Talons

Chapter 65: The Hearing

Rhea's POV

It's been a few days, and I’ve been locked in my room since Mike’s betrayal. I haven't eaten, I haven't spoken to anyone, and all I have energy to do is cry. Mike hasn’t even called me, and for some reason that hurts more.

Brent and Brice have tried to visit, but Jamie has sent them away gently. She hasn’t rubbed it in my face yet either, but whenever she comes to ‘make sure I’m still alive,’ I can see the disappointment in her eyes.

My phone rings and I look at the screen; Jack is calling. He hasn’t called me in so long that I wonder what he has to say, and in wanting to hurt Mike the way he has hurt me, I answer, thinking he is in the state and wants to meet, which I will gladly agree to.

“Bebé, dime lo please; (Baby, tell me) What does your sister want from me?” I start sobbing into the phone, not at all caring if Jack can hear me. “Bebé?” he questions.

“Jack, please don’t call me anymore.” I hang up, realizing that I will never be a priority to anyone except the mad rogues who mistook cross pollination for magic. Even with them, people only seem to want me when they need something; Mike and Jack are no different.

My phone rings again; Jack is calling back. I roll my eyes and answer harshly, and he asks me if he did something wrong.

“No Jack, you did nothing wrong, but you had to know that I liked you, and after toying around with my feelings, you stopped talking to me completely, telling me that it was your girlfriend who made you do it, and then, to add insult to injury, you started going after my sister.”

I tell Jack that I was okay with that, in fact, I had made peace with it, but then he started calling me to complain about how Raven was treating him, unintentionally rubbing in my face how much of a terrible option I am.

All the things he wants from her, I had been doing. The random conversations he craved from her; I did that with him, but he chucked me to the side because, let's face it, I’m not pretty enough. 

“I wasn’t even asking for a commitment. I just wanted you to be the friend for me that I was for you, but you couldn’t even do that. So, no Jack; you did nothing wrong, but you certainly didn’t do anything right.”

“Lo siento,” (I’m sorry) he says, and another round of sobs hits me.

“Jack, I’m not in a good mood right now. I didn’t mean to snap at you, I have to go now.”

“Bebé, I-” Jack pauses and I can tell he is thinking of what he should say. “I won’t do it again.”

The next morning, I start packing my things. I’m coming back to this room, so I don't have to take everything; just the things I will need over summer break. I say goodbye to Jamie, who is sad that we didn’t have a happy last week of classes, but I promise her that I will make it up to her next year.

She accepts, giving me a hug that feels real. She and I haven’t known each other long, and truthfully, we don’t even hang out often, but I swear she has been more of a sister to me than either of my biological sisters in a much shorter period.

“Don’t forget to call me b*tch,” she says, and I look to see that she is crying. “What do you expect? You're my flunk buddy.” I chuckle and tell myself that starting next year, I will be a better friend to Jamie, who warned me several times, but I didn’t listen.

After another set of emotional hugs, I leave my room, practically dragging my duffle bag to my car. A lot of students are moving out, and the senior athletes who are leaving are playing a friendly game of flag on the large grassy area in the middle of the campus’ dorm buildings.

I make sure to keep my eyes away from that area because I don’t want to see Mike, but of course I do. He isn’t playing, he is walking toward the grass, and he is with Ashley, whose nose must not have broken; pity.

I ignore him, but I feel someone grab me from behind and hold me high in the air, so I know it's either Brent or Brice.

“Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?” Brice says and I nod. There is no need to lie because it's obvious. “That's cold B, but that's not what we want to talk about,” Brent pulls me to the side, and Brice uses his body to shield us. “Mom doesn’t feel comfortable with you going home, and she wanted you to have this.” He hands me a taser, and I look up at him in shock.

“These are illegal in our state,”

“So is abuse,” Brice retorts. “Anyway, keep it with you, and call us if you need anything. We don’t live too far away from you." I nod, pulling each brother into a hug before heading to my car.

