Chapter 50: 51: Crime and Punishment

ARIEL

There’s no time to talk.

There’s no time to plan.

We just need to get the baby back while she’s still in our line of sight.

It’s clear that Angel’s objective isn’t to kill her, but rather to ~steal~ her.

We have to catch him before baby Camelia disappears like Xavi.

I’m in front of the pack, so I dive out the window first onto the lawn below.

~Oof—~

I roll onto the ground but quickly regain my footing.

Behind me, I hear a cacophony of noises—wolves shifting, howling, and running.

I’m moving so quickly that my vision begins to blur, but I can still make out Angel’s outline in the distance.

~Oh, Goddess.~

~Protect Camelia. Please.~

I hear a growl on my right and see that Alex has caught up to me. He’s beside me now as we begin to gain on Angel.

For a split second, Alex and I make eye contact.

In that moment, I can see that he has a plan.

Angel may have gotten a head start, but Alex knows this terrain better than anyone.

Alex nods at me and then cuts off to the left, kicking up grass as he goes. But I stay my course.

If he’s doing what I think he’s doing, we should be able to get Angel cornered in a short time.

I narrow my focus on the path ahead of me.

I take deep breaths and run as fast as I can.

As I track Angel, I can’t help but feel pity for him.

It’s crazy given the current situation. But I still believe that Angel is falling victim to another episode. Another symptom of the trauma that I was meant to cure him of.

I’m the one who brought him into the Royal Pack. If anything, this is ~my~ fault, and it’s up to me to fix it.

And now is the time because, as I predicted, I see Alex again, crouching at the top of a hill in the distance. I see him jump from his vantage point—directly into Angel’s path.

Angel comes skidding to a stop, giving me enough time to speed toward him and grab him from behind with my jaws.

I sink my teeth into his hind leg with all the might I can muster—until I can taste blood. He lets out a yelp and wriggles desperately to free himself.

Alex leaps toward him, shifting back into his human form as he reaches Angel.

He rips the blanket out of Angel’s locked jaw and cradles the screaming baby in his arms. Angel swipes at him, but Alex dodges, taking off in the other direction.

And suddenly, Alex is surrounded by three of the palace guards, in a ready position, as well as General Dave.

Dave is waiting to pounce on Angel if he takes another step toward his men.

But Angel can’t move even if he dared because, by now, I have him pinned to the ground. He is writhing furiously, but there’s nothing he can do. He’s exhausted, and I have the upper hand.

Beneath me, his form begins to shift, and suddenly, I’m lying on top of a man instead of a wolf.

He lifts a feeble hand in the direction of the screaming baby.

“NO!” he cries out, but the voice doesn’t sound like his.

It’s like he’s possessed, and whoever is in control of his body is absolutely furious.

Then, he starts sobbing, his chest heaving. And I can tell that the tears belong to Angel.

I move out of the way, and my bones shift until I can stand on two feet again, my human feet bleeding into the gravel underneath me.

As soon as I move, Angel’s limp form is hoisted off the floor by two palace guards. They pull his hands behind his back, and I hear the sound of handcuffs clicking shut.

I want to protest. I hate seeing him treated in this way.

But there’s nothing I can say to defend him because moments before he had a baby between his teeth.

I run to Alex to check on Camelia, blood trailing behind me.

Luckily, she is completely unscathed, further justifying my suspicion that she was meant to be kept alive.

~Thank the Goddess.~

I see Dom and Helena skidding to a stop, and as soon as they shift into their human forms, we put Camelia back into their hands.

Helena holds the baby to her chest. Dom holds Helena to his, but he directs a murderous gaze at Angel, who continues to weep softly.

ALEX

~This might just be one of the longest days of my life.~

We all returned to the castle, and Dom and Helena disappeared into their wing while Angel was taken to the Royal Pack jail.

But now, it’s time to hold a council meeting to decide the fate of our prisoner.

I’m already seated at a large wooden table as the council begins to file in.

The group is comprised of several of our most decorated pack warriors, royal clerks, General Dave, and Dominic.

I do not have a vote in Angel’s fate. I’m just here to mediate, and I’m glad for that. In this moment, I’m hopelessly conflicted.

The last person to enter the room is the prisoner himself. His head is hanging, so he doesn’t make eye contact with anyone. He just stares directly at the floor as he’s led to his seat.

As for me, my eyelids are already beginning to droop. I’m exhausted, and there’s no telling how long this will last. The council has to reach a unanimous decision before any action can be taken.

I bang my gavel on the table to commence the proceedings.

“So,” I begin, “we all know why we’re here... would anyone like to start the discussion?”

General Dave raises his hand. “What we witnessed today was an act of cruelty and an act of treason. This ~Angel~ was invited into the palace, and he betrayed the goodwill of the Royal Pack.”

No one protests as Dave continues.

“He waged an attack on the most vulnerable of all of us... a newborn pup. It’s a direct and targeted assault on the future lineage of this pack.”

“What do you propose his punishment be?” I ask, although I have a feeling I already know what he’s going to say.

“In my mind, there is no question. He should be put to death,” Dave says without a trace of hesitation in his voice.

I see some of the others nod in agreement.

I look to Dom, who is still shooting daggers at Angel, his teeth bared. “I agree. This is an act punishable by the death penalty,” he says.

I can’t help but think that giving Dom a vote right now poses a huge conflict of interest in the jury.

I rest my hand on Dom’s arm to try and calm him down. He takes a deep breath but repeats again under his breath, “Death penalty.”

Suddenly the door on the other side of the room swings open.

I look up and see Ariel storming toward me like a bat out of hell.

“Ariel, what are you doing here?” Dave asks incredulously. “You’re not on the council.”

“I know,” she calls out, “but this is an unusual situation. And there’s something I need to say.”

“Warrior, it’s not within the rights of a—”

As Dave is trying to silence Ariel again, I cut him off.

“What do you want to say, Ariel?”

She braces herself and then launches into what is obviously a well-prepared statement.

“I have pled for Angel’s life before,” she says. “And I will plead for it again. None of you understand the trauma that Angel endured when he was in captivity. The injections. The torture. The forced shifting. The never-ending psychological torment.”

“That doesn’t excuse what he did today,” Dave interjects.

“It doesn’t excuse it, but it might explain it. I think Angel’s captors succeeded in gaining some sort of control of his brain.”

She directs her gaze at Angel.

“But nothing like that has happened to you, and you were in the same type of captivity,” I reminded her.

“I know, but... by erasing his memory,” she says, “I think the hunters were able to harness Angel to perform their will. I believe that is what happened today. I don’t think Angel had any intention whatsoever of kidnapping Dom and Helena’s baby. But someone else is pulling the strings.”

Dom waves at Ariel, getting her attention. “So what should we do then? Just wait around for him to try again? What if he succeeds next time?”

“He won’t!”

“How do you know?”

“Because I have the Moon Goddess on my side again.”

General Dave begins to object, but I put a hand up, and he falls silent again.

“I just need a little more time. I can fix him. I’m sure I can. Besides…” she says, her eyes now filling with tears, “Angel is my only hope in finding out where my nephew is. I think if we had just tracked him a little bit longer, he may have led us directly to the hunter. To my sister’s child. I need his help.”

With that, the room falls silent.

As mediator, it’s my turn to speak.

“Angel?” I say, and his gaze turns up to meet mine. “Would you like to speak? You’re allowed to make a case for yourself, if you want.”

He swallows hard. “Yeah?”

“Yes,” I reply.

Everyone looks at him, waiting for a word.

He takes a breath and looks from Ariel to me.

“Please,” he says. “Just kill me.”