Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Alexis

My heart felt as if it was jamming in my throat. It was not out of fear or worry, or tension. It was out of anticipation. Back when I used to be in school, I was always anticipating what my GPA would be or if I’d get valedictorian or not. And then the results would come in, and I’d find that I’d made valedictorian.

This moment, this unending abyss of a moment where the Court was silent as it readied itself to read out the verdict, was all about anticipation.

And then the woman who was holding her file opened her mouth, “On the count of disrupting the peace and quiet of Fiddler’s Green, we find you not guilty. As both your testimonies have shown, the werewolves were never the perpetrators of disturbance.”

“Phew,” I said out loud.

“We are not done!” one of the old men boomed through the room. “There are four more charges to read.”

I cast a look at Will, wondering if he was thinking the same thing. There were five charges in total? Was that the reason there were five people present in the court?

The second woman spoke this time, “On the count of killing other supernatural species, such as vampires, we find you not guilty. Clearly, from your statements, we have gathered that you were provoked and were acting in self-defense.”

They’re just dragging this out as long as they can, Will said in my mind. Bureaucratic bullshit.

This time, it was one of the older men who spoke. “On the count of endangering the secrecy of the supernatural species by bringing us out into the light of the humans, we find you not guilty. The Grimm pack has taken extreme measures to ensure that the truth remains hidden from the public. Although, a warning could be issued to you, Ms. Richards, for divulging secrets to your best friend, Maliha.”

“She has been invaluable to us on several occasions,” I said. “And she has been sworn to secrecy.”

“Regardless, if you ever do this again, there will be a penalty,” the old man said.

He hadn’t stopped speaking when the next older man spoke. “The fourth count, the count of eliminating a public official who also happened to be a werewolf, we find you not guilty. After the circumstances of Maurice’s betrayal were explained to us, we no longer deem it a crime for you to have killed him.”

The last person took his time stating the final verdict. He grabbed the file and brought it close to his face, then peered at me and Will. “Necromancy is strictly prohibited by the Clandestine Order. It is not in our charge to bring back those who have been taken by death. For this last count, the count of necromancy, I will ask you both again. When Wilhelm Grimm rose from his grave, was there anything unnatural about it?”

I spoke before Will could. “If Edward Beckett hadn’t altered Will so severely, he would have died. It was the mutation that Will suffered at the hands of Edward that made him strong enough to survive. He had never died to begin with. So that last count of yours, that’s completely bogus.”

“Mr. Wilhelm Grimm? Do you have anything to say on the matter?”

I looked at Will, uncertain as to what he would say. But then, when he spoke, it filled me with calmness and certainty. Will said, “My mate speaks the truth. I have been altered too much, and I don’t know how it is that I’m still alive. But when Ralph, Maurice, and Blair tried to kill me, they failed. I strictly believe that necromancy is a dark art that should be left alone. And I can assure you that nothing of the sort happened.”

The old man who was holding his file placed it down and banged his gavel, stating, “Then, on this final count, you are also found not guilty. Let this court adjourn and let it be stated that neither of the parties was charged with anything.”

“Then this was a phenomenal waste of our time!” I said, unable to believe what had just happened. All that pomp and circumstance for nothing.

“Young lady, there is nothing wasteful about these proceedings. We take everything very seriously, especially the dealings of this court. Or did you think that your activities would go unnoticed forever? Mark my words, you may not have been found guilty, but there can come a day when we deem something vicious, and on that day, you will truly understand the gravity of the Clandestine Court,” the old man said.

“Is that it? We’re free to leave?” Will asked, taking my arm and stepping towards the door.

“You are free to return to your lives,” the woman said.

By then, we were already out of the courtroom and heading for the elevator that led out of the building. For me, the anticipation had been for naught. Despite what they had said, I still felt like it was a colossal waste of our time. Time that we could have used better to strengthen our defenses against Blair’s mercenaries.

***

My view about returning to Fiddler’s Green at once to see if our defenses were strong enough changed after I stepped out of the Empire State Building and beheld the day. It was a very sunny afternoon that had dispelled all the cold from last night’s rain. Every tree, sidewalk, shrubbery, and building was washed clean and shimmered in the mid-noon sun.

Just being here, out in the street, made me want to take a long walk with Will and just go around eating bagels, buying falafel straight from a cart, and going to see the Hudson. I’d never seen the Statue of Liberty up close. Perhaps today could be a good time to do that. How often was it that I got a chance to come to New York?

“Your thoughts are so loud I can practically hear them without even tapping into our bond,” Will said.

“Oh yeah? And what am I thinking about?” I asked, twirling on the sidewalk, letting my sundress flow in the wind.

“You intend to stay here for a bit,” Will said. “And I don’t blame you. We’re out from the eye of the storm. The Clandestine Order is not going to be a matter of concern for us any longer. So, yes, it does make sense to stay here for a day longer than we intended.”

“But? I sense that there’s a but coming,” I said, the smile disappearing from my face as I studied his grave face.

“But we’ve got an entire town and our whole pack vulnerable back there. Without my leadership and your resourcefulness, how long do you give them?”

“Will, that’s not fair. Vincent is more than capable enough to take care of the pack. You know this,” I protested. I wasn’t really in the mood to have an argument with Will, but given how polar opposite stances we’d taken in this discussion, it felt as if an argument was right around the corner.

Will was standing by his parked Jeep, the doors open. He beckoned me to follow him. As much as I wanted to walk in the sunshine, I obliged.