Mike's POV

I'm suddenly in no mood to play flag with my former teammates, but it's foul if I just leave. I see B wrap Brent and Brice in a hug that used to only be meant for me, but I sh*tted that away by drunkenly giving Ashley my room key so that I didn't have to get up and unlock the door when I wanted to screw.

"Babe, are you okay? Is it your arm?" Ashley suddenly cares about my shoulder now that it's healed. When I was first injured, she didn't even call to see if I needed anything, unlike B, who literally catered to me like a king.

"I'm fine, just a little hungry." I want to hear what Ashley will say, and I'm not even disappointed by her response, I'm disappointed in myself.

"I'll put a few slices in the microwave and come right back." Ashley starts looking for her room key and I notice something that shouldn’t be in her purse. I snatch it, and she looks up at me in shock. 

"Where did you get this?" I ask, and she freezes. I start laughing at myself for being an i***t. B would never have just hit Ashley, and I don't know why I thought anything else. "You snatched it off her neck, didn't you?"

"Mike, she assaulted me. I could have pressed charges, but I didn't because you asked me not to." I ignore Ashley, not failing to notice that she did not answer my question directly.

"I’m an i***t," I say.

Colton's POV

Jessica's mate survived her infidelity, but just barely. He was out of it for so long that the council had to push back their rejection hearing so that he didn't die. 

I’m standing in front of High Alpha Dwightenhower, who’s reading me the charges brought against me. I had no clue that Jessica found her mate, but since the man is a gamma from a pack at odds with mine, I have been brought into her mess.

"How do you plead?" 

"Not guilty on the grounds of ignorance. I did not know that Miss Latrine had found her mate." I have only just discovered that Jessica's legal last name is another word for a toilet, which is fitting because she’s a piece of sh*t.

"Miss Latrine, who we will henceforth refer to as Miss Latri, has claimed she was promised the position of Luna, and her actions were out of love and dedication. She testified that she believed she would be going against her new pack and alpha if she did not give in to you." I fight my eyes not to roll because I need this case to go in my favor.

"High Alpha. I believe in the mate bond, more than that, my wolf is passionate about it. As I told Miss 'Latri,' I would have supported whatever decision she made if she found her mate, but I would not have committed adultery knowing the consequences." 

The high Alpha raises a brow at me, and I tell him the story of Jenny from the Claw pack. I also tell him the story of my beta, and I round up by telling him that to date, I have never had the urge to prematurely mark anyone, not even while having s*x, which seems to shock him.

That shows the level Orlin is at where it comes to the mate bond. He isn't even a little tempted because he wants to wait; he believes she is out there. 

The high Alpha calls gamma Louis into the chambers and he stares me down before taking his position. Normally I would have reacted aggressively, but right now, I'll take the disrespect; I think I deserve it, and Orlin agrees.

"Gamma Louis, you have listened in on the alpha's defense. How do you respond?"

"High Alpha, I do not want much in retribution. My former mate claimed that she acted out of love and in what she thought was the best interest for her pack. I want to see to it that she and her lover keep their relationship." 

I glare at the gamma who knows damn well that Jessica and I are done. Only fated mates feel infidelity, and no one wants a cheating mate, especially an alpha, who may inadvertently pass down his inheritance to a pup that isn't his.

"Gamma Louis, while I commend your maturity, I cannot grant your request. You too have engaged in adultery which resulted in the hospitalization of Miss Latri as well."

I didn’t know that because I’ve avoided Jessica and my father. In fact, Trey and I have gone out every night since the incident, so I’ve been coming home to pass out and nothing more.

I wondered why Jessica’s parents kept urging me to see her. She was probably in excruciating pain, maybe even near death, but in my opinion, she deserved it.

"However,” the High Alpha continues. “I will order, as judgement fitting the goddess's will, that all promises made to Miss Latri remain in place. She shall not be stripped of her rank or treated unfairly. She will remain a member of the Iron pack unless a crime warranting banishment is charged against her."

I agree, but I don't want to be anywhere near Jessica. I know that my father still wants her as my Luna, and it seems like everyone is trying to play up her infidelity as blind loyalty; I only see betrayal.