Chapter 83: The Elder’s land

Chapter 83: The Elder’s land
It was already early morning when we left Damon’s pack together with all the White Moon’s warriors, Damon, Logan, Tanner, Trent, and Zen, leaving in The Opal pack James and Wyatt as well as Mandy, Annie, and Lizzy, who I must say protested a lot.
I was currently riding on my mates wolf, followed closely by Azrael and the warriors as well as our friends.
Damon chose to go in his dragon form together with Zen, to keep an eye out from above the sky.
I would have felt cold if it wasn't for the warmth that was engulfing me, coming from Marcus. His soft, dark fur was like a cloud, inviting me to snuggle closer, making my arms stretch as far as it was possible, wrapping around his strong neck.
Holding tight as we were rushing fast through the forest. I could barely see anything around us from the speed we were going forward on.
My heart was thumping loudly in my chest, feeling nervous and anxious closer we were to the Elder's lands.
I knew what we needed to do and why we were doing this, but deep in me, there was some nagging feeling I couldn't shake away. The feeling like something is about to happen but I didn't know what.
After our long journey as the time has passed and already it was later afternoon, I could see a border that surrounded the Elder lands.
Slowing down, Marcus turned his head towards the warriors, silently saying something that I couldn’t hear as they were using their mind link, obviously, I saw the warriors following after Azrael as they moved away and hid so fast that I blinked a few times and couldn’t see the way they went.
Marcus turned back as we started to walk closer to the border, followed by Logan, Trent, and Tanner. Reaching the border as we stood still, waiting as we watched the warriors on patrol on the Elder’s land, approach us.
Marcus leaned down, letting me safely get off, and soon as I was standing on the ground, I could hear the cracking of his bones as he shifted.
Reaching for my backpack, I searched for his clothes that earlier that day I folded and placed in my backpack as I gave them to him so he can dress.
While the warriors on patrol kept an eye on us, waiting for I didn’t know who they called for, we stood there, side by side, waiting patiently in silence until finally, we could see Elder Attard, followed by Tyson and a group of warriors, slowly walking towards us.
I saw Tyson’s eyes as they looked my way, darkening when they landed on my neck, seeing my mating mark.
"Well…well…well, who we got here? Are my eyes deceiving me or aren't this the two fugitives that ran away, escaping from our lands?" Elder Attard said the moment they came closer to the border.
“You son of a bitch!” Tyson said, looking at Marcus with pure rage, flashing from his eyes as his words were filled with menace and venom.
“Now…now, Tyson, let us find out what brought them back.” Elder Attard said, flashing a big smile as his eyebrow arched in question.
Marcus successfully ignored Tyson as he kept his focus solemnly on Elder Attard, and said, “We will not speak here. I am requesting for all the members of the court to join and participate in our meeting.”
Elder Attard looked surprised for a moment, “From what I could see and sense, you two have broken the main Law, completing your mating bond. I don’t know if you two are just foolish or stupid enough, coming back here and now requesting for such matter.” He said.
"You do realize no matter if you have completed your mating, you are to be punished for your deeds, so that being said, I am granting your request for the court to assemble in which your trial will continue. What you both have done only complicated things for the both of you a little more, but let us rather continue this inside the courtroom. Guards! Take them with us!" Elder Attard ordered his guards, making them walk towards us, about to reach us.
Marcus pushed me behind him, as his stand was warning the guards not to come closer, but the gasp that left Elder Attard stopped the guards as their eyes widened making me look behind us.
Azrael stood tall, with his warriors close behind him, he approaches closer, not stopping until he was right by Marcus side.
Elders Attard's eyes were wide, going from Marcus and Azrael, mouth opened as he tried to piece what he was seeing, together.
“I am sure you are very well familiar with who this is," Marcus said calmly, looking at Elder Attard as he pointed to Azrael.
I could see the elder swallowing thickly as his eyes never left Azrael.
Azrael showed no emotion, standing quietly, looking intensely at the Elder.
He took a step forward as the Elders guards unconsciously took a step backward.
Coming closer to the frozen Elder Attard, Azrael stood an inch away from him and said, "I don't think me nor my warriors need an invitation to see the court ourselves as rest assure that WE are also attending, and if you try…" he looked over all the guards, resting his eyes at the end solemnly on Elder Attard as he continues on, "if any of you try to grab or touch at Marcus or Olivia, I will not hesitate to tear your arms and legs apart."
Hearing Azrael’s words, Elder Attard swallowed tickly as he nodded his head.
“Follow me.” The Elder said to us all, and we did as he asked, following him towards the big Elders castle.
The guards kept their eyes on us, glancing towards the ancient warriors whose growls sounded now and then, and warning everyone that they are ready for anything.
Coming closer to the grand castle, we walked through the main gates, entering the large entrance room, following closely behind Elder Attard as he instructed the two warriors to open the all too familiar double doors.
The door opened, letting us walkthrough, I could see the familiar Elder's courtroom, filled with their members as they watched us approach in silence.
