bChapter 294 /b

    bCyfa /b

    I shouldn’t be surprised that my father still thinks he’s won. How did I not see his arrogance? I guess I needed to see what a real father, a breal /bbman/bb, /ba real Alpha looked like in order to see the difference. If all you’ve ever known is your father, Christer, and Sten, you don’t realize that not ball /bbAlphas /bare created equally. But now I see my father clearly, and he does not measure up. Not even close.

    I watch my uncle taunt my father. I’m not surprised. After everything I heard, Uncle Ramin has a lot of reasons to hate my father.

    Today, unlike in Sten’s trial, Raptor and his two squad members have a tight handle on my father.

    “You will settle down now or I will cuff you,” Raptor snarls. I can see the lingering bruise on his face from where Sten broke his jaw two days ago.

    My father sneers at my uncle, turning his re to my cousin who looks enough like my uncle that it’s obvious who he is, before turning back to me.

    “I’ve barely left the pack and look at you, already associating with the dregs of society,” he sneers.

    “That’s rich,ing from the man who embezzled money, then sold his daughter to pay his debts,” I say.

    I can see the shock on my father’s face. I didn’t raise my voice. I didn’t have to. The only time I’ve stood up to my father was when I challenged him for bthe /bpack. He obviously didn’t think I’d changed enough to stand up to him now. He’s about to find out just how strong his daughter really is.

    Yorick squeezes my hand and I feel his mind caress mine. I can feel all of them, the entire Hill family pushing their encouragement and support into me through our family bond.

    The council is announced and we stand, watching them file in before returning to our seats.

    “Alpha Arden Teymoori …” Councilman Edward begins.

    “I’m changing my name to Castor. The court will address me as such,” my father demands.

    Councilman Edward raises an eyebrow. “Is that your legal name?”

    “Not yet. The paperwork is still in process. That … woman is no daughter of mine and I will not share herst name,” he says, ring at me. Honestly, I’m thrilled. My name will be changing to Hill anyway, but my father using Teymoori leaves a blight on our family’s name that I know they wouldn’t want.

    “Well, until it’s your legal name, we won’t be using it in this courtroom,” Councilman Edward says and I have to hide a smile. My father isn’t used to not getting his way.

    “You are charged with two crimes, embezzlement and forcing your daughter into an alliance bond when she was underage. How do you plead?”

    Unlike Sten, my father is arrogant enough that he didn’t get an attorney, iso /ihe’s representing himself.

    “Not guilty.”

    “Alright then, we’ll start with the embezzlement,” Councilman Edward begins.

    “Any money that was … misced in thepany holdings has been repaid. Those charges should be dropped immediately,” he growls.

    Councilman Edward looks at him a long moment “Interrupt me again, and I will have Raptor muzzle you. You will not speak until you are asked to do bso/bb,/bb” /bhe says, his voice cold as ice. “YOU are not in charge here, Alpha.” He stares at my father for a moment longer before turning to the Tech Team.

    “Tracker, your team found the money trail. I know you exined this in a previous court case, but for the purposes of this trial, could you band /bbyour /bbteam /breiterate what you found and how you found it,” he says.

    The Tech Team goes through it again, their words almost verbatim from Tuesday.

    b1/4 /b

    bChapter /bb294 /b

    bWhen /bbthey’re /bbdone/bb, /bbCouncilman /bEdward turns back bto /bbmy /bfatherb. /bb“/bWhether bor /bbnot /bbthat /bbmoney /bwas brepaid/bb, /bbyou /bdid, in bfact /bknowingly and unde that money for byour /bbown /bpurposes.”

    He bturns /bto look bat /bbthe /bcouncil members behind him. Almost immediately, he turns back. “This court finds byou /bbguilty /bas charged

    “HOW DARE YOU” my father snarls.

    bI /bwatch Councilman Edward nod at Raptor. Quick as a whip, he ps a solid, yet malleable strip of something over my father’s mouth, fastening bit /bbbehind /bhis head. The device allows my father to breath through his nose, but itpletely covers his mouth,

    We can all hear the sound of silver sizzling against my father’s skin a moment before the smell of singed flesh reaches my nose. I squeeze Yorick’s bhand/b. bI /bhad no idea the council meant that they would truly muzzle my father.

    “You were warned, Alpha.”

    It looks like my father is about to try and speak, but the sizzling sound increases before he stills. It doesn’t stop him from growling, but it does keep him quiet.

    “You are also charged with forcing your daughter, Alpha Cyra, into an alliance bond.”

    The recording is yed again, then Councilman Edward looks at me.

    “Alpha Cyra, will you step forward please.”

    I do, feeling the heat of my father’s re. I don’t look at him. I face the council.

