Violet
"Not entirely. I was only ever present two tis when the previous Alpha was tutoring him and I was only present for a few minutes. Even at that, I still did not hear anything about this particular law," I spoke quickly while keeping my voice steady. "And my grandmother passed away when I was young. She mostly told about stories and legends growing up. Not much about pack laws. And neither did she tell about any law involving wolves leaving their packs."
"Fourteen." I had rely finished saying the last word when Damon just cut in. "She was fourteen when her grandmother passed away. Hardly young. And my father only died last year. She had years of access to our ho, to proper education—"
"I barely spent any ti with your father." The words slipped out from before I could stop them. "He was bedridden from a grave injury for years. Again, my grandmother did not teach much about pack laws, and after her passing, I was banished from my family ho and left to fend for myself."
Damon glared at . "You are—"
"Enough." Lord Calder’s low voice ceased not only Damon’s words, but that of the low murmurs running through the wolves seated.
The old Supre Alpha’s face was twisted with disgust as he looked between Damon and . "This conversation has beco utterly aningless. We are not here to debate what education this wolf did or did not receive as a child, or whose fault that may be."
He leaned back in his chair, his sharp gaze settling on Damon. "The facts are simple enough. She left without permission. By universal law, that makes her rogue. You claim the right to demand her return." His eyes narrowed. "But you have yet to explain why your patrol wolves crossed into neutral territory claiming she was a dangerous warrior criminal when you claim she is an Oga."
Damon’s confident expression faltered for just a heartbeat and Garret for the first ti, fidgeted at his side.
"That was a miscommunication from my patrol wolves,"" he said carefully.
"I would like Lady Ila to co forward," Calder scratched his beard, turning his attention away from Damon entirely. There was sothing in his looks that made my skin crawl.
He no longer appeared bored.
Neither did the other Supre Alphas.
What was making them so keenly focused now?
Damon looked confused as Ila got up from where she was seated among other betas and walked forward to stand further ahead of us and face the Supre Alphas.
Lord Calder addressed her. "What information do you have that differs from Alpha Damon’s account?"
Ila’s voice carried clear authority as she addressed the older Supre Alpha. "I, along with two other wolves encountered Alpha..." She casted a sidelong glance at Damon. "... Damon’s wolves at our borders while searching for this woman. They claid she was a dangerous warrior criminal who had escaped confinent. They gave a different description of who they were looking for. One that bore no resemblance to the lady here."
"Is this true?" Lord Calder directed the question towards Damon who had paled a little.
Damon’s jaw tightened and a muscle seed to jump beneath his skin. "There was so... miscommunication among my patrol wolves." He side-eyed Garret who had clearly shrivelled up beside him, a sheen of sweat all over his face. "My head patrol guard must have been overzealous in his description to—"
"Miscommunication," Lord Calder repeated, drawing out the word.
Damon stood his ground, unknowingly digging a pit for himself. "Yes."
"I believe it was deliberate deception," Ila cut in, her voice cold as ice as she stared at Damon and Garret. "Lying to another Supre Alpha’s beta—lying to my face by extension—is a serious offence, Alpha Damon."
"I did not authorize any lies," Damon shot back, his composure beginning to crack. "If my wolves misrepresented the situation, that responsibility falls on them, not ."
That was such a foolish thing to say.
Lady Palisa smiled, and so of the expressions of the Supre Alphas soured at his words, including Calder. Damon went still as he realised the gravity of his words.
"How convenient," Rowan murmured, his tone dripping with contempt.
"And an utter lack of responsibility," one of the female Supre Alphas muttered with visible disgust.
Damon hurriedly spoke up, trying to correct his mistake, "No. I did not an—"
"I want to hear from this wolf directly," Lord Calder said, his eyes suddenly fixed on Garret. "Garret, I presu. You encountered Lord Kael’s beta, is that right?"
Garret slightly stepped forward, clearly uncomfortable, but his voice was surprisingly steady. "Yes."
Lord Calder glanced at him. "Did you describe this woman standing here to Ila?"
My heart pulsed slowly against my ribs the contradiction was about to be laid bare. I had found it hard to believe, but they had been right. Lady Palisa did not seem like she was offering any support or even help to Damon.
Had she even helped him prepare for this?
"Yes," Garret answered. "I described her perfectly well."
"Well, she looks the part." Lord Calder caressed his beard. "But what about the details of her being part of your Alpha’s security detail? Do you recall stating that?"
Garret stood still for a few seconds before responding, "Yes..."
"How is she, an Oga, highly skilled and dangerous, and also conveniently happens to work in your Alpha’s security detail?" he asked.
Two of the Supre Alphas laughed in low chuckles. One of them being Lady Palisa. Damon stiffly trembled.
"I—"
Lord Calder interrupted Garret to face Ila. "Isn’t that what he said?"
"Yes." Ila nodded. "And I happened to sense imnse bloodlust from them. He also ntioned her having a wolf form which was false. She has no wolf form."
"And when your Supre Alpha ca across her..." Lord Calder stalled, expecting so sort of response.
"Our Supre Alpha had already found her and brought her to the camp during our regional patrol," Ila spoke up. "And he found her, she was frail, miserably weak, and on the verge of death. She bore no resemblance to the dangerous warrior they had described. I told the wolves from Shadowpine that we would let them know when we found the person they described... which we never did."
Ila finally turned to look at . "She did bear a resemblance appearance wise, so my Supre Alpha brought her here to ensure the situation was handled properly... and her perculiar... constitution."
My heart nearly stuttered to a slow stop.
Why would she say that?
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