signs of being in support of the killer?” I lashed and exhaled for seconds.

“Keren is absolutely right. I’m so happy I didn’t even get married to her right away, else that would have been a very massive blow to my face. I wouldn’t be sure I would be able to handle this, maybe I would have been in the hospital by now as a result of shock,”

“Alpha, I swear, I wasn’t taking her side, I just tried to…” Aloy tried to voice out still, taking sides with Ashina but I got furious and shut him immediately.

“Shut the fuck up! You swine! I told you both to keep shut and you still had the guts to speak?! have you gone nuts suddenly?!”

He felt embarrassed and gave me a fierce stare, but understood he couldn’t do anything about it, so he had to keep mute while I continued.

“Close that stinking mouth and listen to me. I have the final ruling, I only called for this briefing to get your opinions, but since it would lead to something else, I would make my decree. Ashley Wells is hereby sentenced to death, and she’s sentenced by beheading. she dies at dawn.”