“Last time, we had to rescue Maliha from those soldiers. Who knows how many people are in danger now that Blair’s sending more and more soldiers out there? It’s something that we can’t just leave to chance,” Will said.

“You’re right,” I said. “And I’ll admit that I’m being an escapist right now. Look around you. It’s so bright, sunny, and lively here. It’s nothing like Fiddler’s Green. You can see what I’m talking about, right? It’s not like I’ve gone crazy. I’m not even talking about staying for an entire day. Just a couple of hours longer. We’ll be back in New York by nightfall.”

Will didn’t start the Jeep immediately. Instead, he looked at me with an exasperated expression on his face. “Do you really feel that way?”

“Yes.” I figured it was about time I made my stand. Whether or not I got my way, I had to at least communicate my needs, desires, and wants. “You are someone who takes responsibility very seriously, and I love that about you. But you have to understand that there are more important things than responsibility on the horizon, Will. We’re going to get married soon. And then what? Then we’ll maybe have a baby. You’ll be a father to that kid. You will eventually have to leave your responsibility as an Alpha behind to fulfill your responsibility as a husband and a father. What are you going to do then? Sooner or later, you’re going to have to let go.”

“I will admit that I have thought about it time and again. I cannot be the Alpha of the pack forever. Even I know that. It’s just that this whole timeline is moving faster than I expected. In a short while, we’ll be married, and that will be the end of my reign as the alpha. And you’re right about Vincent. In fact, I’ll even share a secret with you. I’m thinking of appointing him as the next Alpha. He’s got the right talent for it,” Will said.

I was about to respond, but then my phone rang at that exact second. I brought it up and saw that it was Vince calling.

“Speak of the devil,” I said, pointing at my phone.

“Let me talk to him,” Will said, taking the phone from me.

“Hey, Will,” Vince said from the phone. “Hope everything went well with the Clandestine Court.”

“Surprise, surprise, they found us not guilty,” I chimed in before Will had a chance to do so.

“Big whoop, we were all rooting for you and knew that they’d find you not guilty. It’s like what Will said; they’re a bunch of bureaucrats,” Vince said. “But that’s not why I called.”

“Tell us what’s happening, Vince,” Will said.

“Okay, but it’s a doozy. So, last night, there was a whole patrol of those soldiers in the town. Except, they didn’t go into the town. None of the citizens of Fiddler’s Green were harmed or anything like that. But those soldiers tried to get near the commune. They even went into the forest and tried to ambush one of our scouting parties. But the wolves were more in number than the soldiers, so the soldiers didn’t do anything. But they didn’t leave, exactly.”

“Let me guess, and you’re tracking them down?” Will asked.

“I had to. There was no way I was letting them out of my sight. I’ve been tracking them since last night, and I’ve found one of their hotspots in the forest. Will, there are so many of them here. Around twenty of them, armed and dangerous.”

“Promise me you’re not going to engage them all by yourself,” Will said sternly.

“I promise. I’m just on the lookout. I won’t do anything before you’ve gotten here. Speaking of which, when are you—” Vince’s voice was suddenly cut off, followed by sounds of struggling.

“Vince? Vince?” Will called repeatedly on the phone but got no answer.

I looked at Will, extremely worried as to what had just happened, partly feeling guilty that I’d suggested staying in New York for a couple more hours to begin with. Will had been right all along. And now, something had happened to Vincent.

“Help!” Vince’s voice came from the phone, but it sounded very distant. Will and I pressed our ears close to the phone. After a lot of rustling and static, I heard the grunts of those soldiers.

“Fuck,” Will said, punching the steering wheel. “They’ve got him.”

“From the sound of it, it seemed as if they ambushed and attacked him,” I said. “We have to get back there as fast as we can.”

Will didn’t even respond to me. He started the Jeep and accelerated it down the street. I already knew what I had to do. I dialed the numbers of the pack members and alerted them immediately about what had just happened to Vincent.

I had known Vince since he was a child. Seeing him grow up into the strong werewolf that he was, I was confident that he’d get out of this alive. But still, my heart began clamoring yet again with anticipation as to what would happen and whether we’d be able to get there in time.

“If Blair so much as harms a hair on Vince’s body, I will kill him in the most merciless way possible,” Will growled.

“Morgan,” I said on a call with one of the pack members. “Vincent has been attacked near the commune. He’s been taken by the soldiers.”

Then I shot a look at Will. “Morgan’s asking what to do?”

“Tell them that they are not to go after the soldiers under any circumstance. They should batten down the hatches and protect the commune at all costs. No one goes in. Nobody goes out. And if a soldier so much as steps near the commune, you have my permission to kill them by any means necessary. If any of you go after Vincent, the soldiers will be alerted to our plan, and they’ll do something terrible to him.”

“Did you get that, Morgan?” I asked.

“I did. Don’t worry. We’re going to do as Will said. We’re keeping the women and children inside their homes. The men are going to set up a perimeter around the commune. We’re waiting for you guys,” Morgan said, then hung up.

“I wonder if we can get there faster if we ditch my Jeep and shift into our wolf forms,” Will said.

“That’s the only course of action,” I said. “If we traverse the countryside in our wolf forms, we’ll make it to Fiddler’s Green in under an hour. If we’re on the road, we’re going to take two hours.”

I watched as Will parked the Jeep in front of a gas station. We quickly got out of the car, made sure it was locked, then hurried behind the gas station into the thicket of trees where no one would be able to see us.

The sun was already going down behind the trees, and the sky was darkening quickly. It was the opportune moment to shift into a werewolf.