Chapter 117
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As expected, the Alpha King has returned with said reinforcements. They’re not the only ones that have made their way here. Former Luna Romano, and until the divorce I doubt exists falls through, acting Luna Romano arrived with their security team just before the doors shut. It’s an interesting move on their part. The gavel slams down, and everyone settles
down.
“Well,” Judge Alexandria scoffs. “This is going to be a long night. Bishop Ceballos,” she says with the kind of animosity that grants speculation. “It’s so good to see you,” she says sarcastically, with a grin on her face. “Alpha King,” she sings. “You’re a very funny man.”
I look down at my hands, trying not to laugh at the way she’s addressing them, but it comes out in a huff that makes the wolves all look at me.
“Watch it, Omega,” Bishop Ceballos growls.
“Go fuck yourself, you old dog,” I growl back, letting the rage show for the first time in my life.
The gasp they let out echoes off the high ceilings, and it’s Ragnar who breaks the tension with a laugh. The other Lycans join in, and even the vampires. The look on the Bishop’s face is priceless.
“Order,” the Judge laughs, slamming her gavel again. “Someone had to say it.”
The amount of prejudice against the wolves is obvious. Whoever set this up wanted Santiago to fail in the most humiliating way. I glance back at the Lycan King to see him smile back at me and bow his head. I know this was his doing, and nothing he says is ever going to change my mind.
“Welcome back,” the judge says. “Having discussed the nature of this case with the rest of the council, we have something that needs to be taken care of first will take place. Do you mind, Alpha Romano?”
‘Not at all,” he answers.
‘Great. I want to start by thanking you for bringing forth the culprit in question. Former Luna Romano, you are under arrest for conspiracy against the Artume City Pack, racketeering, illegal firearms transfers, trafficking and distribution of illegal substances harmful to the wolf race, pup trafficking, and the list goes on.”
“What?” Alpha Romano stands up as a group of beta princes enter the room and pull her out of the row. “None of that is true. Let her go. Santiago, what have you done?”
His duty as the acting alpha of his city,” Judge Alexandria answers for him.
Everyone watches as she kicks and screams at me for setting her up. Poppy turns to look at me, and just bike every other time she’s turned in my direction, I see nothing but contempt. However, she slowly sits back down as if trying to make herself small. Her eyes flash amber before she lowers her head.
“Bring her back. Sophia Helvig and Ivar Axel forged those documents before leaving the city. They gave the Alpha King alt kinds of false information that had nothing to do with us,” Alpha Romano points at us accusingly
“Prince Ivar?” Judge Alexandria asks in the most playful tone I’ve ever heard. Ivar, how could you?”
“I don’t know what he’s talking about. The documents that came out of the files Mrs Helvig left behind are not forg They’re more like memories of a woman who knew exactly what she was doing when she hid them in her house for Sophin to find. There are a lot of interesting things in those tiles.
“Agree, but that is not what we’re here for, she clears her throat. Sit down, Romano or leave
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Chapter 117
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Alpha Romano turns to look at his son. Santiago looks up at his father with a blank expression. I have to look away because Santiago was at his most cruel when he stopped caring about something. I know that expression well, and while it wasn’t directed at me until the end of our relationship. I know the kind of damage it can cause.
“You would destroy this family for this whore who allowed herself to be defiled by these monsters?” he growls at him.
“Sophia would never,” he says calmly. “Why would I give a fuck about the woman who took the only thing that mattered to me?” he stands. The air around him changes as he meets his father’s challenge head–on. It’s only then that I see it. The decay into his feral state has gone past what I thought it had. The wolf is right on the surface, looking for any excuse to snap. “Go with her,” he challenges. His blank expression becomes sinister. “Turn your back on me, father and watch me burn you right beside her.”
I glance over at Poppy to see her pull on the scarf around her neck. There are angry bite marks peaking out around the edges. She shifts uncomfortably and places her hand over her throat.
“It’s not working,” I whisper.
“What?” Lady Florence asks.
