Innocent As Charged (Completed)

Chapter 20

A man cloaked in inky black marches into the bedroom, a large sword contained in a scabbard at his belt. His shirt is blood red, his trousers and leather boots midnight black, the heels clicking against the floor with military precision.

His hood is drawn up, casting a dark shadow over his hidden features; a large mask covers his face, only his eyes visible through a crimson visor. The pack's insignia is displayed on the cloak's clasp but it is ... different; the red sun is displayed in a small rectangular shield and as the man nears, I realise it is a sun, but it contains a wolf head, its face moulded into a snarl.

Jack snarls inside my head, her focus never shifting from the sword. Isaac is tense beside me, his arm firmly round my waist still, preventing any hostile movement as I attempt to twist out of his grip.

Stop struggling Iz. You'll only make it worse.

What? Isaac, who is this?

"Praetorian." He growls.

"Alpha." The man speaks, his accent odd.

"What calls you here?"

"Your ... mate." The man's voice says the word hesitantly as if he has forgotten how to, as if he's unfamiliar with the word. However, this does not lower the threatening atmosphere surrounding him, the sword a sinister reminder of the danger he has the potential to pose. "If she is to stay, she must be screened."

Isaac sighs in exasperation.

"Why?"

"She's a potential danger due to her past as a rogue. And as you refuse to fully explain how you met your mate, I must find out from her."

"No, she can be trusted."

"Can you guarantee that she never has and never will never harm the pack or its members?"

"Yes," he replies firmly, his body tense from anger at having his order questioned. A blatant lie and we all know it: I've killed pack members in the past.

"Why have you not shared how you met her then? Or is there some dark secret in her past you're not telling the pack?" I clear my throat in  order to get their attention, feeling left out despite being the subject of the conversation. They continue to ignore me.

"You're overstepping your bounds Praetorian." Isaac snarls ferociously, disliking where this chain of interrogation is heading.

"When it concerns pack security I have authority over you Alpha." He sneers, causing Nate to growl. "Now come with me Luna. You need to be screened."

He moves to seize my shoulder but I back away, Jack taking control. She growls at the Praetorian, giving him a warning. The Praetorian just sighs and unsheathes his sword, raising it to my chest, above my heart. The tip burns against my skin. Silver. The ease ane fluidity with which he draws the blade from its scabbard indicates that he is practiced in wielding it. Jack steps back, baring her throat in submission; we can't escape this.

"Praetorian, can you give us a minute?" Isaac interrupts, his voice cutting through the tense air like a knife through water.

"I'll be outside. 5 minutes, no more."

He leaves, closing the door behind him, and we sag, no longer pretending to not be scared. My back hits Isaac's chest and he wraps his arms round me. He lightly kisses my neck.

"It's going to be okay. He'll just ask you the standard questions and then you should be able to leave."

"Will you be with me?" He turns me and strokes my cheek. It will be bearable if he's with me - I won't mess up if he's with me.