Chapter 147


    Chapter 147 - Evidence


    E


    The room erupts with noise, as various reporters cry out, “What evidence!?”


    Sinir nods to the side door, and his father wheels into the room, followed by a group of grief-stricken


    she-wolves and my surviving guard. “The evidence is the lives the Prince stole to kidnap E, the


    widows who don’t even have the ability toy their husbands to rest because he hid their husband’s


    bodies. The children Damon rendered fatherless in pursuit of the throne. The evidence is the eye -


    witness testimony of E and her guard, of myself and my men when we met Damon to set the


    ransom. The evidence is the all- clear chime everyone in the valley heard even though the battle was


    still waging on their television screens. The evidence is my father’s paralysis, which was the result of


    an attack orchestrated by the King during his own campaign — a strategy he clearly taught his son.”


    The door opens again, and a number of shackled rogues are brought into the room, looking furious and


    sullen. “The evidence is the rogues Damon hired to attack his own people, whose financial records


    show lump sum deposits from off-shore bank ounts just before the battle. It’s even in the Prince’s


    inaction when the people he ims to love were under attack. And for anyone who might discard the


    testimony of these people for being my allies or inpromised positions, then I offer you the video


    footage of the Prince arriving at our hostage meeting, unbeknownst that E had already escaped and I


    was on my way to find her.”


    Sinir and I move away from the podium to give the room full view of the screen against the back


    wall, where a ck and white image has suddenly appeared from a projector mounted on the ceiling.


    When Sinir told me that he’d sent a few enforcers to the second ransom meeting to observe the


    Prince and notify him of the other man’s movements, he hadn''t mentioned that he’d also had them


    transmitting footage of the set up to Roger, or that his brother had recorded it. 1’m honestly not sure he


    remembered, as chaotic as everything has been, because it wasn’t until Roger offered the footage after


    learning about the press conference that he even realized it might be useful as evidence.


    As the feed begins to y, a timestamp appears on the bottom corner of the screen, revealing the date


    for the audience. The Prince is shown with an army at his back, pacing back and forth in frustration


    through what appears to be an abandoned warehouse. “ Where the hell are they?” He demands, “They


    should have been here by now!”


    “Sinir’s probably just trying to set up his own perimeter.” His second inmand suggests.


    “Then why haven’t any of our lookouts sighted him?” Damon hisses. “No, I don’t like it. Something is off


    here.”


    “You think it’s a trick, or a trap?” The beta inquires, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully.


    The Prince stomps his foot. “I told her! I told that dumb bitch he wouldn’t just give up his campaign —


    even for his mate. He’s up to something.”


    “But what, a rescue? An Ambush?” The other man presses, clearly agitated by his Alpha’s foul mood.


    “Maybe both.” The Prince growls. “Move out, and I want eyes on the girl right now, get in touch with the


    sentries we posted outside her room.”


    The video goes dark as the Prince and his army exit the warehouse, but from the heavy silence in the


    room, it seems as though the footage waspelling enough to give our critics pause. I admit I’m


    amazed about how damning the scene was, despite being so brief. They actually managed to catch the


    Prince referencing Sinir by name, as well as the ransom. No one might have said my name, but it’s


    difficult to find another exnation than the one we’ve provided.


    The utter stillness is shattered after a pregnant pause, as all the reporters seem toe back to their


    senses at once. They surge to their feet, shouting questions over one each other in such a way that it


    makes it impossible to hear. Sinir leads me back to the podium, pointing towards a man in the front


    row.


    “Alpha, if there have been other crimes then why haven’t you ever used the Prince before now?” He


    asks eagerly.


    “For a long time Damon and I have been caught in a shadow war. I’ve known what the Prince is


    capable of for years, which is why I’ve been so devoted to opposing him. Still, it wasn’t until E came


    on the scene and he realized he might lose that he started to escte his tactics. My father taught me


    that you don’t make usations of this sort with evidence, and until now, I’ve only had my wolf’s


    instincts to rely on. This is the first time I’ve had the proof to bring our war out in the open, but trust me


    when I tell you that I haven’t let his offenses go unchecked. My strategy might be different, but I’ve


    defended this pack and my family with force when required, and done everything in my power to keep


    Moon Valley safe.”


