A True Rogue

Chapter 19

3rd Person

"Don't take me there, I swear I didn't do anything, I swear..." Rain begged on her knees, desperately holding on to her Luna's legs, the last mother figure within reach.

She couldn't go there, only bad things happened at Court. She didn't know anything nor was she told of any wrong doing of hers.

"Enough of this pitiful behavior," Luna said, quickly shaking Rain's desperate hands off of her legs. "Take her outside!"

Two guards grabbed Rain, dragging her out, while one went to sound the alarm that would call the whole pack to Court for they knew the procedure. This was case 6.1.2 of their Law of Conduct for a transgression worthy of Severe Public Punishment.

The Alpha followed behind his Luna, gritting his teeth. Anger was too simple a word to describe the feeling consuming him. This had to be done, he would have no one try to take his pack over other than his son, the real Heir.

He went on to sit at his throne, the middle one of seven chairs placed facing attendants of the meeting on a higher platform of Court.

The Court was a sunken circular piece of land in the middle of pack grounds built from stone. It was made to handle such meetings and to easily accommodate a large number of people at once. A place where all pack news, notices, alerts AND punishments were announced and or served at Canyon Pack.

The pack elders arrived to take their place at the six remaining seats equally divided by the Alpha at the center one.

Melissa Harding and her mate Peter Harding, Gregory Hubbard (a white haired elderly from Jason's family), Grand Elder Puter Kaneez (Last living ancestor of the Kaneez family), and two other men responsible for Pack Relations and Guard/Warrior Personnel respectively. These were the standing decision makers of Canyon Pack for their ranks and or financial, traditional, healing and other contributions.

Alpha Jackson could see that his pack was alarmed, but more so they were curious. Of course he didn't think he would have to deal with such a matter at 10 in the morning, on a Saturday no less. He decided to get things under way because until then, he would just remain restless and might lose control.

"Silence!" He boomed, standing to address them. Immediately silence settled over the crowd, all members paying attention to their Alpha who at this point seemed more fitting of his position, his stance that of a fearsome leader. "Be seated." At his order, they all sat.

"We here are gathered over a very serious crime committed against this pack by it's very own member." He said, causing the crowd to murmur madly at the news, anxious to know the traitor.

"A she-wolf well known for immoral behavior, disobedience of pack rules and suspicious association with Humans," He paused, letting the words settle.

Rain, who was hidden from the crowd by a barrage of guards keeping her shaking figure up, was a blubbering mess. At her Alpha's words she mumbled defense words like a mantra. '..not suspicious' 'they're just humans..' 'just a job, just a job..' she feared she was going to be executed for The Court was mostly known for that. Soaked in her tears, her heart kept sinking lower and lower inside her being. Her mate's unfeeling rejection still tearing her from within. And now this? "I didn't do anything...." she kept mumbling with lips wet from her rolling tears.

"despite those IGNORED transgressions of hers," Jackson carried on, facing the crowd with a grim face. "SHE seduced an Alpha from another pack!" He stated only facts, not reasons surrounding. None of them knew the true events leading to that night anyway.

The crowd wore disgusted looks on their faces, many eyed the Evertons with disturbed looks, they already suspected Rain as the doer of all this. Mr. Everton pulled his shamed mate into his shoulders for comfort, staring down his fellow pack members cause despite his failure to stand by his daughter, he wouldn't let anyone insult HIS mate.

"She succeeded and lay with Alpha Emmery of the Midnight Pack. And for that this pack's future is in danger." He bellowed with conviction, despite knowing the truth of their 'lay'. An action he explained in his next words.

"This she-wolf, Rain formerly an Everton is therefore charged with Treason against this pack. Consensual or Not! Planned or Not! Her deeds guarantee a shift of Canyon Pack power to that of Midnight's. And now she faces banishment."

"Lies! She was brutally RAPED by the man, your precious Luna knows-" Shelly shouted passionately as she stood within the crowd, drawing gasps from the disbelieving members.

"Michelle Shore Harding you are NOT to interrupt Pack Court proceedings," Commanded Melissa, the intimidating woman setting a familiar fear in her daughter's bones. "Be Seated, Now!" At that Shelly sat down.

However, her words were disregarded, the pack already in uproar, many in anger, many in shock yet the young ones, including Rain didn't know the true meaning of the Alpha's words, didn't know that she was pregnant.

"Guards, bring her forth!" The guards manhandling Rain parted way so that she was in view of everyone. Her feet were already failing her, and the sight tore at Eva's womb, Rain's first home, crumbling the composed woman's hard facade with tears.

"Voice Your Verdict," Jackson spoke unto the Elders. "All in favor of the uncaring traitor's Banishment say I."

"I" Melissa voted first, rising to her feet.
"I" her mate Peter,
"I" And every other Elder, even though some they had clogged throats, their parental instincts in uproar at the sight they kept their votes unchanged.

"Rain Echo formerly Everton, You are forever banned from Canyon Pack effective immediately and so are ordered to leave and NEVER return." Lilly delivered the judgement at her mate's permitting nod, she was standing in-front of Rain's desperate form.

"Mama I know this is just a nightmare," the words Rain said hearing her judgement, looking directly at her mother, who slowly and sadly shook her head in the negative. "It's not real, please tell me it's not real." This was a moment back in time when a five year old girl used to dream of her only beloved family chasing her away only to wake up with a loving mother promising her endless love, except now, it was real and the endless love was no longer there. "Mama please!" She desperately begged, her throat sore from sobbing.

At this Lilly just gulped her guilt down and hardened her features, ALL for the good of the Pack. "If in the next ten minutes you are found still within our borders, you WILL be killed on the spot for that will be taken as resistance. NINE minutes remaining."

At Luna's final words, Rain realized this was no bad dream and so she freed herself from the pack guards and sped off for Canyon Pack borders, especially since the pack was cheering in blood lust, for her. They would be the ones to kill her, tearing her apart with their very own teeth, these were wolves after-all.

Eva stumbled off the Court in tears, her birthing pains returning full force at the sight of her broken daughter. The thought that her little girl might have been raped tore at her and her banishment? The judgement was already passed. She couldn't do anything for Rain now, she hadn't done anything to protect her daughter. She failed her.

"Wait! Rain stop!" At the sound of Shelly's voice, Rain ran faster, leaving a trail of tears and blood from her hurt feet. She was no longer under any protection now which meant this girl could kill her if she wanted. And so out fear, Rain ran away from everything she's ever known, from the only place she called home and from the people who hated her.

Crossing Canyon Pack borders, she felt the intense pain of breaking link with her whole pack shooting through her head leaving behind a very pained wolf. Now Rain ran away as nothing, but a Rogue.

Far, far behind, an out-of-breath Shelly was left breaking down and heaving out her apologies to the wind...

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A/N

Please comment, now more than ever I'd like to know how you feel and what you thinking.