The Pure-Hearted Princess and the Kiss of Darkness

16. Verdict

- KATALEYA -

He remembers me!

I feel elated at the thought, my heart racing a thousand miles per second, and I suddenly feel even happier than I did earlier. Was that even possible? It seems so!

Taking a deep breath, I begin from when I left the club feeling dizzy and strange.

"I'm going to stop you there. I clearly remember you declining a drink... Did you change your mind after?" My heart skips a beat under his gaze, and I try my best not to blush as I look down. He always sounds so sexy when he speaks.

If I accepted that drink, would things be better? Well, it's too late now to muse over it.

At least I got to spend the night with him. Not that anything happened. I mean, I didn't want it to happen! I just...

I shake my head, clearing my thoughts. I was sleeping so peacefully that it had been Jose who had woken me up and told me I had to return; he didn't look surprised at all that I had escaped, but I had been a little embarrassed that he had caught us sleeping together, and I had apologised profusely before rushing away.

"I... someone passed me a drink and I did take it, without even thinking," I admit, replying to Enrique's question.

"Carlos," Enrique says, smoking his cigarette, clearly giving him a command through the mind-link.

The man nods as he stands and leaves the room, and from the corner of my eyes, I see the men sitting across the room stir uneasily.

"I don't think we should believe every single thing that this woman says, Alpha." One of them spits.

"That's for me to decide, and Jewels will have security footage," Enrique replies as he leans back in his seat, radiating dominance before those dreamy eyes snap to me.

"Do continue." He says, before glancing at Jose and I'm certain he was about to say something else, too.

"Of course." I fill them in on how the men had surrounded me, the way I had felt and the way they had not listened to my requests and that forced me to fight them off. "It is a disappointment that a woman can't walk the streets alone. My heart is torn between relief and sorrow because where I can defend myself, there are women who can't."

There is silence for a long while when I finish, or at least it feels like it.

"There is no proof to anything she's said!" One of my attackers growls. I open my mouth, my eyes flashing, but before I can speak Enrique beats me to it.

"Her clothes were torn, she was drugged and there were bruises, plus CCTV footage from outside the club covered part of what took place, and with Delta Carlos returning with the inside club footage we will find out whose idea that was too," he says coldly.

"Do you believe her words, Alpha Enrique?" One of my respected pack members asks.

"I do." He says, frowning.

"Alpha, may I speak?"

I turn and look at the woman who stands up. I can sense her anger as she balls her fist, but she's also afraid. "Pascal would never do that, he and I love one another, and he is true to me-"

"Yet he is in Club Jewels every other day, with women surrounding him," Jose remarks, making a few people snicker.

The woman's face heats, and I do feel sorry for her. After all, I know how it hurts when someone you- I shake my head, no I won't go down that train of thought. Not now.

"He isn't so true as you think. Sit down." Enrique replies coldly, his eyes simmering gold.

"So, we will believe the outsider?"

"But she is a Rossi! They-"

"Enough!" Enrique snarls. A wave of power rips through the room and my stomach sinks when I see the very faint flicker of orange in his eyes. No. I... I imagined it...

That orange... I push the thought away, taking a calming breath, but I can't ignore the darkness that feels like it crosses the room. I glance at Jose, who is watching me, and my gaze snaps back to Enrique, who is glaring coldly at the woman who has paled.

"Rossi or not, my word is fucking law. If I have spoken that she is innocent, she is, even if she is the daughter of the man I hate the most.”

The words sting a little. Dad didn't mean to make him suffer... I wish he understood that...

The strange shift in the atmosphere disappears and I feel calmer. Was it the darkness within him?

There's silence in the room and Enrique takes his phone out. He's watching something before he passes it to Jose, who instantly flips open the laptop sitting on the table next to him.

The screen projects on the wall behind them and it's the footage from inside the club, and I recognise one of the men slipping something into my drink as I stare off to the side, at Enrique... I hope he didn't realise that... I gulp the drink down and it's clear that I'm not ok by the way I walk out of the club.

"So, what do you have to say to that, Mario?" Enrique asks, his eyes burning a molten gold.

"NOTHING! Listen, that bitch shouldn't have-" he shouts in Spanish.

A bang goes off and several people scream. I gasp, flinching as Mario's body falls to the ground, and Enrique sighs, placing the gun he pulled out of nowhere onto the table. "I really hate being disrespected." He mutters, sitting back and running his fingers through his lush chocolate curls.

There's silence in the room and I can sense the fear rising in all of his subjects. Even Jose is tense.

“Well, since that's been cleared, let's move on to Francisco. Yes, he did get wounded in the scuffle when he was trying to sexually assault a woman.” Enrique's voice is deadlier now.

He tilts his head, his eyes scanning the room, "But he also had traces of El Incendio in his body. This means, although it's forbidden for anyone to have this drug in their possession, someone did... and it cost Francisco his life. That might be on him, or someone else... that's something that will be revealed."