    There’s another uproar, and then Sinir points to another reporter for the next question. “E, how did


    you escape the Prince? Were you mistreated when you were his captive?”


    I''m slightly startled to be addressed directly, but Sinir gives me an encouraging squeeze. I take a


    steadying breath, “The Prince kept me in the Royal Pce, and I was able to contact Dominic through


    a dream —”


    “Because she’s the cleverest, most resourceful she-wolf I’ve ever met.” Dominic praises me, puffed up


    with Alpha pride.


    “Not now, Dominic.” I sass, pushing at his scruffy jaw as he tries to kiss me again. He rumbles in


    warning and I shiver, sending a wave ofughter through the crowd. “Anyway, I told him where I was


    and he exined about emergency evacuation tunnels in the Pce and how to find them. Luckily I


    was able to find one in my room, but unfortunately it was incredible long andnded me in the


    wilderness very far away - as my mate said.”


    I look around at the curious faces before continuing, trying to decide how to exin my new traumas.


    “And the worst part about being held hostage came before and after. I was devastated when my guards


    were killed... I tried to prevent it, to save them but it didn’t do any good, and after -”


    “How?” Someone shouts, “I thought your wolf wasn’t awake yet so how did you defend them?”


    I freeze for a moment, and my surviving guard steps up, emotion thick in his voice. “She sacrificed


    herself for us, thinking they would stop the attack once they had her. I was only able to get away


    because they thought I was dead.”


    “We were so outnumbered that I knew there was no chance we could win. I didn’t realize that they only


    meant to kidnap me, but I knew my fate was sealed... I figured theirs didn’t have to be, and I was


    wrong.” A runaway tear slips from myshes and I quickly skype it away, trying not to break down in


    public. “And after escaping, I kept going as long as I possibly could, but I didn’t have A coat, let alone


    my wolf... and eventually I had to make the decision no mother should ever have to contemte.


    Whether to save my own life and end my baby’s, or to let us both die from hypothermia. Nothing the


    Prince and Lydia said or did to me could everpare with that pain.”


    I might be imagining it, but I can see nothing but sympathy and admiration in the faces around us, and


    then another reporter shouts, “if he’s been attacking your mate, then why not kill him?


    What kind of an Alpha would just stand by and let him try again?”


    “Because I believe in the rule ofw.” Sinir rumbles, his wolf glowing in his eyes. “Believe me, I


    wanted nothing more than to kill him and still do, but if I did I wouldn’t be any better than he is. The


    ability not to rashly act on my impulses is what sets the Prince and I apart —”


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    “That and having a conscience.” I add saucily, earning a wolfish grin from my mate.


    “Our system of governance is what allows us to maintain peace in the united packs. It’s the reason we


    advanced out of the dark ages, and I''ll be damned if I’m going to undermine it with my own personal


    vendetta. Some might call that weak, but if you ask me the far weaker move is to target a breeding she-


    wolf because you''re too spineless to take on your opponent directly.”


    Murmurs of agreement travel throughout the room, and I feel my heart leap. This is working — they’re


    all so distracted by the Prince’s crimes that no one even seems to care about our lies. Of course, as


    soon as I think this, another reporter asks, “E, if youdidn’t know you were a shifter, how did you and


    the Alpha meet?”


    I look up at Sinir, unsure of whether I should tell the truth. We discussed this beforehand, knowing


    the question mighte up, but we hadn’t reached a solution. Instead we decided to decide based on


    the feeling in the room, and now here we are. If I tell the truth it could unravel this whole thing, but if I lie


    it could backfire and dig us into even deeper trouble.


    What should I say? I silently ask my mate.


    It’s your call, baby. I trust you.


    I look back at the crowd, trying not to telegraph my uncertainty.


    They’re all waiting expectantly, and I need to decide quickly. Do I lie, or do l tell the truth?