Chapter 45 Not guilty
~ Taren's POV ~
I had been here for days, yet I had never felt as worried and restless as I did tonight. The weight of what awaited me pressed heavily on my chest. The trial would take place tomorrow, and I had no idea what my fate would be once the words were spoken and judgment was passed. I had tried repeatedly to tell myself to stay calm, reminding myself that worry would not change the outcome in any way, but my mind refused to listen. No matter how hard I tried, the unease only deepened.
Eventually, I shifted my thoughts away from myself and toward Lyra. The moment her name surfaced in my mind, her beautiful face followed, vivid and painfully real. A small, unintentional smile tugged at my lips as I pictured her. I wondered what she was doing at that very moment. I wondered if she was asleep or lying awake just like I was. I wondered if she was still thinking about me, or if she even knew that the trial would take place tomorrow.
I wished with everything in me that I could tell her how much I loved her, how much she meant to me and to the entire world as I knew it. I wished I could see her face again, feel her hands in mine, and maybe, just maybe, have the chance to kiss her lips.
The sudden opening of the entrance door sliced through my thoughts and brought them to an abrupt halt. Instead of annoyance, curiosity rose within me. It was late, far too late for a visit. I wondered who would come to see a prisoner at such an hour.
The shock and confusion on my face was obvious when I realized that the visitor was none other than Kaitlyn. At that hour, I had expected everyone in the pack house to be asleep, everyone except the guards on duty.
“Hey. How are you holding up?” she asked softly when she stopped in front of my cell. Her voice was barely above a whisper, and her face carried no clear expression that I could read.
“Better than my ancestors, thank the goddess,” I replied, forcing a smile that did not come from any real joy in my heart. “It’s late. You should be sleeping. What are you doing out here at this time?” I asked, unable to stop myself.
“I could not sleep,” she said, and as she spoke, she began fumbling with the sleeve of her pajamas, trying to roll it up. The action immediately struck me as strange and out of character for her. “I was just thinking about you and the trial tomorrow,” she continued, her voice steady. By then, she had rolled her sleeve up completely, and that was when I saw it.
There were words written on her arm.
Confusion washed over me, but I leaned closer and read them carefully. “DENY ALL THE ALLEGATIONS TOMORROW. EVERYTHING. YOUR ONLY JOB WAS TO FEED THE PRISONER AND THAT WAS ALL YOU DID. THE PAPER ALPHA CAUGHT YOU WITH WAS A PAGE OF A BOOK YOU WERE READING, WHICH YOU THOUGHT WOULD HELP CHEER THE PRISONER UP.”
My eyes flew up to her face in shock and silent question after I finished reading. I forced my mouth to remain shut, instinctively knowing that this was not something meant to be spoken aloud.
“I hope you come out of this unscathed,” she continued, her voice carrying a pain she clearly tried to hide. As she spoke, she rolled the sleeve back down and rolled up the other one.
“ALPHA’S ORDER,” the words on her other arm read.
I swallowed hard and nodded slowly, even though I did not fully understand what was happening. Still, since the message came through Kaitlyn, I knew it had to be legitimate.
“I sure hope so too,” I said, letting out a weak, halfhearted laugh. “This will be my first trial, so I don't know what to expect.”
She rolled her sleeve back down. “I will be rooting for you. Stay strong.”
“I will,” I nodded in response.
She smiled at me, reached through the space between the iron bars, and squeezed my hand briefly before turning and walking away.
Sleep refused to come easily after that, but eventually it claimed me. I barely had time to register its comfort before morning arrived. The sound of metal banging against the rods jolted me awake as a guard announced that it was time for the trial.
He cuffed my hands and led me forward, guiding me toward the place where my fate would be decided. Each step felt heavier than the last as we approached the trial ground.
We were almost there when Elder Cross passed by us. He did not slow down, nor did he hide the snarl and scowl he threw in my direction.
“It is always the ones who go about announcing and bragging about their loyalty,” he said with contempt. “Who knew you would become sloppy and fall so soon?” He spat the words before walking ahead.
For a brief moment, I wondered what I had ever done to earn his hatred.
The trial ground was not as crowded as it would have been for an execution, but everyone who mattered in Ironfang was present. Their judgmental eyes bore into me from every direction, heavy with suspicion and expectation.
My gaze settled on Alpha Kael. Questions churned violently in my mind. Why had he sent such a message to me the night before? What exactly was going on? I wished desperately for an explanation, anything that would help make sense of the confusion tightening around me.
His face was completely unreadable as his eyes landed on me. As always, I could not decipher anything from his expression. I bowed as protocol demanded, then looked away so my actions would not be mistaken for a challenge.
“Let the trial begin. Bring the accused forward,” the judge announced.
I was led ahead until I stood before them all.
“Taren Wallace,” the judge said, his voice echoing across the grounds. “You have been accused of high treason against your alpha, and of providing access to forbidden magic to a prisoner held under pack law, against your alpha’s direct order. How do you plead?”
I forced myself to look at no one but the judge.
“I deny both,” I said clearly. “I am not guilty of any of the accusations just stated.”