Page 27 of The Barren Luna

“Lucy!” I yelled and she squealed: “Ginnyyy!!!”

We both jumped up and down in pure delight while David stood there with the biggest grin on his face, looking at us like a proud mother duck.

“What – How are you here?” I looked from her to David, confused.

“Am I allowed to discuss the trial?” she looked at David and he considered it briefly before responding, “You can tell her why you’re here, and she can tell you how she’s feeling but try to avoid going over any of the events she’s being tried for.”

Lucy nodded.

“Calum had to come here as a witness, so I left the pups with his parents to come here to support you. Oh, honey, this whole thing -,” she stopped herself and simply shook her head sadly.

“I believe this is my cue to leave,” David interjected before I could say anything to her. “One of your guards will sit with you two in the room, as is procedure, but feel free to chat for as long as you want.”

“Thank you so much,” I told him quietly as I walked him to the door, “I really cannot express to you how much this means to me.”

“I’m glad you’re happy,” he said, his eyes scanning my face and stopping at my mouth.

As Kelly came in to stand guard, David turned to leave, but not before shooting me a wink that I found both charming and inappropriate. I couldn’t help but smile and shake my head at him.

Lucy and I talked for almost two hours about the pups, her first trip to the court, my nightmares, how I was feeling, the wolfsbane they had me on, my anxieties about the trial, and other, more mundane things such as how annoying her brother-in-law was being. When she got up to leave, I already feltinfinitely better about the three days that awaited me and I managed to have a good night’s sleep without any of my usual nightmares.

The next morning, I put on a conservative brown dress, black shoes, and a pair of white gold earrings. My nerves were high strung and I didn’t feel like looking at myself in the mirror any longer. As I was entering the breakfast hall to meet Lucy, I crossed paths with David, who looked me up and down and frowned slightly.

“Are you feeling unwell?” he inquired.

“Just nerves, I’ll be fine.”

After I located Lucy and filled up my plate with some fruit that looked easy to stomach, an Omega I'd seen a few times near my room approached me and said, “Ms. Haines, I believe you dropped this on your way to breakfast,” as she handed me one of the necklaces from my vanity.

It must have caught on my dress when I was getting ready. It was simple enough, a white gold chain with a turquoise pendant, so I chose to put it on and thank her instead of causing a fuss by making her take it back to the room.

The courtroom was huge, and it was apparent why it needed to be. There was one pack in every state, and right now, the Alpha, Luna, and Beta from 48 of those packs were present in this very room. Spruce Mountain was unrepresented for obvious reasons, and I wasn’t entirely sure whether the Royal pack would vote alongside everyone else.

Luckily, due to shifter hearing, they could all follow the proceedings without any problems. Some of the males shot medisapproving looks, probably imagining themselves in Henry’s place, and wanting justice for a fellow Alpha.

I personally knew about half of the wolves present, having met them either during diplomatic visits or at various functions for pack leaders. I could see Alpha Dominic and his new Luna, as well as that pig Larson and his poor mate looking for places to sit. I knew my sister’s in-laws, my old Alpha and Luna, would be here as well. My teeth were starting to hurt from how hard I was clenching my jaw. I hoped Freida wouldn’t suffer because her sister was a murderer.

Some of the faces I knew from interviews and spreads in theLipstick&Clawmagazine, whereas others were a complete enigma. I caught sight of Lucy in the spectator gallery, sitting next to Helen, and I instantly felt better.

Soon, a hush fell over the courtroom and I guessed they probably sensed David approaching. My guess was right, since a moment later, John and David strode into the courtroom wearing black robes, looking serious and regal. It was the first time that I could really tell they were twins, although intellectually, I’d known it all along. Since they were fraternal twins it was easy to forget that fact when dealing with them separately, especially since their personalities were almost polar opposites. Yet, looking at them right now, it seemed too obvious to disregard.

It was John who opened the proceedings, “Good morning, everyone; thank you all for coming together on such short notice. There are extenuating circumstances due to which we had to expedite this trial.

As you were informed in the summons, the defendant is Regina Haines, former Luna of the Spruce Mountain pack,” I focused on his eyebrows to avoid noticing the stares being sent my way.

“Ms. Haines is being charged with the underhanded murder of Alpha Henry Giles, without an official challenge, and the murder of her mate, Henry Giles.”

Murmurs could be heard after this announcement, but a simple glare from David silenced them. I felt a slight sense of discomfort, as if someone’s hand was pressing on my back, and I realized he must have unleashed his Alpha King aura on them to make them stop.

“In order to get a comprehensive overview of the events leading up to this tragedy, we have to go over the entire chain of events leading up to the murder, and it seems that everything was set in motion almost seven months ago. I ask for your patience and understanding during this process. If you have any questions, jot them down and they will be discussed at the end of each testimony. Thank you in advance,” John concluded and David stood up. He looked so intimidating, even among all of these powerful males.

“The first witness the Crown calls is Calum Phillips, former Beta of the Spruce Mountain pack.”

The sight of Calum was so comforting and familiar that I almost smiled at him, but then I remembered I was on trial for murder, not at a family reunion. He managed a short nod at me.

“Beta Phillips,tell the truth,” David commanded, and the command made me nauseous even when not directed at me, but Calum was unfazed.

“Can you concisely describe to us the events that pertain to this trial which took place in your pack in the month of May last year? Please stick to events you have personally witnessed.”

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