Azrael left his warriors outside the castle as he himself was walking by my side, following in silence with every step Marcus and I would take.
Logan, Tanner, and Trent followed behind us, and for Damon and Zen I had no idea where they were, but I knew that they were nearby, probably watching over us from a distance.
The Elders noticed Azrael, and I could see it clearly in their eyes the moment they figured out who he is.
Their squirming in their seats didn't go unnoticed, but I didn't care as I had a goal to do and the determination for this all to finish was more than enough for me to get me going.
Tyson was raging, silently, watching at Marcus while Samantha had her eyes, watching at me.
I didn’t care what she thought, all I cared about is to do the right thing and get this all over with.
Approaching the middle of the courtroom, Elder Attard walked ahead to his seat, speaking to the other members, "Dear fellow members of the Elder’s court. Our two fugitives have returned to us and as you can all see, they have broken the Law, completing and accepting their mating.”
The fuss was heard, coming from the Elders, hearing Elder Attard's words. Their eyes looked over at Marcus and me, making me step out from the safety bubble I was in, in between Marcus and Azrael, and to speak to the court, "I would like to have a word with you all."
Everyone stopped fussing, some even whispering as they all looked over at me, silently waiting for me to continue.
"You must be aware that the Law is wrong and what you are forcing upon every shifter who has found his or her mate, to reject their bond, it is wrong and needs to change. No one should take such rights to pick for us who should be our mate and who to accept or to reject. We were given all a precious gift of our soulmate bond, the only one person who completes us perfectly. Why should we continue on with such an absurd Law that is even upsetting the one that is our very own creator?” I said, feeling determent, keeping my voice loud and strong.
“The Law is created to keep the peace in our world. We would have all be dead if the Law was not created to mend all sides, you know that.” One of the Elders spoke to me, making me shake my head.
"The peace would happen anyway, one way or another. It was not for us to grant ourselves the rights to decide such an important matter! We shouldn't be the ones to control what fate, what the Goddess has set for us. Who she chose for us to be with!" I said.
There was silence as they listen to my words, until one other Elder spoke, “The Goddess left us long ago to care for ourselves and was ignoring the prayers of her people in the great times of need. The Law is protecting everyone for such disasters to happen ever again…”
I walked over, closer to the Elder, feeling annoyed as those stubborn old fools didn’t wish to listen.
The Elder stopped talking, seeing me coming closer, confusion written in his eyes as the guards made a movement but were stopped by the warning growls, coming from my mate and Azrael.
"Tell them all to hold their hands," Jessabelle said to me.
Looking directly in the eyes of every Elder, I said, “Please everyone hold hands with each other.”
Some snorts were heard as they heard my strange request, but thankfully there were a few who listened and did as I asked, curious to see why a need for such a strange request.
Soon as everyone was holding hands, I placed my palm on the arm of an Elder that was speaking a moment ago.
The eyes of the Elders started to glow with white light, gasps leaving their mouths as I patiently waited for them to hear and see the Goddess themselves.
I could hear and see what each of them saw, the Goddess speaking to them the same way she spoke with me and her warriors.
The moment she finished speaking to them, the light in their eyes vanished, making a few of them to blink their eyes, looking over at me wide-eyed.
“T-the Goddess…” one of the Elders said as I calmly observed, looking over them all.
Shaking out from their shocked filled state, the Elders started to speak with each other, making a loud commotion fill the room with their voices as some spoke at the same time, ones standing up and speaking, some sitting and speaking. It was a ruckus.
“You all saw and heard the Goddess speak to us. You were all there!” One Elder spoke, standing up from his seat as he leaned towards the other one who was sitting down.
"Now she cares? After all this time that passed, we are supposed to just throw away the one thing that gave us all peace and to live normal? That is preposterous!" the one sitting down said.
Elders were going at each other, divided as some were standing on our side to take down the Law while the others were more hesitant in doing that.
Tyson walked towards the Elders, looking over at me as he spoke loudly, "Don't let them deceive your minds. That must have been some trick that they are using to get away with what they did, and we all know they have intentionally violated the Law and your trust as they went further on and claimed each other." Walking closer towards me, a growl so fierce stopped him, making him look at Marcus who had his eyes narrowed as they followed Tyson's movements.
Tyson looked at me for a moment, and I could see something flickered in his eyes but I couldn't make out what it was, when he turned to Elders and said, "Gentlemen, do not let them fool you with such weak tricks. If we listen to them, just imagine what will happen to every shifter who obeyed the Law. There will be another war."
“What do you suggest?” Elder asked Tyson who turned his head towards him, looking over every member as he answered, “There is one way.”
The Elders leaned closer, waiting as one asked, “What way do you suggest?”
Tyson turned away from the Elders, looking directly at Marcus as he said, “To prevent a bigger disaster, I ask of you to stand by me and fight against the smaller disaster and let this end here and now, protecting the Law as it should be done.”