9. A Visit to Court

The hallways of the courthouse were empty. No paintings on the walls, no potted plants, no furniture except for some wooden benches that looked extremely uncomfortable in front of each room. It was the opposite of a cheerful place.

On his right, Alice walked in tandem with him, keeping her head low and her eyes on the floor. On her right was Daniel, a stern expression on his face. Every step the men took echoed loudly down the stone walls, announcing their presence. Alice's steps were softer.

They reached the second-to-last room of the hallway, and he knocked gently on the double doors. Alice looked around, shifting from one foot to another, and crossed her arms over herself.

Gabriel grabbed one of her hands and made her look at him.

"It's going to be okay. There's nothing to worry about. This is all just standard procedure," he said while he passed his thumb over her fingers.

One of the double doors opened and an alpha stood in the doorway, inspecting them silently. He had reddish-brown hair, was shorter than Gabriel, and built like a tank. He swept his suspicious gaze over Gabriel, the wrinkles around his mouth tightening with displeasure. "Gabriel Taveira?"

"Yes."

"And this is your temporary ward, Alice Lopes?" the man asked, scrutinizing Alice. She flinched at his words, something displeasing her. If it was the "temporary" or the "ward" part, Gabriel didn't know. Maybe both.

"Yes…" Gabriel replied slowly. "And her doctor, Daniel Infante, as requested." This man was pissing him off. Just how many omegas were they going to rule on today, that he had to check each name?

The man looked him in the eyes for two seconds before stepping back and fully opening the door for them to step in. If he had held his gaze for any longer than that, he might have punched the guy.

Although it was rude to step in front of a lady, he entered the room first. He saw only one other man in the room, leaning on a table and scrolling on his phone. Probably the judge in charge of the claim case. He gestured for Alice to enter. Daniel followed her in, a protective hand on her back.

The man leaning against the desk straightened and walked over to Alice with a kind smile on his lips, but an eerily eager look in his eyes. Gabriel instinctively stepped between them, protecting her.

The man who'd opened the door rushed to the judge's side and glared at Gabriel.

"Please don't worry, Wayne, he's only protecting her." The judge spoke with a Spanish accent, putting a reassuring hand on Wayne's shoulder. Wayne relaxed and stepped aside, allowing the judge to face them. Gabriel forced a smile on his lips and also stepped aside so the man could see Alice.

"I'm sorry about that" Gabriel said. "Instinct has been running high and tempers running short lately."

"It's understandable, considering the circumstances that have brought us here today." the judge replied, his attention fully on Alice.

"My dear," he said, putting out his hands so he could grab hers. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

Alice reached out with one hand to offer him a handshake, but the man brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, then held her hand in both of his. Alice gave the man a weary look, clearly uncomfortable with his intrusion in her personal space.

"My name is Alexander Villalobos, and I'm the lead judge responsible for the Claims Court in the Iberian Peninsula." The bastard was stroking her hand. "I usually don't interfere directly with these cases, but considering the importance of your dynamic, I thought it wise to supervise this transition directly."

"I still don't understand why I need to be claimed by anyone, much less have to come to court like a child, to hear who ‘gets to keep' me."

Alice said this in such a conversational tone that anyone that didn't know her would think her calm and collected right now. Gabriel recognized just how pissed off she really was, and placed a hand on her back as a warning.

The judge finally dropped her hand, although his smile didn't budge. His eyes narrowed on her for a moment, then relaxed again into that predatory gaze.

"I also apologize for making your"—the judge hesitated for a moment, looking at Gabriel—"guardian bring you here today. Usually ladies aren't in attendance for claim hearings, but I so much desired to meet you."

"Yes, why would women be present for a decision that affects their whole lives?" She had a sarcastic smile and a bite in her tone.

Shit. If she pissed him off, he might just rule in favor of the second on the list as a punishment.

"I understand your frustration regarding the lists and the claim. Many women have voiced their opinion on this before." The judge placed a hand on his cheek and rubbed it. Maybe one of those women had slapped him. It would serve him right, him and all the assholes making these decisions.

Gabriel just hoped Alice wouldn't slap the man too.

The hair on his neck raised, and his mind alerted him. There were steps echoing down the corridor. They sounded hurried and strong, and like more people than what he'd expected for this hearing.

