With Everything I Am (The Three #2)(169)
“Why is it that you think you can say we’re not talking about something and then we’re not going to talk about it?” she asked crossly and he glanced from the road to her to see her glaring out the windscreen.
“Because we can talk about it later,” he replied, not even knowing what “this” was and looking back to the road. “Now, it’s important I explain what’s going to happen at the trial so you’ll be prepared.”
Callum felt the air in the cab get tense and he reached out a hand to grasp hers in a warm grip, pulling it to his thigh and stroking her fingers with his thumb.
“That bad?” she queried softly, her fingers curling strong around his.
“To you, likely,” Callum told her honestly then explained. “Our way of justice is not your way, little one. Wolves have very few rules, very few laws. We live and let live. Therefore, breaking one is treated harshly so others will be deterred from doing the same.”
Sonia gave herself a moment to process this before she asked, “Are there attorneys? Solicitors? Will he have a chance to have his say?”
“He’ll be allowed to speak,” Callum answered. “They all will.”
Sonia was silent another moment, he glanced at her again before looking back to the road and saw that she was no longer angry but looked reflective.
Then she asked, “What does harsh mean?”
This was the part Callum wasn’t looking forward to, making his judgment, casting his sentence and having Sonia hear it. He knew she wouldn’t like it. He also knew, no matter how cunning and playful she could get, she would not be attending the executions. They were gruesome, even by a wolf’s standards. A human, especially a human like Sonia, wouldn’t be able to endure them.
“He committed treason, baby doll,” Callum reminded her quietly and he felt the air in the cab grow tenser and her eyes turn to him.
“It’s my experience that there are wolves who can be hot-headed, Cal, and he’s a father. It’s clear he was blinded to his daughter’s illness by fatherly love and, although wrong, it’s understandable. Perhaps, since it happened, he’s had time to reflect.”
“He challenged me and, in doing so, injured my queen,” Callum pointed out then concluded. “Who is, incidentally, also his queen.”
“But what if he’s –?” she began but he squeezed her hand and glanced at her again before turning his eyes back to the road.
“I am rarely challenged except during a rebellion or skirmish, little one,” he told her gently. “One reason for that is I cannot be bested. This is not a boast. This is the truth. The other reason is, if it’s done, the punishment is harsh. I do not have time for this. You’ve worked beside me now for weeks. You know my duties are onerous. We’re having our Mating tomorrow. My attention being on this and away from other, more important matters has a ripple effect throughout the kingdom. If a statement wasn’t made, anyone who was angry at a decision I’d handed down or simply drunk and acting stupid could think they could try their hand at besting the king. I could be spending all my time on the steps of Canis, engaged in challenges. This is one of the reasons why any ruler, any government, must deal with situations such as these harshly.”
“Okay,” she replied slowly, “so what does harsh mean?”
“What is the usual punishment for treason, baby doll?” he returned quietly and heard her pull in a swift, sharp breath.
She knew what it was.
Then she noted, “I thought wolves were immortal.”
Cautiously, he explained, “If you sever our heads from our bodies, that is something we cannot survive.”
To this he received another swift intake of breath.
Then she began, “Callum –”
He cut her off to tell her something she had to know. “I do not relish this any more than you do, Sonia.”
“I know that!” she cried, her voice suddenly rising. “But this isn’t a drunken wolf, trying his hand at besting you like it was a Wild West gun slinging faceoff, may the fastest draw win and the winner gets nothing but the opportunity to brag. Family is all important to wolves, you’ve said that to me yourself dozens of times. He was defending his daughter. Yes, it was misguided but that doesn’t negate the fact that was what he was doing and I think, somewhere deep, you understand why he did it. And loyalty has to be almost as important, which was what Titium’s wolves showed to him and yet they, too, will receive this punishment? The end of their lives for doing nothing but standing there and being loyal?”
Callum felt his temper again start to rise. “I told you we would not speak of this again but it seems you’ve forgotten he hurt you. The fact he did it at all is unforgiveable but he did it in front of me. You were in harm’s way, he knew it and he still acted and that, my queen, is indefensible.” He gave her hand another squeeze. “I cannot let it stand.”
“Then don’t let it stand, Cal,” she returned swiftly. “You’re right. He did wrong and caused harm in the process. But I will point out, you were in a mood when you met him on the steps of Canis and that mood was not the mood to sit down like men with honor I, at least, know you are, and talk things out. I know I’m your mate and protecting me is serious business for you wolves but I don’t want you to be upset when I say that it really is me who gets to forgive or not forgive that he hurt me and I forgive him, Cal.” She paused a moment before she told him quietly. “It was an accident. He surrendered immediately after he saw he harmed me. He knew he did wrong and felt badly about it so perhaps you can think of another punishment that’s less…” she paused and finished, “final.”