King Bailey POV
"I don't understand, what is this leniency that you are showing in regards to Alpha Jaxon's sentence. It's unheard of" I snarled to the elders who shot each other glances, silently communicating with each other.
"King Bailey, we understand your desire to keep your mate safe and to take her side, but please, you must realize we are held to the standards of the laws we provide" Elder James argued back, as my face went stony "and it's our prerogative in how we see fit to punish somebody."
"Perhaps, but as King, I too have a role to play and right now you are superseding mine" My voice brooked no arguments "What exactly was your purpose in coming here? I find it difficult to believe that it was simply this farce you call a trial" I added, eyeing all of them.
"We are simply pursuing our options and taking note of extra precautions that we may need to implement when it comes to the sirens," one elder said seriously.
"The sirens? The sirens have done nothing wrong. It is him that you should be concerned about, not innocent lives and a race that has not sought to harm any of us intentionally" I growled in frustration unable to understand their logic or rationale.
"We simply want to do research" another elder sighed "to learn what makes their DNA so different from our own, what makes them able to use such a power and perhaps even find a way to subdue it for our safety. You act as though we are doing something truly monstrous" he added with a shake of his head "when all we are doing is trying to ensure the survival of our species and eliminate a potential future threat that could prove detrimental to our species."
"You are envisioning a future that is not going to occur" I yelled, losing my temper and startling them all "It's almost as though you are looking for an excuse to harm them. This is not the way to form a relationship with the sirens. It is not the way to forge a way forward with understanding and friendship."
"If we don't discover a way to deem them less of a threat, we would be putting the shifter's future as a race in danger."
"So you would harm somebody, simply because of what might happen?" my voice was incredulous as I stared them down "Has the shifter race turned so pitiful that it fears a race because of what it might do to them? Have we become so weak, so pathetic that you seek to destroy and harm a race to ensure that it won't hurt us first?" I demanded, "since when have we become such cowards" my voice dripped with resentment and anger "Since when did you, the elders become such cowards" I added scathingly.
"Mind your tongue" an elder hissed, drawing himself up straight "You know nothing of what we speak. We have long kept our eyes on different races and the harm they could pose to us if they were given any leeway to get out of control. We have studied, researched, and yes, intervened when it's been deemed necessary" he said haughtily "Because the survival of the shifters is more vital than any other race" his lip twisted "Even lycans, does that offend you King Bailey?" he asked with sarcasm and a hint of a challenge.
"I find you to be repulsive" the words shot out of me, my lycan coming to the fore, my eyes darkening, the elders shifting on their feet, uncomfortable now as my rage began to grow and my lycan tried to overtake my mind in anger "and I find what you are suggesting to be disgusting. The sirens are under my protection" I snapped, towering over them all, unable to keep my tongue silent a minute longer "Mine and the Luna Queens. If you want to get near them, you'll have to go through me" I warned, my tone dark and threatening.
I could see Alpha Jaxon being escorted outside the room. I paid no attention, my chest heaving, my eyes glaring at the elders who were glancing between each other.
"You are only King so long as nobody challenges you for that position" an elder cut in unexpectedly, sounding tightly amused "or as long as you remain the victor. It's been a long time until you have been challenged King Bailey" he dipped his head as my eyes bore into his "but that doesn't mean you can't be defeated and your title can't be stolen off of you. Do you think that you are invincible?" his lips curled as I clenched my hands into fists "that nobody can beat your strength and your power? You are standing dangerously close to the edge of a ledge right now. I advise you to stop this foolish nonsense before you go too far" he warned.
"Are you threatening me" I growled, unable to believe my ears "Because I won't tolerate your blatant disregard for me or what I and my Luna Queen have decided when it comes to her race? Is this your way of trying to keep me in line?" I frowned, my lips flattening "As threats go, you could be right. It's true my position relies solely on the fact I am the strongest and most powerful, but it also comes down to loyalty and the ability to form relationships between packs and Alphas. I have never been the bloodthirsty, cold-blooded kind of king you have always wanted, and that frustrates you" I snarled "because I don't bend to your will and I don't accede to your wishes. I'm not some blind subservient that will let you do what you want and damn the consequences" I roared as they jumped "And so help me god, I won't let you lay a goddamn hand on me or my mate" I vowed, claws beginning to grow at the end of my nails as my lycan urged me to continue shifting, to show the elders exactly what I was capable of. To show them who was King and why.
"I think that this is becoming a little too fraught with emotion" Elder Michael hastily interrupted as I glared at them all, debating the wisdom of what would happen if I were to attack an elder, the struggle to do so, so tempting that it was making me shiver violently in anticipation "and perhaps we should disperse for a bit and allow King Bailey and ourselves" he added hastily "to calm down and perhaps have another discussion when we are all composed?" he suggested.
"Where is Alpha Jaxon?" I asked, turning my head to see him gone "What was his sentence to be?"
"Alpha Jaxon is to be freed under our supervision, and will be accompanying us back to our pack," Elder James said smugly "he will be kept under watch until such time as we leave."
"That was not your decision to make" My voice was ice cold "you overstep your bounds."
"It is the decision of all of us elders."
It would be so easy to swipe and take off their heads, I mused, biting my lip. One swipe and just like that, one or two of them would be dead before they so much as moved. I gave a low growl of exasperation, wanting this group far away from me before I let my lycan loose. I suspected if I allowed my lycan to take over that I might not be able to shift back to human form for a long time, I was growing that angry and that furious. I could barely stand I was so incensed with them all. I didn't blame Riley for practically running from the room earlier. If I'd had any sense I would have done the same. Instead, my eyes blazed as I glared at them all.
"Get out" I spat, unable to stand being near any of them a minute longer "Now. Leave this room and make sure that Jaxon does not go near my mate."
"He's hardly going to be that stupid" one elder dared to say and I lost it.
I lost control of the temper I had been trying to keep under wraps for so long. It finally let loose.
"OUT" I roared, causing them to stagger backwards in alarm "NOW. If he lays a finger on my mate, I will kill him, so help me god. Then you. I don't want to lay eyes on any of you unless it's to tell me you've killed the bastard" I insisted heatedly as they began to carefully walk towards the doorway "and you better pray that my mate is able to keep herself under control because if she decides she's going to invoke her own punishment on Jaxon, I'm not going to stop her" I warned in a dangerous tone "in fact, I might even help her."
They looked mutinous but moved obligingly out of the room. I breathed shallowly, waiting until the very last of the elders had gone out, and then slammed the door so hard it came off its hinges, unable to hold back my anger anymore. I cursed, feeling like I wanted to punch or kill someone. I closed my eyes trying to calm down, but it was futile. I couldn't be near Riley right now, not in this mood. It was too dangerous, not to mention she was pregnant, something the elders thankfully didn't dare mention in front of me, hopefully, because they had no notion of the fact. I rubbed a hand across my forehead and then shifted, leaping through the window and breaking it, heading for the forest blindly. If I didn't get some fresh air and feel the dirt beneath my feet, I might be even more of a danger to my mate than I already was. I began to run, so fast I was practically a blur, ignoring the astonished looks on people's faces as I passed them. It was a very long time until I felt in control enough to return back to my pack, thankfully able to shift back to human form as my Lycan finally calmed to a point that allowed us to control our emotions once more.