He turned briefly. The door was still open. If they saw the door open, they might just take it as an invitation to come in. He could close it, but his instinct was to stay close to Alice, to protect her from the judge and his goon. He hesitated, but chose to remain at her side.

"I asked for you to come, my dear, exactly because of that." The judge put his hand over his heart, as if he wanted nothing more than to be honest with her. "I want to hear what you would prefer regarding the claim."

That made Gabriel forget the incoming steps. "You do?"

He heard people coming into the room and settling on the audience chairs, but he didn't take his eyes off the judge.

"Of course I do. And don't be afraid of saying what you would really like, my dear." The judge shot Gabriel a quick glance, then focused back on her. "Would you prefer to keep your current guardian as a mate, or would prefer someone else on the list?"

"Mate?" Alice was taken aback by that word.

"Yes." The judge's smile had lost all traces of kindness now. "Also, if you would prefer, you can choose someone not on the first list at all. There are other alphas on the second list who would be most honored if you would consider their claims."

Son of a bitch!

"I can make sure you will be absolutely safe," the judge continued, as if it was already decided. "The first claim list will be revoked as nonsecure options, and the High Court would present you with other options. No male on the first list, alpha or beta, will be able to interfere."

So this was his game all along. Alice just had to say the word and he would take her away from him, to somewhere "safe," to present other options that he deemed better.

Alice just watched the judge, looking perplexed. "No," she finally muttered.

"I'm sorry, my dear?" The judge inclined his head, like a dog trying to understand his master.

"I said no! I don't want to be tossed around like a toy by men who think they know what's best for me, even though they don't know me at all." She took an angry step towards the judge, whose smile fell as he took a step back. "If you think that taking me from the ones I love is better for me, when I just lost the one person who was making this whole stupid situation bearable, then you show a terrible lack of understanding, and that you don't care for my well-being at all!"

The judge looked at her as if she had just slapped him. Gabriel heard eager whispering behind him.

"My choice" Alice went on, "would be to be free of any list, or mate, or claim, or whatever it is that you want to call this new form of forced marriage. But if it can't be that, then at least let me keep my friends. Let me keep Gabriel."

Gabriel didn't know if he should panic at the judge's shock, or hug her because she chose him. The men behind him didn't seem to like her answer, however.

"I understand." The judge gave her his kind smile again, and this time it did reach his eyes. "I will take your choice into consideration, my dear. Please rest assured that it is important to me."

He took her hand in his and kissed it again. "If you don't mind, I believe it's time to start the hearing." He delicately pointed to the door, dismissing her. "It was wonderful getting to know you, and perhaps getting to understand your dynamic a little better."

Alice said a polite goodbye and turned to leave.

Shit.

With the turn of the conversation, Gabriel had forgotten about the people in the hearing room. It seemed like all the men from the first list had decided it was okay to forgo their anonymity and come to the hearing. They were spread out in the audience seats, trying to keep their distance from each other. The silence in the room was now obvious as all men had their attention focused on her. Some had gentle smiles, but others smiled in the same way Gabriel imagined a cat might smile when it spotted a mouse. One of the bastards even licked his lips.

The tension in the room rose with Alice's sudden stress, sharpening all the men's gazes. She remained frozen.

Gabriel was going to kill them all. His instinct to protect her was pushing him to a need for violence he had never felt before.

While he was trying to keep his composure, Daniel was quicker to react. He put his arm around Alice's shoulders, pulled her close, and quickly walked out the door with her.

As soon as she was outside, the tension broke and the men started to talk among themselves again. Some even laughed, as if her fear was entertaining.

A young man entered the room and closed the door behind him. He walked to the front of the room, a laptop under his arm, and offered a quick apology to the judge.

Then he sat down, opened the laptop, and placed a microphone in the center of the desk. He tapped a button on the microphone and leaned into it while reading from the laptop.

"Claim case A-2903847, the Honorable Judge Alexander Villalobos from the Iberian Peninsula High Court is in session." He turned to the judge. "The meeting is now being recorded, Your Honor."

Gabriel took the seat nearest the judge, something that made the Wayne guy uncomfortable. The man stood back from the judge, leaning against a wall, but kept scanning everyone present.

The judge remained standing in the center of the room, next to the desk. He took some papers from a briefcase and flipped through them until he found the one he wanted.

"Good morning, everyone." He looked at every man in the room as if he was counting them, then returned his attention to the paper. "I see that all of you in the list decided to give up your anonymity in order to stake a claim for Alice Lopes."