    “I know your statement was made in another trial earlier this week, but for the sake of this one, would you please reiterate how you came to be a part of an alliance bond between your pack and Alpha Christer’s?”

    bI /bgo through it all again. When I’m done, he thanks me.

    “Councilman, may I address Alpha Arden?” I ask.

    “You may.”

    I turn, facing my father. I can see the burn marks around the edges of the muzzle where it is surrounding my father’s mouth.

    “I used to think that all Alphas were like you. I used to think that you were a good father and a good Alpha. Now I know better. You were a terrible mate, a terrible Alpha, and a terrible father. How could any man keep his mate away from her family to try and extort money from them? How could any man sell his own child to pay for his sins? Only a selfish man would do those things. Only a man not worth the title of Alpha would do that. You don’t want me as your daughter? Well, I have news for you. I don’t want you as a father.”

    I gesture to where the Hills are sitting. “I have a family now. A REAL family, a loving family. Every one of these people is here today because they love and care about me. They are here to support me,” I say, chuckling humorlessly.

    “They, this family that I have because of my mate bond, is here to support me because the man who should have cared for me, who should have loved me, used me as a pawn in his sick and twisted life. I’m ashamed to be your daughter. I’m d you’re changing your name. Mine was changing anyway now that I’m mated to Yorick, but now the Teymoori name can continue without the disgrace of your sins attached to it. You should be ashamed of yourself and yet, you stand here as arrogant as always. From today forward, you are not my father, and I am not your daughter. You will never see me again after today.) want nothing more to do with you,” I say, finally turning away and nodding to council before returning to my seat.

    Yorick stands and opens his arms for me. I walk into them, feeling both incredible sadness and also like a huge weight has finally been lifted boff /bbme/b.

    “Alpha Arden, the court finds you guilty of forcing your daughter into an unwanted mate bond. The penalty for your crimes is that you will bbe /bstripped of your Alpha status and you will be ced in prison for the remainder of your life.”

    When iI /istep away from Yorick, and turn to sit again, I see my father still watching me. No, it’s not my father, it’s Caesar, his wolf.

    He whines bat /bme, then turns to the councilb, /bwhining again.

    bChapter /bb294 /b

    Councilman Edward looks at him bthen /bat me. “What is the name of Arden’s bwolf/b, Alpha Lyrab?/bb” /b

    b“/bCaesarb, /bcouncilmanb./bb” /b

    *Caesar, do you wish to speak?”

    He nods.

    “I will warn you, if you say anything inappropriate in this courtroom, you will be muzzled just like your human.”

    He nods again.

    Councilman Edward nods to Raptor who takes the muzzle off him.

    Caesar turns to me and Rina pushes forward.

    “Daughter, no name change will ever change the fact that you are mine. I may not have wanted to submit to you in a battle for the pack, but I never wanted my human to treat you so poorly. He and I have been at odds for years. You deserve the best in this life, and I hope you find it with your mate. No matter what Arden says, I will always love you.”

    “Thank you for that, Caesar,” Rina says softly, and I can feel her sadness at her father’s words. Caesar, at least, still cares for us. I didn’t know bthat /bhe and my father were at odds.

    Yorick pulls me into a hug, pressing his lips against the side of my head while Raptor and his group lead my father out of the courtroom.

    We get ready to stand but Councilman Edward stops us.

    “We still need toplete Alpha Sten’s trial. We can do that today, or we can finish it next week. Which do you prefer, Alpha Cyra?”

    I feel exhausted after what just transpired between my father and I, but I also know that taking another day off from the Academy will be difficult for all of ollius. /li/ol

    “Could I have an hour to settle and then we can resume with Sten’s trial?b” /bbI /bask.

    The Councilman looks at the time. “Why don’t we break for lunch. If we return here at one o’clock, that will give you an hour and a half. Will that work for you, Alpha?”

    “Yes, that works. Do you need L here? I’ll have to call and have here back.”

    “Yes, I think it would be good for her to be here, just in case we need to speak with her again. Let’s n to meet at one–thiry then, to give Ms. McIntosh time to get here.”

    “Shepleted her mate bond with Landon. She’s L Reed now, Councilman.”

    He smiles. “I’m very d to hear that. And I’ll make sure that Alpha Sten is brought in with handcuffs so we don’t have a repeat of Tuesday.”

    “Thank you,” I say.

    When I turn back, I see that my family, the Hills, and our friends are all waiting for me.

    “You did great, my niece,” Uncle Ramin says.

    “Thank you.” He doesn’t offer to hug me, and I’m not surprised. It’s not who he is. But right behind him, Warren opens

    his barms /b

    for me.

    I don’t hesitate, I walk into them, feeling his entire family, my family, wrap themselves around me, hugging me tightly and embracing bme /bbin /bbtheir /blove.

    This is what family should be.