Mia Darien: Good Things

I gripped the sides of the podium and bowed my head to the king. “Sire.”

He didn’t reply, but I saw a half-smile curve his lips. When Roman and I were pups, a smile like that had always meant he’d cooked up some trouble for us to get into. But now he was the king and I was just a subordinate. I didn’t know what to make of his smile anymore. All I knew was that it couldn’t mean anything good for my cousin.

“My lords,” I said to the nobles. They, like the king, had nothing to say in return, but I didn’t expect them to. They were a bunch of hard-asses that showed very little mercy to those brought before them for crimes against the lycan throne. And as far as they were concerned, every crime committed by a wolf was a crime against the lycan throne.

“Xavier Wesley, son of William Wesley,” Stefan said. “Are you ready to take the oath of integrity?”

“Yes,” I replied. I wasn’t, but I couldn’t say that. The only thing that mattered now was that once I took the oath, every word that came out of my mouth had better be the truth. Lying to the congress was punishable by death, and I didn’t have time to die. There were still too many girls left to date in the world, and I planned on starting with the incoming freshmen at Wesley College, which was my family’s private university in Mirage, Georgia.

But that was only if I survived this trial.

“Xavier, do you swear before this congress that your testimony will be honest and true, and do you understand that any false declarations are punishable by exile or death?”

“I do.”

The nobles exchanged glances and then looked at the king. Roman nodded and the questions began.

“Do you understand that your kin, Kane Wesley, has been accused of violating the sacred treaty between the Wesley and Gray packs?” Stefan asked.

“Yes,” I replied. “I know.”

“What exactly is your understanding of the treaty?”

“In general?”

He shrugged. “Sure.”

I blew out a breath. “We, the Wesley pack, are not to venture into the Gray pack territory under any circumstances. The same applies to them. Even the call to mate must be ignored if it means violating the treaty.”

The nobles nodded their approval. “And do you know why this treaty was put in place almost a century ago?” Jackson asked.

I swallowed hard. “I do.”

“Then even you must agree that Kane’s actions cannot be taken lightly?”

I dipped my head. “I know that they can’t.”

I glanced back at Kane for a brief moment, wondering if for once I might find him in an actual state of panic. But of course, Kane was cool as ever. He almost looked as if he didn’t care about anything that was happening at the moment, like he didn’t even notice the king had taken time away from his court and the search for a mate just to attend his trial. I almost forgot where I was for a second and laid into Kane. This fool really thought the nobles were just going to give him a slap on the wrist and send him on his way. But the hammer was about to come down on him, I could feel it, and he wasn’t even going to see it coming.

“So on the night of January eighteenth at around eleven that night, did you witness Kane leave the Wesley territory as he claims?” Marcus asked.

“Yes,” I replied. “But he wouldn’t tell me where he was going. I offered to go with him anyway, but he told me no. He said he wanted to go alone, and I didn’t argue. It wasn’t my place.”

“Did you feel a certain obedience to him as your future alpha?” he asked.

“I won’t lie and say that wasn’t a part of it. But Kane is also my friend and I trust him.”

“Did it ever occur to you that Kane had found his mate and was leaving to be with her?” Stefan asked.

“No. I mean, finding a mate is everything to a wolf. I guess I just didn’t think that he would keep something like that from me. Even if she was a member of the Gray pack.”

“Does it bother you that he didn’t tell you about his mate?”

“Of course it does. We’re not just pack members, we’re family. The last thing I’d ever expect from any of my family is to be betrayed by them.”

Stefan and Marcus shared a look. “Kane has admitted to claiming the Gray female for the first time in September,” Marcus said.

“ What? ” That was over four months ago! I glared over my shoulder at Kane. He didn’t dare look back at me. “How did Clarence not pick up on her scent before now? Aspen is his daughter after all.” Clarence Gray was the alpha of the Gray pack, and yup, Kane had screwed his daughter.

“You may not be aware of Aspen’s skill as a healer. She is well trained in the art of covering up the mating scent.”

I hadn’t even known that was possible. Females and their tricks. “Has she been exiled yet?”

Jackson shook his head. “No, but her father has threatened to do so if there is any further contact between her and Kane.”

I growled. Keeping Kane away from this female, especially since she was the one he’d claimed as his mate, was going to be virtually impossible.

“What are the three virtues of an alpha?” Stefan asked, catching me off guard with the change of subject.

“Uh, courage, loyalty and respect,” I replied. Any wolf, alpha or not, that didn’t know the three virtues wasn’t worth their fur and fangs.

“Do you believe Kane embodies these virtues?”

Damn. I hadn’t expected that question. “In his own way, yeah.”

“What does that mean, in his own way? ”

Damn. Damn. Damn. “I’ve known Kane my entire life and he’s always been the bravest wolf I know. As pups, he was always the first to try some crazy stunt or explore some new part of our territory. I’ve never known him to be afraid of anything. As for loyalty, he always had my back growing up and we always respected each other.”

“And now?”

“Now? I still feel the same way. I just wish he’d confided in me about his mate. Can’t help thinking that maybe he wouldn’t be on trial right now if he had.”

“We agree,” Marcus said. “As your fellow pack members in attendance have attested, you are the one the pack most trusts and confides in.”

So I’d been wrong. The others had been called to testify. “I just try to do what I can for my pack. Sometimes that means just lending an ear.”

“We’re aware. The king also has good things to say about you. He’s told us that your friendship is the one relationship he values more than anything.”

I fought back a smile. “I value our sire’s friendship, too. But that’s just until I find my mate. Then I plan on acting like I don’t even know him.”

Roman burst out laughing, which gave the nobles permission to laugh too. I allowed myself to smile and felt some of the tension ease from my shoulders.

“After hearing what each of you has had to say, a judgment has been reached,” Jackson said once their laughter had died down. The smile fell from my face and I held my breath as I waited for what came next.

“Stand up, Kane Wesley.”

My cousin did as he was told. He still looked stupid and smug and I couldn’t help but want to strangle him.

“Is there anything else you’d like to say before we deliver our judgment, Kane?” Stefan asked.

“No, my lord,” he replied. “I’ve told you everything there is to tell. I love Aspen and I don’t regret a thing.”

“We know,” Stefan replied with a smile. “That is why we hereby proclaim Xavier to be the new ascending alpha of the Wesley pack.”

My head jerked toward Roman. “What?” I had to make sure I’d heard right. The king nodded once and my stomach dropped to the damn floor. This was unprecedented. Throughout our family’s entire history, I’d never heard of an alpha being stripped of their inheritance. Never.