bChapter /bb289 /b

    L

    I feel sick to my stomach. I couldn’t eat breakfast and Alpha Warren noticed I was distracted in warrior training and pulled me aside.

    “L, we’ll all be in court today. You won’t be alone. Why don’t you n to ride with me and my family. I know Cyra and Yorick will bbe /bbwaiting /bfor you, but this way, you’ll be surrounded by pack members when you arrive,” he said.

    b“/bOkay,” I said.

    When we get ready to leave, Wendyes up and squeezes my hands. “I know it’s scary. I was terrified when I went in front of the bcouncil/b. But it helps to have someone you trust standing beside you. Yorick and Cyra will be there to support you and so will we.”

    “Thank you.”

    Luna Yara pulls me into a hug. It’s so unexpected that I nearly burst into tears.

    “You’re going to be okay, sweetheart. What

    Sore you afraid of?”

    “What if he doesn’t ept my rejection?” I whisper.

    314

    “The Council can force him too, L. If they put the force of theirmand behind it, he won’t have a choice. Are you second guessing your

    rejection of him?” Alpha Warren says.

    “No. No, he lied to me. He used me. I could never trust someone like that. I just… he doesn’t know that I’m the one who warned Alpha Cyra.”

    “He probably does by now. He’ll have his own legal council and they will have reviewed the evidence that was presented to the Council. And he may try to intimidate you, or say something cruel, but the Council will also put a halt to that as well. Remember, you did nothing wrong. You are as much a victim in this as Cyra is,” he says.

    I nod, realizing that while Luna Yara has continued to have her arm wrapped around me, their pups have all moved closer, as if cocooning me in their protection.

    “Thank you,” I say, swiping at a tear that escaped.

    The ride to court was mostly quiet. Alpha Yvonne asked who wasing to court. I found out that Alpha Cyra and Alpha Yorick’s ssmates, the ones who visited us when Alpha Cyra defeated her father, are alling to court. Apparently, Alpha Quirin ising which makes me even more nervous, and Alpha Conhor ising too. We only spent a day with himb, /bbut he seemed nice. Cyra’s uncle and cousin areing. Some other Alpha, Alpha Henry, is apparently visiting his mother’s pack and won’t be in attendance, but his father will be.

    “That’s a lot of people,” I say, surprised that so many people who weren’t directly rted to what happened with Sten will be here today.

    “He threatened our familyi,” /iAlpha Wade says.

    “No one threatens our family,” Alpha Wendy says.

    “Yes, Alpha Quirin was very clear about that,” I say, shivering as I remember how violent Alpha Christer’s death was.

    “We may not be as vicious as Quirin, but we still protect our ownb,/b” Alpha Yana says.

    I wonder if it’s an Alpha thing, or if it’s just this family. Alpha Christer and Sten didn’t seem to have this level of loyalty to each other, I mean they worked together to try and get Alpha Cyra’s packnds, but that was more about status and money, not love. This family bhas /bbis /bba /bblot /bbof /b

    love for each other.

    19:50 Fri, 15 bAUG /b

    bI’ve /bbeen around bthe /bHill children in the pack thest few days. There, they are easy–going and rxedb, /bbeven /bbyful/b. bHowever/bb, /bwhen we step bout /bbof /bthe car bin /bfront bof /bthe courthouse, every one of them is all Alpha. They are here for one reason. To let Sten bknow /bbhe /bmessed with the bwrong /bfamily.

    Once again, they surround me as we walk up the steps, engulfing me in their protection as if I am also part of their familyb. /bI bguess /bas a bpack /bmember, that love and protection extends to me. It makes me feel safe in a way I haven’t for a long time.

    As we walk up the steps, I see Alpha Quirin and his Luna, Kennedy. Standing beside them are Alpha Connor and a woman bI /bbhaven’t /bmetb. /bbI /bassume that she’s Alpha Connor’s mate since his arm is wrapped around her.

    “L, how are you feeling?” Alpha Connor asks as we walk up. He’s a lot like his father and Alpha Yorick. He’s intense without being overbearing, unlike Alpha Quirin who is just terrifying.

    “Nervous,” I say, honestly. My hands are shaking and I’m sure all of them can hear my heart that feels like it’s going to beat out of my chest..

    “Yorick and Cyra are inside, but we waited for you,” Alpha Connor says.

    “Thank you.”

    “Hey, wait for us!” I hear a woman’s voice behind me. I turn and see Piper walking up. “Hey, L,i” /ishe says.

    “Hi, Piper.”

    We say hello to their other friends, Zach, Chase, and Landon, and then we all walk into the courthouse together. When we get to the courtroom, we file in. Once again, it feels like I’m surrounded by protection, only this time, the Alphas seem to be the ones circling me. As scary as Alpha Quirin is, I feel safer knowing that I’m also under his protection.

    I smell him the moment I step foot in the courtroom. Sten is already here. Because I’m surrounded by so many people, I can’t see him, but bI /bknow he’s here.

    “Where’s Henry?” Alpha Connor asks quietly.

    “Visiting his mother’s pack,” Alpha Quirin growls softly. I’m not sure why that’s a bad thing, but when Alpha Connor looks at him, something passes between them.

    “We’ll talkter,” Alpha Connor says. Alpha Quirin just grunts./

    Inside there’s an older couple already sitting in the seating area. Based on the auraing off the man, I’m guessing these are Alpha Henry’s parents. Seated beside them are the two men who came to the pack over the weekend, Alpha Arman and Alpha Ramin.

    Everyone begins saying hello when Alpha Cyra and Alpha Yoricke up to us,

    “L, you need toe sit with us,” Alpha Cyra says.

    As everyone parts to let me through, my eyes lock with Sten’s. His eyes are filled with so much anger and his lip curls in a sneer of disgust.

    I blink when he’s blocked by Alpha Yorick who puts his body between us.

    ‘Don’t let him get to you,‘ he says in the mind link.

    ‘We’re right here with you,‘ Alpha Cyra says,

    I nod and take a deep breath before following them to the front of the seating area on the opposite side of where Sten and his attorney bare /bsitting.

    Alpha Yorick keeps his body between me and Sten until we’re seated, Alpha Yorick bon /bone side of me and Alpha Cyra bon /bbthe /bother.

    Chapter b289 /b

    bThere /bbare /bbthree /bbpeople /bbstanding /bin bfront /bbof /bbCouncil’s /bbbench /bbin /bba /btriangr formation and bseveral /bbmilitary /bblooking /bbpeople /bstanding around bSten/bb. /bbI /bbdon’t /bthink I’ve ever been bso /bintimidated in my life.

    bWhen /bthe Council files in, they take their seats and one man steps forward.

    “bI /bsee we have a full house here again today. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since this involves a mate to one of the bHills/b. bFor /bbthose /bof byou- /bwho don’t know me, I am Councilman Edward.”

    He goes through the other council members, introducing them to us.

    biAD /i/b