“He’s tried to claim her, but he can’t. What is preventing him from taking a chosen mate?” I whisper.
“A mark won’t stick if she’s already claimed by someone else,” the King answers. “That or their mating wasn’t blessed. It was cursed.”
“That’s why they want Sophie back,” Ragnar concludes. “They’re trying to save him.”
Alpha Romano takes a seat. Some of the Lycans laugh at his expense, but there is very little he can do about it now. Or ever. Santiago’s eyes snap to me. The cruelty in them should surprise me. All the memories I once held onto so fondly turn on me. He used to look at me like that all the time. He was rough, but I never thought it was out of malice. I knew he would get carried away. I break eye contact, wanting nothing more than to forget those nights. I hear him growl lowly before he settles down.
“Are you good to continue?” the Judge asks.
“Yes,” he answers, and it even sounds polite. Judge Alexandria looks over at me. Her expression is sympathetic. “Good. Why don’t you tell me a little about your mating, Alpha Romano?”
“I met my mate, Sophia Helvig, on our first day of school at the New Artume Academy that was built after the Stadium Raids,” he answers.
“Did you know then that she was your mate?”
“Not cosmicly. But our connection was instant. She’s the most beautiful wolf I’ve ever seen,” he answers flatly.
“How long before you confirmed she was your mate?”
“Sixteen months and eight days after the first official encounter. I shifted, and the moment I saw her again, I knew?
“Did she?”
“She never shifted,” he says. “None of us knew she was a Lycan. None of her siblings showed signs of being one either, so assumed she was an omega. After a few full moons, we stopped waiting for her wolf to surface. It never bothered me that she was an omega. It still doesn’t. All that mattered to me was her happiness and safety
“Miss Helvig, did Alpha Romano ever discriminate against your rank after the two of you confirmed you were mated?‘ she
asks me.
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Chapter 117
“Not until I tried to leave, your honor, I answer honestly.
‘I would never,” he growls.
‘Do you have evidence to prove he did?”
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I do. It is the last FaceTime call we shared just before Beta Prince Malcolm showed up to finalise the rejection between us. If you turn to page sixteen in your binder. There is a QR code that will take you to the link of the screen recording that took place that night,” I inform her.
The courtroom flips through the pages of the binder to find what is required. The judge waves the vampire who protected Santiago from anyone trying to take a shot at him over to her. He approaches the bench and hands her a remote. A white screen is lowered, and the lights are dimmed.
I shut my eyes as the recording begins to play. When it’s over, the lights come back on, and the white screen disappears again. The embarrassment I feel is tingling in my hands along with my anger. I groan when I have to fight back my claws.
‘Deep breaths,” Lady Axel whispers. She places her hand over mine when the glasses of water around me begin to bubble. ‘Shh,” she coos and leans closer to me. “You’re okay.”
Would you like to explain this, Alpha Romano?” Judge Alexandria asks.
‘I was upset, your honor. I would never do anything to hurt Sophia. I love her. I was losing the only thing that ever mattered to me, and as you can see, she didn’t even care. Before that, I had shown up at her estate wanting to talk to her, but she was there in the arms of this fucking imbecile,” he motions to Ivar. “He wouldn’t let me see her. The moment he showed up in my city, she began acting differently.
‘Sophia knows that alcoholic beverages contain wolfsbane and that anything laced with wolfsbane is poisonous to omegas This asshole took her to a frat party and convinced her to drink and smoke. When I tried to tell her he was poisoning her, he attacked me.”
“That is false, your honor. The full video of that altercation is on page twenty–eight. The screenshots from the text messages and pictures that were sent by his wife afterward are also included.
Santiago growls frusteratedly. This time, the white screen is lowered, and she tells the vampire to leave it. The video of him trying to strangle me, and Ivar stepping in to get him off me, plays. The Lycans don’t like that in the slightest.
“Miss Helvig,” the Judge turns to look at me. “Was this the first time your mate assaulted you?”
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Chapter 118
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
