ZEDKIEL.
The day of the final few trials has arrived and those with the heaviest crimes will stand to hear their judgement today.
The last few days have weighed heavily on Evangeline. It has taken longer as more people than we initially assumed had ended up playing a part in the crimes committed against the Pack and Kingdom.
Some were stripped of rank, others exiled, and some were imprisoned. However, today Danciana, Maryka, Draven, Drystan, and a few of the council members will have their crimes publicly stated, and given the correct punishments that they deserve.
Maryka⦠She had been the one to kill our father.
Ragnar had been ready to kill her himself but had to be restrained.
It had shaken Chasyn to the core. Yes, it had been glaringly obvious that she did play a huge part but the extent of her part in all of this was huge.
She had been planning it with the traitors of the Night Shade Pack for months, and when she had figured out Jeremiahâs plan after Chasyn had refused to fight for the throne the way she wanted, she had turned her attention to try to win Jeremiah over to her side to devise her plan and had succeeded.
After all, both had similar intentions, and she had ultimately been behind the murder of Vienna Lendorn.
Ragnar had already told us what part she had to play in all of this and what they witnessed upon return, but when we heard the phone recording of her gloating about killing our father, it had hit differently.
Hearing the satisfaction and happiness in her voice as she spoke to someone in the Night Shade Pack, about how the king was going to die soon enough and be thrown out like trash, had only increased the hatred and rage within many of us.
It was the first time I had seen Chasyn this angry, and he had partially shifted, smashing the table that had been in front of us.
âAre you ready?â I ask Evangeline as I step into the walk-in closet. Iâm ready myself all in black and I can tell sheâs almost ready to go as well and looks absolutely gorgeous.
Sheâs wearing black pants that hug her sexy a*s and a satin cream corset. My gaze falls to the three claw marks that cover her shoulder and a sharp sting of pain rushes through me.
They will always remain⦠I still remember his thoughts of hatred and malice as he ripped through her shoulder.
I will always be a part of you! I will always be remembered! I will leave my mark!â
I walk over to her as she slips her arm into her jacket and I help her, seeing the way she hesitates before raising her arm.
She gasps, looking up at me before a beautiful smile graces her lips.
âThank you.â She says, âIâm alright.â
Even if you arenât, you would still say you are.â I murmur, kissing her neck. She sighs, leaning into me and I suck on the skin, rewarded by a m**n.
The thirst for her b***d has only risen since Iâm now a full vampire and the slight tastes I have had of her here and there, only makes me crazier. She is an addiction in every way..
âAnd unless we get moving now, I wonât be able to let you go.â I growl into her ear, making her chuckle.
âYes⦠tonight Iâm yours.â She says, looking up at me seriously.
Thereâs a glimmer of sadness in her eyes, one that remains most of the time. SheâÅ¡ still beating herself up over our child.
âCome.â I say, kissing her lips once before I take my queenâs hand and lead her from the room..
EVANGELINE.
âI sentence you to life in prison, with no chance of being pardoned.â I say, looking at Jasper Huntington, he is no longer the alpha of the Wolf Arrow pack.
He and Darvin Flint of the Moonshine pack were both traitors, along with Jasperâs son Octavius.
Three of the council members, Philip, Franco and Cole, were also sentenced to life in imprisonment.
There were three minor court members who were given several years each, but therI crimes were not as severe as the rest.
I am begging to be pardonedâ Jasper hisses.
He is not begging, simply trying to control his hatred and anger.
âYou cannot even beg with humbleness,â I reply dangerously âTake him away!â
The guards immediately remove the two and Zedkiel, who is sitting on the öther throne, places his hand over mine.
Only Danciana, Maryka, and the twins are left to be sentenced.
I glance around the room. All the other allied pack Alphas are here, their betas, beta Jason who will be replaced by Kash in a few months is also here as is his entire family. Despite his mate being from Godricâs pack, she had no involvement with them.
There are at least one hundred other people here and a handful of vampires.
The Vilkas brothers are here sitting front row with their mates as well as Evelyn and Ziahra.
âBring them in.â Zedkiel says, his eyes glimmering red.
Thereâs a change in them, the eyes of a vampire, not those of a Lycan. For a fleeting moment, I place my other hand on top of his before the door opens and the four are escorted in, each chained heavily.
Both women are gagged, obviously, they didnât want to make this easier for anyone.
âThey deserve the strictest of punishmentsâ Luna growls, her anger towards the woman burns strongly.
I donât respond, as the four are forced to their knees Dıystanâs head hangs in humiliation, but he other three hold their heads high.
âUngag themâI say icily.
âAnd kill themâ Ragnar snarls, making Evelyn chuckle in agreement.
âMaybe we can have a show of itâ she says, tilting her head âOne finger at a time, and then inch by inchâ
She receives a few looks, but sheâs far too unbothered to care.
Maryka glares venomously at her.
âWhoever you are, you should know who l am!
