The Beta's Justice

Chapter 14

Audrey's POV

It's been four days since the meeting with Mr. Randolf. Time has never felt like it has moved as slowly as it did for me. The more excited I got about seeing the blueprints, picking what I thought would be best, and the start breaking ground, the slower time moved. I let out a loud sigh as I pushed the food around on my plate at the diner table.

"What's wrong?" Axel asked as he scarfed down another bite.

"I am waiting for a call, but it feels like it's taking forever," I grumbled.

"Call about what?" He asked with his mouth still full of food.

"Chew your food, swallow, and then talk," I scolded. "I am working on a special project for the new wolves. So, the call I'm waiting for will be telling me we can get the ball rolling," I explained.

"What project?" He asked once he swallowed his food.

"A new training and living facility," I told him.

"Cool. When did you go in and meet for the blueprints?"

"About four days ago. He said they would be ready on Friday, but I was so hoping they would be ready sooner," I sighed.

"So, you're upset you have to wait one more day?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "Spoiled," he said as he coughed dramatically into his hand.

"I am not," I said as I crossed my arms over my chest. "I'm just excited to get started is all," I told him.

"Another day won't kill you," he rolled his eyes.

"Where's Maya?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Bed," he said as he took another piece of bacon.

"Is she okay?" I looked over at the clock. It was already after nine. The events at school start at nine-thirty.

He shrugged. "Tired, I guess."

"I'll go check on her," I said as I stood and headed up the stairs. I didn't get too far when I saw Maya making her way down. "It's almost time to go," I told her.

"I know," she yawned.

"Were you up late last night?"

"No," she muttered as she stepped past me and went to the dinner table.

"Why did you get up so late then?"

"Stop, you're not my mom," she turned around to glare at me.

"No, but I am your sister," I responded, trying to keep my voice calm.

"Then act like a sister, not a mother," she hissed.

"What is wrong? Why are you being an ass?" I shot at her. Just when I think everything has found a new kind of normal. A happy kind of normal. She started to act like this, again.

She didn't respond. Instead, she headed straight for the door and left, slamming the door behind herself. "Ugh!" I screamed.

"Are you alright?" Aiden asked as he came up behind me.

"Oh, yes, of course," I smiled, trying to ignore the fact that I had lost my cool a second before.

"Did the man call you back?" he asked, changing the subject. I shook my head. "You said Friday, right?" I nodded. "Then he has one more day," Aiden pointed out, trying to brighten my mood.

"I know, I just wish he would work faster," I sighed. I knew I was being impatient, but I couldn't help it. This was something entrusted to me. This was the first big thing entrusted to me. I didn't want to let anyone down.

"Just be patient," grumbled Caden. He was very much over this conversation.

"You're right," I smiled as I pat his head. He quickly brushed my hand away.

They went and sat down at the table and began to eat breakfast. "Today can you continue your research so we can create a kind of barrier to protect the facility?" I asked them. I had decided not to order them as much. Aiden could take orders and never complain. However, Caden detested being ordered and it tended to make him feel used rather than appreciated.

"Of course! I think we've just about finished the spell and research," Aiden announced to me joyfully.

"Really!? That's amazing!" This was great. Their spell would make it possible to build a nice facility without worrying about the materials needed.

I watched as Caden's face brightened, but then he quickly averted his gaze and shoved food into his mouth. "We will continue after we finish eating," Aiden told me.

"Thank you," I beamed at them. "Well, I better get to the arena, it's training time after all," I said as I waved and then left.

I headed straight for the arena, but before I reached the building, my phone rang. Quickly, I pulled it out of my pocket and answered, "Hello?"

"This is Mr. Randolf's office calling for Ms. Audrey Ward?" the receptionist questioned.

"Yes, this is her," I responded. My heart leaped, it's ready, it must be ready!

"Mr. Randolf has completed the blueprints and would like to know when you are available to come in and choose the floorplans and building plans you would like best," she explained, and then waited for my answer.

I thought for a moment, I should go to the arena to get training started and then I should be able to go to meet with Mr. Randolf. "Yes, I should have time within the hour for you to come to visit," I informed her.

"I will let him know. We look forward to seeing you in an hour," she confirmed.

"Thank you," I said before saying goodbye. I hung up and raced to the arena.

Stepping through the doors, I gathered everyone and began their training. "Darren, can you please watch over training this morning? I need to attend a meeting," I told him.

"The prints are done?" he asked, trying to sound cryptic, knowing there were listening ears.

