Crow

Chapter 31

Kaiden liked to think he was good at understanding his emotions. When he felt angry, he was angry. When he felt sad, he acted angry and when he was lonely and worried and scared for his family and future, he acted angry.

This feeling though, the one mingling in his gut like a baby puppy was confused and incredibly hopeful. His mate, his pumpkin, stood up for him.

He thought she hated him and yet she defended him against her father. Either Katie forgave him or she hated her father even more.

After Kaiden finished discussing sleeping arrangements with Augustus, he made his way into the pack house and followed his nose. The scent of chocolate gave his mate away. With a smile on Kaiden's face, he quickly found his mate sitting on the toilet in the washroom.

"Thank you for today." He asked, making Katie blink and look up at him with a full stare.

"I didn't do it for you," Katie responded and looked back down at her nails that were chipped from fighting.

Kaiden frowned and opened his mouth to start a conversation— maybe about the weather, when Katie interrupted him.

"Can you tell me about your sister?"

Kaiden blinked, taken back. The last thing he thought Katie would ask about was Stephie. After all, she was the cause of most of their troubles.

Seeing his expression, Katie shook her head, "No I meant the sister who was killed. I-I understand if you don't want to talk about it or-"

"No no, it's um.. it's okay," Kaiden found himself blurting out anything to talk to his mate again.

His eyes found his mates and then they glanced at the toilet awkwardly, "Is there any reason why we are well in the washroom?"

Katie shrugged, "I don't like the bedroom."

Kaiden felt his hopes fall but quickly pulled himself back together again. This was his chance to make things better with his mate.

"She was amazing," Kaiden began as his chest lifted. All at once, the words describing his sister tumbled out In long breaths without air. It had been so long since he had talked about his sister. These last few days it felt as though he was the only one in his pack who remembered her.

"The room lit up whenever she was around and she made even my father, a man more than a wolf, sneak out with her for runs. She sang to all the warriors and was smiled upon by even the prison mates."

Katie swallowed hard trying to get a picture of the little girl. "I'm sorry that she is gone." She set a hand upon Kaiden's shoulder like she would have months ago. It was a gesture so ingrained in her that even the pull of her heart and tightening of her chest couldn't give leeway.

"It's okay. After she left," Kaiden shook his head, "that's when things began to fall apart here."

After she died, her mother ran off. Kaiden's mother closed herself off even more and Kaiden raised Stephie and ran the pack.

"That's why the Triton must die." Kaiden concluded standing up as he shook Katie's hand away. It pained him to do so, but he needed to focus on his goal which was almost complete.

"And what about your pack?" Katie asked folding her hands in her lap, "What about the people who you have tortured and killed. What about what you did to me?"

Minor setbacks was what Kaiden wanted to respond with. It was true, everything he had said and done was because he had the power too. There was no room for a group mentality. There was only one goal this entire past month and it had been his goal.

"The pack is the pride of an Alpha," Kaiden responded, the words ingrained in him since birth. Katie nodded and Kaiden sent her a forced smile. Some lies get told so often and yet they still have not come true.

Kaiden was running out of time. His pack was flourishing and under the hands of Wyatt, the pack would bloom. Since meeting Katie, Kaiden's last priority was the pack. He needed to avenge his little sister and try and fix the fractured relationship between him and Katie.

The moment he had free time, he snuck over to a nearby flower store. The owner flinched away from him and Kaiden only glared as he picked out the brightest bunch of red roses.

He delivered them to Katie that day. She didn't respond. He sent her daisies the following day and Tulips the next.

On the fourth day, both packs congregated in the training fields. Crow pack sat on the left in a semi circle and Triton pack sat on the right. In the middle, two chairs sat back to back. Alpha Triton sat facing the Crow pack while Alpha Kaiden sat facing the Triton pack.

Growls and snarls filled the air. Wolves were getting antsy. The anger fueled Kaiden's blood. He felt his alpha wolf yearn for domination. His fingers turned into claws and he fought to stay human, pushing the wolf down. He could see Triton do the same, from ever so slightly flickering as he fought off the shift.

Slowly the two sat down, Katie Pumpkin and Luna Triton stood next to them on either side. While the males struggled internally, the two Lunas glared at each other. The tension between the two states were enough to set fire. Katie stood stiff and straight, her usual poker face was set into a cold mask. Luna Triton's fists clenched, her stance apart as she looked down at the younger female. Then all at once, the lunas looked toward the opposite pack. The field hushed and a blanket of silence fell across the crowd, weighing everyone down.

"Today we will judge the actions of the Alphas!" Katie began loudly.

"The more growls that arise at voting shall determine the outcome!" Luna Triton explained. Her golden hair sat in a tight bun atop her head like a crown. She came to win and Kaiden could only hope that his Katie could be just as dominant. She had a wolf now. She fit in.

"Alpha Triton is accused of killing Elijah, a general member of the pack. The patrol logs show that Elijah spent his days wandering the woods near the territory boundary line!" Luna Triton continued, voice ringing out shrilly. "That evidence justifies how easily it could have been for him to be killed by hunter traps!"

Kaiden rolled his eyes. The Luna Triton can try as she might to advocate for that stupid Alpha mate of hers, but no alpha should kill a pack member. That went against everything an alpha stood for.

Katie bristled and she opened her mouth, "Alpha Triton is accused of killing Elijah, a fellow pack member who angered the Alpha when he tried to expose the crimes of the Alpha!"

Kaiden felt his eyes widened. He did not know that! Where has his mate found such information?

Whispers filled the crowd at that word. No one cared for rogues. They were scum and only barely above humans. Luna Triton's eyes flared and she took a step forward. "Excuse me? What crimes?"

Katie grinned, "I've spent many nights watching Alpha Triton, gathering evidence. He is guilty of murder."

Kaiden narrowed his eyes. He didn't know what his mate was playing at, but the feeling of dread in his gut did nothing to quell the anxiousness. Across from him and to the left, Beta Augustus looked confused as he watched his daughter.

So Alpha Triton hid the agreement between Crow pack and Triton pack from everyone.

Luna Triton threw her head back and laughed, "You are so young and foolish, my dear! You make assumptions because you want to be part of the pack. You were human. You had no power, so you made some up."

Chatter rose from both packs and anger steeped into Kaiden's veins. His mate was perfect as a human! There was nothing wrong with her! He just wanted to hold his mate and comfort her. Instead he was stuck in this chair, trapped by alpha law.

"Stop attacking me," Katie responded briskly, folding her arms, "we are talking about your mate."

Katie folded her arms behind her back. She began pacing and her movements caught the attention of both packs as she smiled widely toward Luna Triton, "If it is evidence you want then listen to my story."