Some men nodded at what he said; others leaned forward, focused on the judge.

"For security reasons, I will still refrain from mentioning any of your names for the record, and will refer to you by your numbered place in the claim list instead."

Many nodded again.

"To start, I officially inform you that all beta claims are immediately denied and will not be taken into consideration."

The judge almost had to shout the last part to be heard over the angry voices of the betas. Wayne, the judge's companion, stepped forward. His arms were relaxed, but his hands closed into fists.

The judge put his hands up, demanding silence. The men calmed down, but still whispered angrily among each other. Gabriel heard words like "unfair" and "appeal" flying around.

Gabriel let out a humorless chuckle. This was not the kind of court you could appeal to.

"This means," the judge said, "that you are all free to enter another list, as only the four alphas will be considered for the claim."

Three men shifted in their seats, but Gabriel tried to remain relaxed. The betas still looked displeased, and he was happy to see that the jerk who had licked his lips was now sulking.

"The first claimant already has a compelling argument," someone scoffed. "for his claim. I would like to hear from the other three if there is any reason why the first claim should be dismissed, and or any other subsequent claims as well." The judge looked at the paper in his hand, then around the room. "Second claimant? Is there any reason why the claim should be passed down to you?"

A man stood up. Finally—finally, Gabriel saw the man who haunted Bruno. Finally he could see the face of the crook who'd forced his way to the top of the list. He was not impressed. This was an alpha? He was somewhat taller than Bruno, but he was at least half his width. He was wearing a dark suit that hid his body, but he could bet that the man hardly had any muscles. The guy had light-brown hair and brown eyes, and he was not too pale and not too tanned. He had a handsome face, but he seemed to be forgettable. He seemed middle of the board on every aspect, except his eyes.

He had the eyes of a predator.

"I have nothing to add to my claim, Your Honor. I confirm my place as second on the list," the alpha said with a smile.

That threw Gabriel off. He had expected something, anything, from him to try to sway the judge to ignore the first claim.

"Thank you," the judge replied, shuffling the papers.

The man sat back down, looked Gabriel straight in the eyes, and sneered, as if he knew something Gabriel didn't.

He instinctively clenched his fists, the urge to punch the guy rising.

"Fourth claimant? Is there any reason why the claim should be passed down to you?"

Gabriel watched a man stand, this one more impressive than the first. He was almost as tall as he was, but his tanned muscles stood out more. He wasn't wearing a suit; instead he wore a T-shirt that clung to his chest and showed off his musculature. He had small black eyes that glistened in the light of the room, and kept playing with something in his right hand.

"Your Honor, I was Alice's boyfriend before she met her husband."

"You mean, her deceased husband," someone in the room interrupted, but the fourth claimant ignored them.

"Considering I had a romantic relationship with her before, I think it makes more sense for me to court her, rather than just a friend or a possible stranger." The fourth claimant looked directly at Gabriel, then at the second claimant.

"Did you break up with her so you could work on that tan?" a beta joked, and some men laughed with him.

"No, she broke up with me when I asked her to marry me."

That sobered the room. Shit, Gabriel didn't know she'd been proposed to before Bruno.

"In that case, I think she made her choice quite clear on that matter," the judge commented with a smile. "The request is denied. An unsuccessful marriage request is not enough reason to supersede the other claims."

The man sat down, an angry look in his eyes. Gabriel noted that the object he was playing with was a ring. Had he kept the engagement ring with him all this time? He almost felt sorry for the guy. But then again, he wanted to take Alice from Gabriel, so fuck that.

"Seventh claimant, is there any reason why the claim should be passed down to you?"

A man nodded to the second claimant and stood. He was shorter than the last alpha, and even less bulky. This one, however, looked almost angelic, with blue eyes and blond hair.

"No, Your Honor. I confirm my position on the list." He sat back down without waiting for a reply from the judge.

"Thank you." The judge ignored his rudeness. "Before the final decision is made, I would like to ask if any of the alphas on the list would like to be removed from it. Please remember that you are unable to make another claim while you are on this list."

Everyone was quiet. He watched the second claimant like a hawk, but the guy was staring intently at the floor.

"Remember that the probability of you moving up the list and successfully claiming Alice Lopes is very low," the judge insisted.