"Yes," I smiled joyfully.

"Go ahead," he said as he kissed my forehead.

I felt my cheeks redden from his action. "Yes, well, I should go," I said, feeling a little frazzled.

"See you soon," he smiled as he let go of my hand. I hadn't even realized he took it.

"Good luck," I grinned back at him before I left.

I went straight to the architect's office. Stepping inside, I went to the front desk. "I'm Audrey Ward," I said, and then waited.

"Please wait a moment. Mr. Randolf will be with you shortly," she informed me.

I took a seat in the waiting room. I pulled out my phone to check for messages, but there were none. I slid it away again. I looked around, feeling nervous for some reason. The clock felt as though its ticking was louder than usual. Then the secretary opened the office door. "He is ready to see you," she announced.

"Oh, thank you," I said as I practically jumped out of the chair.

I stepped into the room and she closed the door behind me. "Good morning, Ms. Ward," he smiled and motioned for me to sit down in front of him. "I got a little more ambitious and created three different layouts for each floor. Choose one and then I will get the contractor this afternoon. If all goes well, we should begin to break ground tomorrow morning," he informed me.

"Really, that's fantastic!" I smiled.

He stood and walked over to a table that had several sheets of large blue paper spread across it. "Come take a look. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me," he said as he went around to the other side.

I stood and went to the table. Over the next thirty minutes, I looked over the prints and asked him so many questions, I felt as though I was being annoyed. Yet, Mr. Randolf answered each question without appearing annoyed. "I think that's all I need," he smiled as he organized the pages.

"Okay, so tomorrow, we can start to break ground?" I asked happily.

"If the contractor can get a crew together, then yes, tomorrow," he assured me.

I smiled happily. "This is excellent!" I stretched out my hand to shake his. "Please gather the receipts as you go. I will make sure you are paid in full," I promised him.

"Will do," he confirmed.

Leon's POV

She's been out for nearly a week. Nearly a week. I set down my pencil, leaned back in my chair, and pinched the bridge of my nose. Blaze was exhausting. The more he badgered me, the more my head pounded. "Can you stop?" I grumbled. "I've got work to get done," I tried to explain.

"Mate is hold up in her house, alone, while you are doing paperwork," he growled.

I rolled my eyes at his dramatic response. "She is not hold up. She is resting. And she is not alone. June and Ben are with her," I told him.

"But we aren't there, so she is alone," he huffed.

"She is not alone. Now stop your bellyaching. We are supposed to give her time," I reminded him.

"So when you should go to the lab to find what we needed to wake her up, you stayed at her bedside. Then when we should be at her bedside now, you sit here at the desk," he stated angrily.

He was right. But then, when I looked at her, there was hope that she would wake up. Hope that we could go back to the way that things were. Well, not exactly. But maybe better. However, now. Now I felt my hope was leaving. She didn’t remember me. She was awake, but she didn’t remember me. "I can't," I muttered.

"You can't what?"

"I can't keep seeing her, not when her eyes tell me she doesn't know me," I told him. I needed him to understand that I need time just as much as she does.

Before he could respond, there was a knock at the door. "Come in," I called.

The door opened to reveal my mother. I stood and stepped around my desk. "What can I do for you?" I questioned. Her expression was serious.

"Sit," I motioned to the couch and started to walk over to a comfortable chair.

"No, this isn't a couch conversation," she informed me as she took a seat in front of the desk.

I followed and took a seat in my chair. She was sitting straight. I have learned since I was a pup that the straighter she sits, the more serious the conversation was. "What's the matter?"

"It's time," she said, as though I would know exactly what she was talking about.

"Time?"

"Your father will need to stand trial. We have put it off long enough. The pack is now stabilizing. Now is the time," she announced.

"Now?"

"Yes, this afternoon," she confirmed.

"Must we hold an official trial?" I inquired. He had already stepped down. What more did she want? He is her mate. Does she really want him to be punished?

"Yes, it would set a horrible precedent for the pack if we were to allow him to go without trial and judgment," she responded. Her expression was firm. She was sticking to her desire to have him face the music and I knew I wouldn't be able to persuade her otherwise.

"I understand what you're saying, but he has already stepped down," I tried to reason with her. Now didn't feel like an optimal time for me. We may be settling down after Ryker and Catherine's attack, however, I had a feeling we weren't in the clear.

