ROWAN
“Dominic.”
I watch in delight as he visibly flinches at the mention of his name.
His eyes flit from one person to the other as he tries to rally his words.
“What… I… he doesn’t…”
“You mean alpha Dominic had his wolf kidnapped you and …what?” Alpha Maxwell asks.
“I don’t know what it was they had planned,” Donald responds. “All I knew was that the wolf was insistent on bringing me to his alpha. That he would be pleased with his catch.”
“Catch?!” Kaylee snarls, her dark gaze fixed on Dominic
“This is unbelievable!”
“I don’t even understand what is showing!”
“What kind of a game is this?!”
“How are we supposed to believe this?” An alpha speaks up, one that I recognized as Dominic’s ally from the last council.
“It is one alpha’s words against another,” he continues. “And let’s be honest, we all know that Alpha Donald can be quite… impressionable.”
“How dare you?!” Kaylee snarls as she lunges at him and the man narrowly escapes her claws by sheer luck.
“I am just telling the truth,” the fool says as he comes behind Maxwell. “Where is this supposed wolf that tried to kidnap him? Huh? Where is he?”
“In my dungeon, actually,” Viktor responds with a lazy drawl.
Everyone turns to him to see him leaning against the wall, his hands crossed against his chest, and a thoroughly bored look on his face
“What?” The wolf demands.
“The wolf that kidnapped Alpha Donald,” Viktor clarifies. “He is in my dungeon as we speak. My patrol team caught him yesterday when he tried to break in and get his target.”
The wind is knocked out of the man’s sails and he sends a worried glance at Dominic who still hasn’t been able to formulate a single sentence.
Really though, what could he possibly say in his defense?
We have the victim, we have the attacker, and we have the motive.
Victim: Alpha Donald, impressionable and cowardly.
Attacker: Tommy, brutish and cruel, a very good enforcer
Motive: Dominic could force Donald to say that he was actually attacked by the rogues, thereby giving his claim for war legitimacy, just as he always wanted.
No, this doesn’t look good for him at all.
“What do you say to this allegation, Alpha Dominic?” Maxwell asks
“It is not true!” He exclaims. “I didn’t ask my… anybody to kidnap anyone. I don’t even understand what is going on.”
“I don’t give a shit what you understand!” Kaylee snarls. “I want that wolf’s head!”
“Luna Kaylee,” Maxwell says. “We can’t just kill indiscriminately without a trial. “We are honorable creatures, and we have rules we follow, even if the others refuse to do so.”
A dig at Dominic.
“Trial?!” She demands. Do you see my alpha’s face?!”
“A trial will ensure that we are not being abusive in our authority, something that cannot be overemphasized among us. and just because others flout rules doesn’t mean we should follow after them. It is actually the reason why we stick to the rules and show how actual noble wolves behave. Not murderous, ruthless animals but noble creatures who value unity and honor.”
Another dig.
“Fine!” She snaps. “Let’s have the fucking trial.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Is this where he is going to die?” I whisper to Viktor as we all wait in a clearing.
A large one by pack standards- everything about the Vale pack is large by any standard- with a well cut lawn grass that glistens in the afternoon light.
The rest of the wolves are gathered in a loose circle, with Kaylee and Alpha Donald in the center and Dominic at the far end, alone.
“If everything goes according to plan, then yes,” he replies. “This is where Tommy will die.”
“Who would deal the killing blow?” I ask.
“Usually, it is the grieved party but if they refuse to do so then it would be the assumed head of the council, which in this case is Maxwell.”
“I hope Kaylee does it,” I tell him. “It would be more satisfying.”
“Yeah, me too.”
All conversations cease as the tinkling sound of chains is heard approaching the clearing and we all turn toward the direction it is coming from.
Not too long after, we see one of Viktor’s wolves leading a chained and bagged Tommy into the clearing with two other wolves flanking both sides.
We watch as he is brought into the centre and the bag is taken off his head.
At his face reveal I send a glance towards Dominic and I see him go pale before a look of Is that remorse?- crosses his face.
Who knew he could feel anything like that?
Definitely not me.
“Wait,” a wolf speaks up. “I recognize him. He is always with you on social occasions.”
“Yeah,” another says. “I see it now. But… he was not there during this council.”
“I guess he must have been busy kidnapping my mate to have come,” Kaylee replies with more than enough venom.
Dominic says nothing to these words.
There is nothing to say.
He is recognized.
Once Tommy is able to get used to the bright rays of the sun, his eyes immediately find Viktor and I and he launches at us, not even bothering to take stock of where he is.
Fortunately, the wolves are still holding his chains and he just yanks back like a yoyo and falls to the ground.
The wolves grab him by his arms and yank him to his feet, not bothering to be gentle with him.
“Did you see that?”
“I know! Trying to attack an alpha in the presence of others.”
“What do you expect? He is from the Obsidian pack! They are all beasts there.”
“Stare your name,” Maxwell orders the wolf and he gets a spit on his feet in response.
I see Dominic’s eyes fall close in despair and I can’t help but smile at it.
We are just getting started
“Tommy,” Viktor says. “His name is Tommy from the Obsidian pack.”
“Alpha Dominic, do you accept this claim?”
There is no way he can refuse, not with the way almost everyone recognizes him.
“Yes,” he says wearily. “I accept this claim.”
“Very well. Today, we begin the trial of the wolf Tommy from the Obsidian Pack for the alleged kidnapping of Alpha Donald of the Herring pack.”