A murmur ripples through the room, and Enrique turns to the men who all wear tense or fearful expressions. "For your punishment for the assault that you would have gone further with if she did not stop you is..." he trails off looking at the council.

"Alpha Enrique, we suggest imprisonment for a minimum of three years, and stripped of all rank," they say in agreement.

Enrique doesn't react, nodding slowly. "Not enough, let's make it five years, a lashing and exile upon release, if you survive that long," he says darkly, his eyes simmering. "Let this be a warning to all, new and old pack members. There will be no second chances. You fuck up, your life is over."

"But what if we-we-re not all guilty?!" One of them shouts. “I had nothing to do with it. I didn't touch her!”

Enrique smirks coldly. "Oh? Then how about I put you all under the Alpha command to speak nothing but the truth?"

That seems to make them hesitate as Enrique gets up and walks over to them. "But here's the catch... whoever is found guilty will spend the rest of their life in prison. Who's game?"

"No, please Alpha, we accept the pun-"

"Too late," Enrique whispers. I feel his aura surge and the men cower as his command rings through the air. "You will answer truthfully and say nothing but the fucking truth: Did you hjios de putas attack, drug and assault Señorita Rossi with the intention of raping her?"

The words make me sick, and I look away when they succumb to the command.

"Yes, Alpha."

"I'm sorry, please forgive me!"

"I-I wasn't thinking straight. I was drunk!"

"Yes..."

Enrique's aura weighs down like a blanket and they all cower in fear as they all fall to the ground, bowing and begging him for mercy.

"Please show us mercy! Please, Alpha, we are sorry!"

He ignores them, pushing one off his leg and placing his foot on his back as the man bows on the ground.

"And who gave Francisco the drug?" he asks.

This time, none of them answer a yes, instead denying it instantly, almost as if it would lighten their sentence.

"Throw them in prison, lash them... and they will remain without food for a week." Enrique snarls, "After that, I'll decide if they're fed or not."

The men look terrified as the doors open and several guards come forward to apprehend the men and take them away.

"You are proven innocent. You can leave." Enrique says, glancing at me. I place a hand to my chest, feeling suddenly down, although this was a victory that I didn't need to even fight to be proven innocent. But being told I can just leave.

"We had a deal," I reply, looking him in the eye. His eyes flash as he walks over to me.

"And what was that, because I've forgotten." He says coldly, placing his hand on the table as he leans over, glaring at me.

"One request, you will honour it."

"I will not if I fucking don't want to, Princesa. So leave."

No.

"May I talk to you in private? Or do you prefer I answer here?" I ask softly, smiling gently. I don't want to disrespect him before his people, but I also refuse to leave without my request being honoured.

His jaw clenches as he glances around the room.

"Leave." He commands angrily.

His mood really does change very quickly.

I wait patiently as everyone leaves. Jose glances between us before it's just the two of us in this very large, now very empty hall.

"What is it? I don't have time to entertain you."

"An Alpha's promise should always be kept... We both agreed if I was innocent, then you would fulfil my one request."

He scoffs, glancing away before his gaze rakes up my body. "What's it going to be?" he asks mockingly.

"You will allow me to reside here in this packhouse until the Blood Moon."

His smirk vanishes as his eyes snap to me. "Why would I do that?"

"Because of our deal?"

"And why the fuck do you want to stay here? You're not welcome here."

"That was not part of our deal. I actually came regarding a very important matter, and I need a place to stay." I say, feeling guilty about the little white

lie.

He's frowning now, and I can feel his anger rippling through me.

"Why would I house a Rossi?" he snarls.

"That is my wish." I simply state firmly yet politely. "It now depends on if you are an Alpha who will honour his words or not."

I know I'm pushing him, and when

he slams his hand on the table before he grabs my face, squeezing my cheeks, I close my eyes, trying to

calm my heart. "Fine, you want to stay, then you can. But you did not state how you expected to stay. So you can return to the cells where the likes of you belong."

My eyes widen as he pushes my face to the side and I feel my heart clench. How will I do anything from down there? Actually, it doesn't matter, I'll

find a way.

“What's the matter, Princesa? Are you having second thoughts?" he asks mockingly.

I smile gracefully and shake my head. "Nope, not at all. I accept."

He frowns as he watches me, almost as if wanting to know what's on my mind, but instead, he simply steps back. "If that's what you fucking want."

The doors open and two guards enter; to escort me to the cells...

"It's quite alright, I will make my own way down," I state, moving away when one of them tries to grab my arm. They nod and I lead the way out of the room. The last thing I hear Enrique mutter is the words "Fucking Rossis."

Don't you worry, Enrique, soon, you won't hate us so much. I'm going to make sure of that. I don't know how yet, but I will figure it out.

My wolf stirs, her nerves on edge, blending with my own.

As long as my own troubles don't catch up with me.

At least until the Blood Moon.