Forever Bound

CHAPTER FOUR

Alpha Rex watched his brother's partner smile, then began her statement. It seemed they were all trying to mock him, it seemed the smiles were all directed at him.

Why would the great Alpha choose to marry a thief? He swore inwardly, wondering if they had forgotten that the moon goddess had chosen her to be his mate, not him.

“Yes, I will. Yesterday morning, I called Luna into my room. She followed, and after congratulating her on her upcoming wedding, I showed her the moonstones my ancestors had exchanged during their wedding, believing that the alpha would give her something greater and more expensive. After I collected it from her, I stepped outside for a moment. When I came back, Luna said she was ready to go, and I let her go after congratulating her.”

Rex watched the elder Adrian lift his hand for her to pause, his hand poking out of his huge robe.

“When did you notice your moonstones were missing?”

“After I entered the room, I checked. They weren't there. I knew at once she had stolen it, and I eyed her all day, alert when she stepped out of her room mid-afternoon. Unknowingly, I followed her as she left the palace and went into the Town, straight to the blacksmith's workshop.” Rex watched her pause, ready to launch into the next part of her story.

“After she came out, I went into the workshop, demanded that Lucas Blunt tell me what had just transpired between them. He did, without even thinking twice because, according to him, he felt it was stolen. He knew she didn't own such an expensive piece of jewelry.”

Elder Floyd smacked the table as the elders began to discuss among themselves in hushed tones.

“Lucas Blunt, can you attest to this? Is all that Seraphina Jasper saying the truth?”

“Yes it is.”

Rex watched Lucas answer with confidence, and it made him wonder what kind of friend he was to Luna. He hadn't even looked at her in remorse, not even as much as a glance worrying about her feelings.

Heading over to the accused stand, Elder Adrian faced her squarely, and Rex noted that the smile that was on his face when he was questioning Seraphina was no more.

“Luna Derek, did you or did you not take the moonstones belonging to Seraphina Jasper?”

“No, I did not.”

Rex nodded, his hand grabbing his chair once again. He wasn't only excited by the confidence in her voice, he was excited by her stance. She no longer looked guilty, she no longer acted guiltily.

Seraphina raised her hand in interruption and objection, but the elder Adrian shut her down without batting an eyelid.

“Luna Derek, what made you leave the palace at such an hour?”

“I wanted to invite my friend to my wedding, that's what.”

“You wanted to invite Lucas to your wedding? A wedding that everybody supposedly knew about? Can you tell me that everybody in the circle was invited?”

Rex watched Luna’s eyes escape a tear, and he looked away, annoyed and disgusted by his inability to help her and her act of crying instead of being strong.

“No, not everybody was invited.”

“A few more questions. Did you or did you not enter Seraphina’s room?”

“Yes, I was there.”

She wiped a tear from her cheek and once again Rex tried to remain calm despite the fact that he was boiling inside.

“Did you or did you not leave Seraphina's room as soon as she returned?”

The silence that followed before Luna answered made Rex swear within himself repeatedly. The case was already over before it had begun. No jury was going to vote in her favor, and it was clear and very obvious.

“I left her room, elder. But that was because I was pressed and needed to use the…”

“Yes or no answers, Luna Derek.”

“Yes.”

“Final question.”

Rex could slice through the tension in the air with a move of his hand. The air was thick with conflict, anxiety and something else. Something that only he seemed to know was there. Fear.

“Did you or did you not touch and examine these moonstones when you were given them, Luna?”

“Yes, I examined them, but only because…”

“Thank you, Luna Derek, that will be all for now.”

Alpha Rex waited in his chair as the jury, which consisted of three elders, elder Jeremiah included, made their decision. Writing it on a piece of paper, each of them made their judgments, then passed it to the small-statured Floyd who, in turn, passed it to him.

His hands trembling, Alpha Rex Edinburgh stared at the paper in his hands. Their judgments were there in front of him, three words staring evilly at him and seeming to grin at his disappointment.

All three words said the same thing; guilty.

Alpha Rex stared at Luna as if trying to relay the message across to her. She averted her eyes, and he could see disappointment, fear and uncertainty in them.

He passed the now open paper to the elder Floyd, who hit the gavel with all his might, announcing the decision with a vehemence that he only seemed to possess when he was reading out the jury's decision.

“Luna Derek, the jury has found you guilty of theft and trying to gain profit from your crime.” The punishment for theft and profit gain is five years imprisonment, but you have committed three crimes. You also stole in the palace, and that makes your punishment capital. You are therefore sentenced to banishment out of the Blue moon pack and kingdom.

Elder Floyd looked at him, it was his cue to finish the remnant of the sentence.

His hands trembling and his eyes hurting, Alpha Rex Edinburgh stood, his heart thumping in his chest, praying for something, anything could delay the moment he was dreading. But nothing happened. The room was still, all faces staring at him, awaiting his proclamation.

“Luna Derek, you are hereby sentenced to banishment from the Blue moon pack. You will leave the kingdom without anything that belongs to the kingdom or anything that was grown in the kingdom. However, you have to remain in the prison cell as it is late. Your banishment takes effect from tomorrow. Court dismissed.”

His hands were itching to hold her, but he could only stand, staring at her as the guards took her out of the court while she did anything but struggle.

For the first time, Alpha Rex Edinburgh came to the realization that it might be the last time he would see Luna Derek.