"Leon, dear, it is only an hour or two of your time. Through this, the pack will learn that no one has the freedom to do as they wish, no matter their rank." She was right. I knew she was right. However, if I proceeded with the trial, I would be sitting in my father's chair. I would be sentencing him. It felt wrong to do so to my own father. As if by reading my mind, my mother added, "I will be at your side. You will not do this alone. The council members will also be present. You will not have to decide his punishment without their advice. But Leon, if we do not hold the trial soon, then the pack may grow to resent you," she was pleading for me to understand what must be done. She knew it would hurt my father deeply, but she was right. If I ignored this, then I would set myself up to fall in the future because of this decision.

"Fine, set the time and I will be there," I finally conceded.

"Good, I will prepare everything," she simply responded before she stood and left.

I leaned back in my chair. "Let's go see mate now," Blaze urged. But he knew as well as I did that by setting the trial time, I would have to complete everything now.

"You know we can't," I sighed as I leaned forward, picked up my pen and began going through the papers on my desk. Blaze remained quiet while I worked. At least, he gave me some peace. But I knew what he wanted, which caused his emotions to be a bit overwhelmed at times.

***

Time passed by slowly, however, it did not stop and so the trial was soon upon me. Standing up, I left the office and headed toward the meeting hall. It had a grand name. However, its appearance didn't live up to it. It was a room with a long table set alongside the far wall with chairs behind it. There were two rows of chairs that lined the walls on either side with the center of the floor open. I stepped into the room as the council members were taking their seats.

When they saw me, they stood and bowed. "Young Alpha, it is a pleasure to see you well and healthy," one member spoke up with a smile laid across his lips.

"You as well," I returned the greeting.

"Please take your seat," he motioned to the larger chair in the center of the chairs behind the table.

I took a few steps up to the chair which felt as though I were on trail as I sat on the chair which sat on a kind of stage. "The trial will begin shortly," he informed me as he sat in the chair next to mine.

"Thank you," I said, giving him a tight smile.

"It is never easy," he said with a sigh.

"What is?"

"These trials. Especially when they are for ranked members of the pack," he explained. "Now we have had two of these trials in a little less than a year," he shook his head.

I looked over at him and saw that his shoulders were dropped as though he were carrying a heavy load. "How will we proceed?" I questioned, hoping to take his mind off of who was coming to be tried. It was also an honest question. It was one thing to sit in the chairs below, but here, there was so much more pressure and formality to follow.

"The guilty party will enter. We will read them their charges, then they will have the option to plead their case or admit guilt. After which we will decide their punishment," he concluded.

He must have seen my dumbfounded face because he continued to speak. "There are not many formalities we follow. There are no bells and whistles to make this more glamorous. We prefer it to be straightforward and efficient."

"I see. And for this case, what would be the usual punishment given?" I knew the answer, but I prayed to the Moon Goddess I was wrong.

"Excile usually. We do not condone anyone interfering with the mate bond under any circumstances or for any reason. We have seen what can happen to a wolf when it is done," his voice was stern, but there was sadness in his gaze. He didn't want this for my father, his retired Alpha.

"You said, usually," I prompted. Maybe there was another punishment we could give.

"Yes, I did," he paused in thought for a moment. "There are circumstances which allow for the punishment to be lessened. However, I am unsure if the former Alpha's situation will be within the bounds." He appeared conflicted.

"What would the circumstances be?" I pressed. I didn't condone what my father did. However, I didn't want to expel him. Much of what he did was not of his own accord. How can we be sure of what was him and what was planned by Ryker?

"He would have needed to be coerced. Another would be if it somehow would be for the betterment of the pack. Otherwise, it is highly unlikely that he will be allowed to remain in the pack," he finally informed me.

Coerced. Then it hit me. Ryker. He was drugging my father. We don't know when it started. It's possible that my father was not acting of his accord. "What if he had been drugged?"

The member raised a curious eyebrow at me. "That would also be an extenuating circumstance," he told me.

I felt my heart begin to beat again. I can save him. Suddenly, almost robotic in timing, everyone took their seats and the far door opened. My father walked in with a guard on either side. He had been imprisoned by my mother while he awaited trial. He looked so much older now. Small and frail as he sat down on the chair in the center of the room. He used to take up a room with his presence. However, now if we had not been here for him, you would never know he was here.

"Let us begin," my mother said as she strode in behind him. The doors closed and she made her way up to the empty chair next to mine. I looked over to see her stoic face. She was ready to try him fairly. No one here would question her judgment.