Chapter 215 - Outrageous

Chapter 215 - Outrageous
Amaia's POV
It's been two weeks since that fateful night. Barrett was still in the hospital, but he seemed like he was slowly recovering. I visited him every day, holding onto hope as he regained consciousness bit by bit.
Anthony managed to arrange a trial for Harrison in the immortal world—which would happen soon—and Peter was stripped of his immortality. Mother Moon had banished him herself, and her Beta cast him out of the immortal world. He is now wandering the earth somewhere in the unknown.
My gaze fell on the trees we were passing by. We were on our way to the courthouse in a nearby city for Darna and Lillian's hearing. As we drove, the weight of uncertainty hung in the air, mingling with the rustling leaves outside. The silence in the car was palpable, broken only by the occasional chirp of birds and the faint hum of the engine.
Anthony was driving; his focus was on the road, while his mind seemed to be wandering to the task at hand. I could see in the rearview mirror how his face hardened with every mile. He seemed ready for today's trail.
The forest made space for tall buildings and long boring roads. We were almost there—just a few more minutes. As the trees thinned out and the path opened up, I felt a mix of determination and dread about what lay beyond the next bend.
My mind wandered off to Harrison. He was awaiting his trial and was a model prisoner in Roland's dungeons. I have spent hours with him. I listened, and occasionally I just watched through his eyes. What Serena had done to him and Onyx was unforgivable. We were slowly trying to mend our relationship, but it would take time—months, maybe even years—to get back that respect and trust.
However, we had hope, and that was all that mattered.
"Will you ever forgive me?" Harrison asked at one of our meetings. "I was blind. I should have listened and trusted you."
I carefully reached out and placed my hand on his.
"I've already," I said. "And I'm not saying that because you are my brother, but because I really mean it."
We talked some more—the air around us was becoming more and more breathable.
"My biggest wish is to apologize to Mother Moon," he revealed before I left this morning. "I miss her. I miss her touch. Her smile. Even the way she looked at us with so much love. I wish I could tell her how sorry I am."
"I am pretty sure you'll have your chance to tell her one day," I said, before I left him in his cell.
Anthony slowed the vehicle, bringing me back to my present. He found parking, stopped, and quickly opened the passenger door for me.
I growled under my breath when a group of reporters rushed closer. Flashes flickered around us as they took photos, my ears ringing with all their questions.
Anthony gave me a concerned look, then smiled. He was enjoying my predicament.
"I did warn you, Luna," he said. "You should have allowed the guard to escort and protect you against these savages."
I rolled my eyes at him.
Despite Roland's advice, I had no choice but to allow Darna and Lillian their public hearing. Everyone needed to be aware of the connections between their crimes and other packs.
But when Anthony suggested I bring my guard to the hearing, I had to decline.
"It's just annoying," I hissed, making him chuckle as if it were the funniest thing in the world.
Someone had managed to involve the media in the hearing, and I knew who it was—Luna Grace. She wasn't a threat to me, just a small little thorn that was irritating. I could already imagine the headlines she would craft, twisting the narrative to suit her agenda. While I brushed off her antics, I couldn’t shake the feeling that her meddling would complicate things far beyond mere annoyance.
"Remind me to send Charles to visit Luna Grace," I said. "I'm done playing her silly games."
Anthony stopped chuckling and nodded, his eyes wide. I guess he must have heard the seriousness in my voice.
I crossed my arms around my chest and gestured for him to show the way, and I followed him to the entrance of the building.
Once inside, we were advised that the hearing had moved to a different room.
"Why?" Anthony asked the clerk at reception.
"Beta," she said. "The venue changes were made because of all the people wanting to attend the hearing."
Again, Luna Grace had intervened in the arrangements—however, this might be a good thing.
I raised my gaze and found Anthony's. "Just accept it," I mindlinked. "It's totally fine."
He nodded and thanked the girl before heading down the never-ending hallway to the new courtroom.
"Are you ready, Luna?" he asked once we reached the door.
I gave him a quick nod, and he opened the door for me.
My eyes widened, seeing how huge the room was and how many people were already seated and waiting for the proceedings to begin.
Why were they all here?
My so-called family was already sitting and waiting at their table. Darna turned her head as soon as she heard the door open. She saw me, rolled her eyes, and returned her gaze back to the front.
Lillian narrowed her eyes at her mother's behavior. She glanced back, saw me, and her expression turned from curiosity to disgust.
"You have gone through worse things than a court hearing," Rieka mused. "You've got this. I believe in you!"
Rieka was right.
I ignored them, raised my chin, and headed to the prosecution table—soon I will have my everlasting revenge.
I found Roland sitting in the first row behind the prosecutor's desk. He grabbed my hand and gave it a little squeeze. "You've got this!" he whispered.
"All rise!" A court officer called, and an old judge in his late sixties entered.
I took a whiff of his scent, noticing that he was human. I turned my head toward Roland, and a small smile tickled on his lips.
"Defendants," the judge said calmly. "How do you plead?"
"Not guilty, your honor," Darna said. She couldn't get an attorney to defend her—no one wanted to help her.
Even Alpha Goodman ordered his daughter, Grace, not to get involved.
"Seems like all Darna's friends ran away," Rieka mused.
The judge turned to our table, and Charles got to his feet.
"We have evidence," he said, and Anthony rose to his feet and carried a box to the front.
"Please tell the court what you are submitting," he said, startled as he looked at the box.
"We are submitting evidence of fraud, unauthorized use of pack funds, kidnapping..."
The judge visibly flinched but recovered quickly.
"Is that all?" the judge asked.
"No, your honor," he replied. "Apart from that, we are submitting proof of murder, bribery, audio recordings, photos, and..."
As soon as the words left Charles's lips, Darna's eyes widened, and Lillian leaped to her feet.
"This is outrageous!" she yelled.
The judge gestured to the court officer, and he immediately forced Lillian to sit down.
"Please proceed," the judge said.
"We have included witnesses' statements, forensic reports, and medical reports...."