DARKEST ( Supernatural Beginnings Series) Book Three

Wolf Council Part Two

Our eyes connected in a silent battle of wills. His cunning yet deceitful smile never left his face and his eyes were very telling in the naive sense that he thought he had already won whatever was about to take place here within the court hall. My unshaken resolve soon made him fidget in his chair and the sound of Alexis snorting behind me made me smile.

“Still a wimp, I see, but don’t worry about him, Wolfram. I’ve had eyes on him since the last incident. We should have a debrief from my people by the end of tonight,” said Alexis through the mind link.

“Looking more and more outstanding to me kid, I will follow your lead on this just as with the sneak attack plans. Keep a guard on the former, the wards are about to be in place soon.” I responded through the mind link. The court hadn’t yet begun but when it did, a protective ward would be set in place to prevent any contact with all present parties and anyone outside.

“On it gramps,” Alexis said. I could feel the smirkness in her tone. The low hum of energy throughout the hall let me know the ward was now set in place. As the doors of the Court Hall closed behind us, the room seemed to hold its breath, because within its hallowed confines. The atmosphere was heavy with anticipation, and the surroundings exuded an air of ancient authority and unwavering judgment.

My family had already taken their seats behind me. Adjacent to us were my brother, his wife, and the Fangs. Out of the four of them, only three looked smug. As I stealthily studied Roman's expression, he didn’t look too happy about being there. In fact, he looked upset no matter how much he tried to hide it.

That was surprising, but given how his mother Sade was, it was no no-brainer who was really behind this. She had always been an impatient and selfish person. The half mask on her face made her look more like a clown in the midst of this circus act, despite how demure and haughty she was trying to portray herself at the moment.

Turning my attention back toward the appointed council members for this case. I caught Darius’s subtle wink at Vernice, who scrunched her face up in disgust and turned her face slightly away from his eager pursuit.

I let out a low but deep sigh as I thought how cruel fate could be sometimes. Vernice had long since rejected Darius as her mate and I wondered how long she had been dealing with his harassment during the time he had been a council member of the Wolf Council. A frown creased my brow but soon I fixed my expression. Vernice slowly shook her head with her eyes on me. She was letting me know not to worry and that she could deal with that pricky nephew of mine.

The head judge took his stance, standing tall and with authority. His eyes glanced my way for a moment, then toward Roman as we both stood standing in front of the podium specially marked for us. In addition to the defendant and plaintiff podiums, another podium stood in the center of the room.

Before the judgment podium, at the very center of the Court Hall, lay the special judgment gauntlet scale—a mystical contraption that resembled an ornate, silver glove. The wearer, whether defendant or plaintiff, would place their hand within the gauntlet. Embedded in the knuckle part of the glove were five special gems, each representing a chance to speak the truth. When the wearer spoke, the gems would glow with an otherworldly light, revealing the honesty of their words to the council. Tap, Tap, Tap, the head judge brought down the gavel, signaling the court was now in session.

“Welcome, Plaintiff Roman Fang and Defendant Wolfram Claw. Today we are here in regards to a decree brought forth on behalf of Sade Fang and Ingrim Claw in regards to Resources Pct and Marriage arrangement between your two kingdoms. It has been brought to our attention that the Red Claw Pack has been in violation of the said agreement and henceforth refuses to honor the pact that has also been approved and remains active under the eyes of the Wolf Council law. I would like to start this off with an explanation of the defendant, Wolfram Claw. Whenever you are ready you may speak.” the head judge eyed me once again. This time I caught his message for me to be weary. He took his seat without pause and each and every appointed member sat up in their seats straightening their positions as they became alert, listening intently to what I was about to say.

Walking forward, the gauntlet scale gleamed in all its mystical glory, compelling me to wear it and reveal all the truths hidden inside. As I looked down, I noticed the podium had suddenly changed, a smile growing on the judge's face and gasps of shock ringing out from the plaintiff’s side made me release something. The Wolf council had also come prepared, the gauntlet we had appeared to see at first glance had undoubtedly been tampered with. Because of certain people’s reactions, this trick of theirs would not come to fruition.

The new podium before me was carved from the darkest ebony wood, its surface etched with arcane symbols that seemed to pulse with malevolent energy. The intent was clear in making the wearer feel intimidated. The scale, an apparatus changed into that of brass and steel, dominated the podium's center. It now resembled a monstrous, elongated hand, its fingers splayed in readiness, and its knuckles still adorned with five resplendent gems of varying colors, each representing a unique facet of truth and justice.

Compared to the silver one, this one wasn’t so easy to tamper with. The atmosphere in the courtroom was electric, charged with palpable tension as well. Darius wiggled in his seat at the judge's table. Was the tampering his plan? Did he want me to give false truths? Or was it the Fangs instead? Something was off here. Why would my brother want to hold on to this pact so much when it did not benefit him in any shape or form?

The intricate brass-and-steel contraption fitted snugly over my left hand. The head judge was a stern figure draped in a robe of somber black. We made eye contact again before he began his barrage of questions. The ones that were most prominent to getting to the truth would activate a gem on the gauntlet knuckle.

“ Wolfram Claw, Do you agree with the complaint of charges brought against you?” the judge asked the questions in a measured, solemn tone.

“No, I do not agree with these allegations, judge.”

“Please do explain why you do not agree with this accusation in clear transparency before the council here today.”

“Certainly, judges, the answer is simple. First, we, the Red Claws, have not once held back any resources to the Kingdom of Silver Fang for the many years the pact has been active between us. Instead, it is the Fangs that have been blatantly misusing the resources for their own gain instead of what was agreed upon within the stipulations of the pact. Vice Chair Council member Vernice Mellow and her subordinates have collected the evidence for this matter in every detail for your personnel. Second, as for the marriage arrangement between our two kingdoms, heirs, that has been brought to a null and void the moment my granddaughter found and marked her fated mate Alexis Moon McCleary, who is with us here today, if you have any other questions about the matter. The fans have been well aware of these things, so it's upon my confusion why we are standing here before the Wolf Council court today.”

The gems on the gauntlet's knuckles would activate, emitting a soft, harmonious chorus of colors if the truth prevailed. The gems would respond to the words spoken, their hues subtly shifting in response to the wearer's veracity or deceit. But when a lie was told, a palpable tension would grip the room.

The first gem to react to my words was The Amethyst of Transparency: A regal purple stone, it held an air of majestic authority. It exuded an aura of noble candor at my words of the truth, but it was obvious the other side still held out for it to cloud with an unsettling obscurity when deceit was unveiled.

The head judge along with many others nodded their heads in agreement as Vernice's subordinates began administering the evidence of records in all the resources given to the Fang Family in my stead. Many wore frowns and I knew they agreed with me that this matter was not court worth and therefore someone was playing tricks on their dime.

The judge then turned toward Roman, who stood at a similar podium to mine, his right hand inside the second gauntlet scale of truth. Before either he or the judge could say anything, Sade stepped forward, her anger evident in the words she uttered out loud.

“What evidence! This is pure blasphemy! Wolfram is just trying to use fancy words to weasel his way out of this council’s favoritism. The Vice-chair is the daughter of his Beta! This evidence should be deemed admissible!”