The Prince’s Unwilling mate

177 Ayla

Yesterday, lunch went by without a hitch. The entire pack was invited as always. Only the high–ranking wolves have an obligation to go. Even with them, we cannot force them. Cynthia not coming to lunch was odd for her. The people who knew her would know something was off. The Elders of the Council did not notice her absence. I did and to me, a reassurance. Behaving like the prim and proper Princess was easier to do without having to worry about what Cynthia would do.

it was

After what I thought was a successful lunch, we followed Griffin’s plan. All in all, it was the perfect day. I took my mind off the burden of needing to go to trial the next day. Now however I woke us to Griffin getting out of bed to make us our coffee. For a few seconds, I lay back enjoying the view of Griffin walking off in his boxer shorts until it dawned on me what the reason was he got out of bed this early.

Because it wasn’t so that we could go to work in time. It wasn’t‘ t because we had fun plans we needed to be on time for. It was because an hour from now, I would have to relive the worst period of my life. On trial for everyone and their mother to see. All so that in the end I could request punishment. So that the Council of Elders could decide if what I wanted was a fair request. I would be judged if my suffering had been enough to warrant whatever punishment I would request.

I hate all of it, I understand it is necessary. And that I cannot be the person to decide on Hannah’s punishment myself. Nor could the people

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177 Ayla

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around me who loved me. Their love for me would cloud their judgment. The only thing that I hated was the fact that my story would be on display for all to see.

***

When I walked into the meeting room where the trial would be held. Dressed to feel good. Dressed in clothes I normally wouldn’t wear but clothes that showed my rank. That made me look professional and powerful. It almost was like an armor for me, and I knew I needed it. My eyes roamed around the room. Most of the people I saw were the people I figured would be there, Isabella and Rodrick, Daniel and Kirsten, Griff, my parents, and of course the Elders Dillion, Jessa, and some of the others were not in the stands but closer to the desk that would serve as the stands. They would be called on as witnesses. Some random pack members showed up. I appreciated what they did because it was because they supported me. The only one I was truly surprised to see, was Cynthia it was hard to believe that she was here because she wanted to

support me.

She has done nothing but cause me trouble, she was hellbent on not accepting me as Griffin’s mate and all that came with that. After hearing Hannah tell me why she did all that she has done. Not just the kidnapping, but everything she did before that too. It was for the exact same reasons as Cynthia did what she was doing now. Causing all that trouble, it made me wonder if Cynthia would one day escalate like that

too.

Until I realized that they might have had the same reasoning behind.

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what they were doing. All the rest was completely different. Her father had told her how disappointed he was in her more than once. He has apologized to us and disciplined her several times. Hannah’s parents had fed her obsessiveness because, to them, it was warranted. David did not try to stop Hannah’s behavior for a little while he did. Back when he figured I might be his mate. When he figured I might change and become his obedient mate. He never fully stopped because it stroked his ego and when it became clear he and I would never be mates he stopped defending me at all.

Griffin was different, he protected me even before he was sure I would accept him as my mate. I would never want to leave him, but still. I know he would never stop protecting me even if I did. Because that is how he was, and that is why Cynthia would never get as bad as Hannah. And that is why I despite everything pity Hannah.

“All may be seated” The Elder who would lead the trial was strict.

Everyone rushed to their seat, not wanting to annoy her. First order of business as King Roderick was the one who needed to give an official statement as to why we wanted Hannah to be punished. What we accused her of and in her case why we had only arrested her. He winked. at me as if he wanted to reassure me and then he began his opening.

statement.

“The she–wolf we want punished has committed numerous crimes not just against me or my family. But against the entire country on top of aiding several oth

heinous crimes. Like the murder of Alpha Philip

Birch and Luna Isabella Birch and their underage daughter.”

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Gasp of horror filled the room, most wolves in the entire country knew that David had killed his parents. But hardly anyone knew about the fact that he killed his sister. As Rodrick explained as the main victim, I would request the punishment as is custom with the Council of Elders. Stating that because I was his daughter–in–law he would not request a formal punishment as it would be a conflict of interest. The court agreed. with this and soon we could proceed.

During all this time and during preparing I feared having to relive what I have gone through again. Never did I realize I would need to listen to the rest. Hearing all that they went through, how scared sad, and angry they were when I was gone. How on multiple occasions Griffin alinost got seriously ill from missing. Mostly because he had been starving himself not caring for anything other than finding me. I knew David had kept the entire Blood Moon pack under his control with his Alpha voice. Somehow I never realized Hannah had helped with that too. It was all, harder on me than talking about what happened to me.

Listening to everyone else’s hurt made me feel like a failure. Like I should have been there for my pack both old and new. And for my wonderful mate, it all made what happened to me feel less important in

the grand scheme of things. For the moment I woke up from my coma, if we can even call it that. Everyone else had been concerned with me. Everyone had told me how sorry they were for what had happened to me. People had told me they wished they paid better attention. Even now in this trial, I would be the one requesting a punishment as the main victim. Now I wonder if that is me though, but still, I hoped the Council of Elders would agree with the punishment I would request. Hannah deserved to be a rogue she did not deserve to be in a pack

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anymore. Not for how she had hurt so many people just for her own gains. So when the council stated that in only a few hours they had come up with a conclusion my palms got sweaty

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