Chasyn will never let-
âYou are nothing to me!â Chasyn thunders as he stand a up, his chair knocked backwards as his claws come out digging into the wooden stand that cordons the spectators away from the criminals.
âChasyn â her shock is obvious on her face. Itâs clear she thought that the bond and his love for her would be enough to blind him to the truth.
How delusional.
âYou have no right to call me by my name. I Chasyn Vilkas, reject you as my mate and Luna!â
He snarls, and she gasps, clutching her chest as she hunches over.
âI-I will never- ac-acceptâ¦â She whimpers, but thereâs no sympathy in me for the killer before me.
âYou should help her accept the rejection Evangeline.â Evelyn says, glancing up at me for a second before returning to admiring her nails. The moment she had a chance she had gone to get them done, nice, long and scarily sharp.
I look at Chasyn, wondering if he wanted to actually reject her or if it was his emotions speaking.
âPlease command her, as mine will not work to the same extent that yours will. I want nothing to do with her.â Chasyn says, his eyes burning red with rage as he glares at the woman he once looked upon with respect and love.
Display your powers beautiful, show our audience whoâs the queen.â Zedkiel says through the mind link.
I think I will.
âYou will accept his rejection, Maryka.â I say calmly, yet thereâs an absolute command in my voice. My power emanates through the room.
Her eyes fly open, glaring at me before she begins shaking.
âI, Maryka Vilkas. accept your rejection.â She mutters, unable to refuse my command.
Both double over as Maryka falls forward, pressing her forehead to the floor and lets out a bloodcurdling scream of agony, and Alcazer helps Chasyn into his seat again.
âMoving on⦠Drystan and Draven Vilkas. You are both found guilty of working against the royal family and the Moonstone Pack. For blackmail and killing innocent people. Having a hand in the betrayal against the Late king himself. For your crimes, you will be given fifty lashes a day until you reach a thousand and after that. you will spend a combined 100 years in prisonâI say coldly, my voice ringing through the room, âTake them!â
Everyone nods in approval, although I hear a few whispers that the punishment is far too much or far too little.
I cannot please everyone, but the punishment is enough.
âDanciana.â I say.
The woman has remained silent until now, but sheâs seething as she looks at her three sons.
She demands they show mercy and understand that what she did was to protect them, and although it was made clear she had asked Maryka for a cure for the king, she had still committed many crimes. Her fated mate is dead, and you can tell she regrets it, but itâs far too late for her to be given mercy.
âListen to me!â She screams, but no one in the audience or from her sons pays her any heed.
She had been the one to allow Maryka to poison the king, thinking it was just a drug. Without realising what she was doing, she was ultimately the one responsible for her husbandâs death.
âFor your crimes-âI begin.
âLet me speak! I plead guilty to my crimes! Have mercy!â She says, her face pale as she looks at her sons who look away from her and then she turns to Zedkiel. âI raised you as my own!â
âYou did not, and your crimes will not be waived simply because of who you are. In fact, that makes it far worse. You were a Vilkas, you were meant to be one of us, yet the first chance you got you betrayed us all, and above all, your mate.â Zedkiel says venomously.
âYou will be lashed publicly 100 times. You will then be thrown into prison. You will remain in isolation until you succumb to madness and eventually death. You will not be pardoned, Danciana. Take her.â I say clearly.
âYou will not get away with this! I am the queen! I demand you contact the Night Shade pack!â
âYou have no right to demand anything. Take her!â
I say, my voice echoing powerfully through the room.
And now for the worstâ¦
Sheâs still got her forehead resting on the ground.
âFor your crimes against this kingdom, this pack, and its people, I sentence you to life imprisonment the b***d of everyone who lost their life is on your hands. For the murder of your king, you will be given ten thousand lashes.â I say coldly. There is no mercy for someone who destroyed the very foundation of this pack the first chance you received.â
Sheâs pale as she now lifts her head, giving me a deadly stare, as if she canât believe what she is hearing.
âAnd for the assault on a pregnant woman, the omega of your own mate, with the intention of harming her unborn child.. the father of the child will decide that punishment.âI say, looking at Chasyn.
Heâs glaring at her, and I know despite his anger, heâs hurting too.
Silence follows as everyone watches him before his eyes flash and I know he has come to a decision before he even speaks.
âDeath.â
I look up sharply, I had expected him to give her a punishment along the lines of an apology and something else but.
âBefitting.â Zedkiel says.
There are nods of agreement and a murmur of approval through the crowds.
âShe tried to kill a future prince or princess..â
âShe killed the king..â
âShe should be put to death by fire!â
âThe people agree.âI murmur quietly, making Marykaâs heart pound violently.
âChasyn.â Maryka says in horror.
âVery well. then, so be it,â I say, with a motion of my hand as I signal the guards to take her away.
Everyone begins clapping, happy with the punishment, and I close my eyes.
Justice has finally been served.