A slow smile spread on the second claimant's lips. It made Gabriel uncomfortable. The room remained quiet, no alpha willing to drop from the list.

"If there are no drops from the list, I hereby decree that every claimant's order on the list is confirmed."

Every man in the room turned to look at Gabriel, some with curiosity, some with disdain, and Alice's ex-boyfriend with downright hatred. Bastards could hate him all they wanted; he was still the one coming out of this with Alice as his.

"I would like to speak to the first and second claimant alone. Everyone else is dismissed." The judge commanded.

A wave of disgruntled voices filled the room, complaining about various things, from being cut off, to unreasonable judges. Gabriel heard someone talk about an apology to Alice, and someone agreeing about an unexpected reaction.

Gabriel tuned them out while he joined the judge and focused on the second claimant, who was talking to the blond alpha, a serious look on his face. The blond nodded and left with the others.

Gabriel and the second claimant stood side by side before the judge, but left an open space between them. The second claimant had his hands in his pockets and a relaxed pose. Gabriel, however, was wary standing so close to the unknown alpha. He relaxed his arms by his side, but tensed his shoulder muscles.

The judge took a moment to study each of them in turn, scrutinizing them from top to bottom.

"I have full access to the first list, including time stamps and names," he said matter-of-factly.

He felt the other alpha tense and relax.

"I found two things there that are quite… odd," the judge continued. "Would either of you care to explain how you registered so fast for the list?"

Both of them remained quiet. The judge wasn't happy with that.

"First claimant, I understand that Alice made her choice quite clear, but my priority is to guarantee her safety."

Gabriel took a slow breath and tried to stay calm.

"Second claimant, I have half a mind to remove you from the list altogether. I'm going to run your name in private by Alice, and if she shows any apprehension about having you on the list, you will be removed."

"She won't," the alpha replied with a smile.

"Excuse me?" The judge lifted an eyebrow at the man.

"I apologize. What I meant to say is that she doesn't know me at all, so she shouldn't express any particular worry about me."

"Is that so?" the judge asked slowly, almost sounding lazy.

"Also, if she sees the list and sees her ex-boyfriend's name there, won't she be more concerned about him?" Now the second claimant had a smug smile on his face. "And won't you have to remove him too?"

The judge looked coldly at the alpha. Gabriel was taken aback as well. He'd thought this was the guy who had scared Bruno, someone from Alice's workplace. But this alpha was an entirely new danger he was unprepared for. That thought made him extremely uncomfortable.

"And with the betas already gone from the list, that would only leave one alpha as a second, and who knows if she would be worried about that one too? So on the safe side, he would be removed too. And then you would have angry alphas talking about being removed unlawfully from the list, as the betas will also be talking for sure."

The judge was frozen in his spot, a vein in his neck pulsating with fury.

"Unless of course"—the alpha looked straight into the judge's eyes, but his tone remained polite—"you would like to open a precedent? For any alpha the judges deem ‘worrisome' to be passed over in the lists? That is what happened in France with a beta, no? One alpha superseded all other claimants on the first list, including the woman's husband, for ‘security concerns.'"

Gabriel crossed his arms. This alpha knew more than he did, and he had gathered a good intel network already. Just who was this guy?

"That rumor is baseless information." The judge was red around the ears. "And the rules are clear. No alpha on the first list gets passed over."

"No?" the second claimant asked. "Yet here you are, ready to open an exception."

He had cornered the judge there. Either the judge opened a very dangerous precedent, or he would have to keep him on the list.

Well played.

The judge appeared absolutely pissed off, and he glared at Gabriel as if he was just as much at fault as the other alpha.

"A moment, please, gentlemen, while I make a quick call." The judge's voice was strained, as if each word was a struggle to sound polite.

The judge walked to a smaller office at the back of the room and closed the door behind him. His hound, Wayne, stood in front of the door.

The two alphas took a step away from each other, but still faced forward and waited patiently.

"That was quite an interesting argument." Gabriel glanced at the second claimant from the corner of his eye. "Does she really not know who you are?"

The second alpha gave him a sarcastic smile. "Does it make a difference?"

"It does to me. I thought it quite interesting the way you got yourself on the list so quickly. I would love to know how you did it."

The alpha now half turned to him, his smile widening to a grin.

"You have the audacity to ask how I got on that list when you managed to get there even sooner?" He laughed and faced forward again. "I'll tell you what. I'll explain how I did it if you tell me how you did it."

