Chapter 38 Chapter 38
~ Brendan POV cont. ~
I kicked and screamed as I was dragged by guards against my will to the location of the tampered border. In my sight, I could see the Alpha and my parents awaiting for me to be interrogated.
“I didn’t do it!” I cried. “I would never betray my pack, I swear it!”
The guards didn’t listen and dropped me in front of the Alpha, who stood beside the now obvious gaping hole in the border, previously hidden with shadow magic itself. I searched my surroundings to see who else was witnessing this – a few members of the council, some high ranks of the pack and many guards.
Staying on my knees, I wept, “Alpha, please, it wasn’t me. I promise you, sir. I–”
“Quiet,” he snarled. Looking to my parents, the Alpha demanded answers, “Where was your boy around 2pm, three days ago?”
My mother had tears streaming down her face. I prayed she didn’t believe the lies being said about me.
When she couldn’t speak, my father chimmed in, “Our two boys are old enough that we trust them with independence. So we don’t always know where they are at a given time, but my son was raised right, he wouldn’t–”
“But it seems he did,” the Alpha growled, “all indicators point to him.” He turned to me, “Did you create this hole in the border?”
I shook my head, crying hysterically.
“Have you ever created a hole in our borders before?”
My mouth opened to speak, but no words came out. I was trembling so much I could almost hear my own bones rattle.
The Alpha’s eyes shifted in colour. He was holding back so much rage, and it was clear his wolf was breaking through because of it. “Were you at this location at the time I stated?”
Silence. No words were coming out, even when I tried, just whimpers and cries. I couldn’t lie to my Alpha or my parents, but if I told the truth, then I was essentially sealing my own death warrant. There was no way I would prove myself innocent.
“Were you here alone?” the Alpha face heated as he continued questioning.
I shook my head again. “No, sir.”
“Who was here with you?” His loud voice boomed in my ears.
“I was,” a voice in the distance called. Everyone turned to face the voice to see Hadeon walking towards us.
A huge sigh of relief washed over me. Finally, with my brother here, I had a witness to back me up that I didn’t commit this heinous crime. Thank the Goddess.
The Alpha stepped away from me and towards Hadeon. “And why should I believe what you have to say? You’re his brother, you could lie to protect him.”
“I could,” Hadeon crooned, “but I am also a member of your council, so you should trust me to be honest.”
He agrees and gestures forward for him to speak his truth to the public witnessing. “Very well. Were you here three days ago with your brother?”
“Yes.”
“Did you witness him forge an invisible hole in the border?”
Hadeon stayed silent for a moment, which only made my anxiety rise even more. He looked over to the clear hole in the wall and back to our Alpha. “No, sir, I didn’t. As you said, it was invisible. I wouldn’t have seen it if he did do it–”
I blinked. Was he insinuating that I could have done it?
“–but I know my brother, sir, he would never do such a thing to our pack. He is strong in many aspects, and his loyalty is one of them.”
I smiled weakly, thankful that there was someone in my corner.
“If I may suggest, sir,” Hadeon spoke slowly, “if you truly want to know if he did it or not, then we all know what needs to be done.” He looked over to me and gave me a reassuring smile and nod.
Pushing myself to my feet, I stood tall and clenched my fists to hide my quivering body as I waited for further instructions.
The Alpha sighed, “Come forward.”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I stepped towards him.
“You understand your powers well, don’t you, young one?”
I nodded.
“Then you understand that when you manipulate the shadows to heed your command, it leaves a trace of your essence, yes?” I nodded once more. “Use your words, boy. What happens after an essence of you is left? Why is this beneficial in circumstances like this?”
“Yes, sir, sorry, sir,” I inhaled slowly. “The essence left means that the shadows will gravitate to the one who cast the magic, like they have trust in their companion. It also means that in circumstances where someone has used magic for wrongdoings, it can be easily traced back to them.”
Nodding, pleased with my answer, the Alpha looked at my parents. “You should be proud of the training you’ve bestowed on your boy. Let’s hope he’s not wasted his greatness.”
Mum sobbed and slapped her hand over her mouth to muffle her painful cries. Dad held her close, comforting her.
“You know what you have to do, youngling. Do you understand what will happen if you are found guilty?”
“Yes, sir,” I exhaled, “but I know I’m innocent and I’m willing to do what it takes to prove it.” I stepped over to the opening, kneeling beside it and raising my hand, but halting. That same horrible feeling brewed within me; my wolf instincts were trying to tell me something, but I couldn’t tap into the power enough to understand.
During my hesitation, my gaze moved up towards my family. My parents looked scared for my life, but my brother looked oddly calm, like he knew I was innocent. Slowly, he pushed his chin forward, encouraging me to do what I had to do.
His confidence in me gave me strength. Holding my breath, I turned back to the hole in the barrier and moved my hands closer to the shadows. I had no reason to be nervous; there was no way in hell the shadows would–
Everyone surrounding us gasped as strings of the shadows bounced away from the barrier and swirled around my hand and forearm.
My eyes widened in full disbelief that this was happening to me. I stumbled back and fell on my rear. “No, this is impossible,” I scurried to turn around on my knees, pressing my palms on the ground, ready to beg for my life. “Alpha, please, I’m–”
He grabbed me by the throat and lifted me in the air, blocking my airways.
One thing people forget about the Alpha of Nighttide, he’s merciless. His pride in my training the past year was not enough to forgive the treachery I had apparently committed.
“P-Please…” I choked out.
My mother cried, “Please, let him go!”
“My love, please, stop, you’ll have us all killed,” said my father, holding her back.
The few people of Nighttide who stood and watched started yelling and growling horrid things towards me.
“Monster!”
“How could you do this to us?!”
“Backstabber!”
Then one man stood forward, firing his words out with great rage. “He probably was the one who aided those who murdered that family in the Moonstone pack, too! There was no trace of those intruders entering or leaving the pack, like they were shielded by powerful magic.”
The timelines added up, but Hadeon swore to me he didn’t have anything to do with it. I felt his truth…
The Alpha dropped me, and I coughed and gasped for air. My vision had blurred; I was so close to blacking out, but it was clear enough for me to see the disgust on everyone’s face. I looked to my family, my mother in pain, my father shocked and disappointed and my brother… he looked at me in a way I had never seen him look at me before. It was pure hatred.
“I swear it…” I wheezed, “I didn’t do this. I’m being framed.”
“There is no way to frame your own powers being used,” said the Alpha. His tone had shifted from anger to disappointment. I had disappointed everyone who was ever important to me, and I wasn’t even to blame. “You know the law,” he added.
My mouth went dry, and my heart sank to my stomach. I was ready to vomit there and then. My life was about to be cut short, and I hadn’t even truly lived yet.
“No!” my mother shrieked. “He’s a child!”
“Keep her quiet for the boys’ sentencing,” the Alpha demanded. He towered over me. I sat back on my heels and looked up at him, tears streaming down my face.
Annoyed that no one was listening, I could feel the shadows try to comfort me. Yet, the issue was that shadows are masters of concealment; they’re the best place to hide your deepest secrets and your darkest feelings, and sometimes they even enhance those dark feelings. And I was furious. It took everything in me to keep those emotions from spilling out and making everything worse.
I snarled, “I did NOT do this.”
He shook his head, “The smoke of the shadows dances around your arm as if they’re so familiar with you. That you cannot hide.” Closing his eyes for a moment, he sighed and straightened himself before looking at me once more. “Brendan Aetos, son of the Beta, I hereby banish you from the Nighttide pack.”