The Next Day…
The only sounds that Ember could hear were her heart pounding fiercely in her chest and the sound of blood rushing to her ears. She was being led to the courtroom by two warriors of the pack who flanked her side by side.
The makeshift courtroom where Ember was being led to was tucked behind the cellar which held werewolves who were deemed criminals. The same dark room where Ember had spent the night, unable to sleep and in serious distress.
As soon as they arrived the den the day before, her father, Mr. Doyle, had swiftly contacted Mr. Lou, who was the only known Apex and principal of the Lycan academy Ember attended.
Mr. Lou was a rare and elite werewolf known for his extraordinary powers and exceptional wisdom. He had been away attending to urgent matters on the night of Ember's mating ritual- the night she ran away, defying pack laws.
Mr Lou had also been the one who ordered Ember to be brought into the den as soon as any members of the pack laid eyes on her.
As she was being led into the room, she noticed that several pictures of different past Apex Lycan leaders were splayed across the wall. In all her seventeen years alive, this was her first time being in the pack's courtroom.
If the circumstances were different, she would have been fascinated by how official everything presented in the courtroom. The warriors led her to a high chair and made her sit in it. This was where she would face the daunting prospect of a tribunal.
According to Lycan laws, a criminal tribunal usually composed of one member from each Lycan rank: Omega, Initiate, Warrior, Sentinel, Elder, Beta, Alpha, and the Apex, Mr. Lou.
As she sat in her personal hell, Ember's mind swirled with all the worst-case scenarios. Would anyone believe her claim of memory loss? Or would they think she'd fabricated it to avoid responsibility for running away on her mating night?
Her anxious thoughts were drowned out by the click-clack of shoes echoing through the empty courtroom. Ember whipped up her heard, alert. Except from herself, the courtroom was devoid from any Lycan presence.
The sweet scent of expensive cologne wafted through the air before Mr Lou came in to view. On seeing him, Ember involuntarily held her breath. Mr Lou was a sight to be seen, he strutted in with an air of authority and importance.
His presence commanded attention and he carried himself like royalty. The shoes which he wore were high-fashion and they complemented his black tuxedo and silver hair perfectly. Ember felt a mix of fascination and intimidation.
This was her first time seeing Mr. Lou, and he was much younger than she'd imagined. Although he was the principal of the Lycan Academy, Mr Lou hardly made an appearance. Most of the time, his absence was filled by other equally important teachers.
She gulped down saliva so hard that she feared that the action would dislodge her throat. Mr Lou paying her no attention, strode past her and sat on the chair reserved for him.
"I could have sworn that was you.", a female voice said directly into Ember's ear, forcing her head to look in the direction of the voice.
Ember gasped, her insides turning to liquid as she saw Juno standing beside her. "What are you doing here?" Ember asked, her voice barely above a whisper. The blood in her face ran dry.
Juno's smirk seemed to cut through Ember's fragile composure. "Where have you been?" Juno asked with mock concern. "We missed you at school these past few weeks." Ember saw through Juno's act, she knew Juno was as heartless as a rag doll.
"What do you want? What are you doing here?" Ember asked again.
Bored, Juno rolled her eyes. "Mr. Lou, the Apex, he's my uncle," she whispered, a sinister smile spreading across her lips. Ember's stomach sank further, and realizing the impact her words had made, Juno gave an even more evil smile.
"And by the way, I'm the strongest Alpha around." Juno announced. Ember stared quizzically at her, waiting for her to drop the punchline.
"That means, I'm automatically a part of your tribunal, dummy." Juno announced and with that, she strutted away.
Ember's last glimmer of hope extinguished. How bad was her luck that the queen of bullies had to be a member of her tribunal. Could fate have any more tasteless surprises for her?
She hung her head low, regret washing over her like a wave. She should have stayed gone. She should have stayed in Idaho with John and Rosa. She should have never put her self in this situation where running away from the truth was a more better option than digging for it.
"Hey!" Her mother's voice broke through her despair. "Mom," Ember cried weakly. "I'm scared."
"I know, honey. I'm here for you," Mrs. Doyle said, her tone assuring. "What if they banish me? Where would I go?" Ember asked, tears threatening to spill. At 17, she had no experience with the human world. The only life she knew was here; with her parents and pack, surrounded by her Lycan friends.
"They will not banish you," Mrs. Doyle said firmly. "And even if they do, that's not the worst of fates, Darling."
"That's not helping, mom", Ember cried.
Mr. Doyle walked past them, his eyes avoiding his daughter's pleading gaze. They both turned to look at him, but his expression was stoic. Although, in his heart, he was shattering. He couldn't believe his daughter was the one on the stand. A criminal. Ember. He shook the thoughts off his mind, leading the rest of the tribunal members to their seats.
Then, Mr. Lou's voice boomed through the courtroom. "Let us begin! Everybody take your seats."
Ember's heart sank. She tried to put on a brave face but felt like the weak girl she'd always been; the one who couldn't stand up for herself. Mrs. Doyle squeezed Ember's hand gently. "It's going to be fine," she whispered before walking away.
"Today, this elite tribunal has gathered to judge a very fragile case", Mr Lou was saying. Ember tuned out the sound of his voice, her mind was buzzing.
Mr Lou, oblivious to the inner battles that Ember was fighting, continued. "This is the case of the Pack versus Ember Doyle. Miss Doyle here has been brought in on the charges of fleeing from her mating ground, which we all know is a very punishable offense according to Lycan laws"
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. "Miss Doyle", Mr Lou called out.
Ember slowly raised her head, averting her gaze from Juno and the rest of the tribunal. "Yes, Mr Lou", she replied. She tried to steady her voice but it felt like an impossible task.
Mr Lou's voice was the opposite of hers, firm and steady. "I'm going to be the one presiding over this case, do you understand that?", he asked.
Intimidated by the vibrato of his voice, Ember nodded.
"You need a representative. Will you be representing yourself or you have someone to represent you?", Mr Lou questioned.
Ember looked around, confused. No one had informed her of a representative. Just then, her mother's voice carried in the silence of the courtroom.
"I'm her representative. I will represent her", Mrs Doyle said.