Gabriel weighed the pros and cons of telling him the truth.

"I did it at the request of her husband, at the doctor's office where she was changed."

The alpha turned to him with a big smile again, but didn't look surprised.

"What a funny coincidence. I also did it with a doctor's help."

So another doctor was at the heart of this. Gabriel was going to figure out who it was and have him removed. He couldn't have doctors manipulating the lists like that.

"You should thank me, you know." The alpha rolled his shoulders.

"Why on earth should I thank you?"

"Because he was going to toss the whole first list, and give her to some alpha of his choosing. Probably one with deep pockets. Or maybe even try to keep her for himself."

"How the fuck do you know that?"

"I bet he was counting on her accepting his offer. Tossing a list because the woman requested it would be entirely different from doing it for ‘security reasons'."

"What happened in France?"

The alpha smiled, his eyes focused on the small office door, and ignored his question. "You can have her for now. Better for me that she stays with you, rather than with some unknown alpha."

"For now?" He turned angrily to the other alpha, rage in his throat at the veiled threat, but before he could do anything, the door to the office opened and an incredibly angry judge came out.

The man was positively fuming, Gabriel was surprised that the vein in his neck hadn't ripped open with the strength of the man's pulse.

The judge looked at them and took a deep breath to calm down. "It seems that there will be a precedent, after all," he said with a sarcastic smile.

Both alphas stood at attention.

"The High Court has agreed that an alpha from the second list presented a compelling argument regarding the first list."

Both alphas froze. Gabriel saw the second alpha's smile drop slowly.

"However, considering what has happened in France, I won't be making the final judgment here today." The judge directed this to the other alpha.

Just what the fuck happened in France?

"What do you mean? You can't pass over alphas in the first list again. Alphas everywhere will object to that." The second claimant sounded shocked. Gabriel would relish it if it wasn't for his own similar surprise.

"Oh, I can, and I will," the judge said with glee to the second claimant. "It is decreed by the High Court that the first claimant keeps the temporary guardianship of Alice Lopes."

"Temporary? I thought this hearing was to be the final decree." Gabriel really didn't like the direction this was taking.

"The High Court? But you are the lead for the Iberian court. No one can take precedent over that." the other alpha argued.

"I am the lead judge for the Claims Court in Iberia, yes. But there is a higher power behind all decisions any court takes. And they are the ones intervening." The judge didn't sound very happy at that, but he was all smiles when it came to putting the alphas in their places. "There will be another hearing in a week's time, where a representative from the High Court will come to Lisbon, along with the first claimant of the second list."

The second alpha's hands had closed into fists, and a muscle on his neck was taut with anger. Gabriel felt his own hands compulsively closing, and he fought to keep control. The judge's companion took up position right behind him, ready to pull him away if needed.

"If either of you don't attend the summon for the hearing, you will be renouncing your claim." The judge looked at the other alpha with a satisfied smile. "You are now third on the list, with this alpha's claim taking priority over yours."

"So you are going to repeat what you did in France?" The second alpha smiled a dangerous smile, almost issuing a challenge.

"No, we are opening a different precedent. The alpha from the second list has become second of the first list."

"That is just as bad!" both alphas complained. "There will be riots like the ones in France," the other alpha continued.

The judge smirked.

"No, there won't be. Either the first or the second claimant gets Alice Lopes. You will be third on the list. And any information regarding this is considered classified, and spreading this information will result in you being cut off the list." The judge's voice sounded final, no space to argue.

The second alpha tensed for a moment, his hands shaking, and then he relaxed. He gave a polite smile, as if he realized he had been bested.

"Understandable," he said. "Is there anything else required from me?"

"No," the judge replied, taken aback, one eyebrow raised in suspicion. "You are dismissed."

"In that case, thank you for your time." The second claimant extended his hand.

The judge hesitated but took the man's hand awkwardly. His gaze was unfocused for a few moments but relaxed.

The alpha smiled and turned to Gabriel, the same hand extended. Gabriel tried to think of a polite excuse not to shake it, but found none. Then the alpha extended his hand to Wayne, who shook it quickly and let go with contempt.

The alpha left the hearing room, leaving all three men surprised at his change in attitude.

The judge turned to Gabriel, the concern over the other alpha's behavior still heavy in the room.

"There are some details I must discuss with you, before you go."