Mated Girl (Wolf Girl #4)(48)

 
I awoke with the early morning light, the grogginess of the medicine receding as I opened my eyes. Sawyer’s blue gaze was the first thing mine landed on.
“Hello, my love.” He leaned forward, propping his elbows on the edge of my bed and stroking my hair.
“Creek?” I asked, my eyes adjusting to the light.
“He’s fine. With your mom and my mom getting grandma time.” His voice was rough like he’d just awoken as well.
I looked to the left and saw the bed empty.
“Astra!” I sat upright so fast I almost cracked into Sawyer’s nose, the pain in my thigh throbbing with the sudden motion.
Sawyer held out his hands. “Whoa, whoa. She’s okay. She’s on a light walk with Willow to regain her strength.”
I relaxed a little, wondering why I was so jumpy. The queen was dead, we’d gotten our land back, everything was fi—
‘Run!’ My wolf’s voice burst through the final remnants of my hazy mind and the memory of what she’d said last night came back to me.
“Sawyer! We need to run, the Magical Creature Council has my wolf. They want us in prison and they’re coming.”
Sawyer’s eyes widened into saucers. “What?”
I jumped up from the bed, swaying, just as I heard the commotion outside. Murmurs, yelling, and a familiar howl.
My wolf.
It was too late.
Sawyer and I scrambled outside to see what all the commotion was about, and I froze when I saw my wolf, tethered with a collar and leash like a fucking dog. My gaze ran along the chain to look into the eyes of a tall, lithe dark fey. He wore a long, black fitted trench coat that skimmed the ground, and he stood next to five other people. One from each race.
The Magical Creature Council.
My gaze darted to each person. Troll woman, light fey male, witch female wearing a black crushed velvet cape, a dark fey male, a stout male werewolf I didn’t recognize, and a towering male vampire.
They were an ominous sight, all of the races walking together like this, knowing that half hated the other. The Paladins and Ithaki had no representation, which I wasn’t surprised by.
“Let. Her. Go.” My voice could have cut glass. I would kill every single one of them for chaining her like that.
The witch woman raised her hand and then snapped. A silver collar flew out of nowhere then, latching around my neck and closing with a click.
What the…!
She did the same to Sawyer beside me, and then we were both brought to our knees against our will.
Who was this woman? She looked barely twenty-five, with dark black hair and cherry red lips, but her power … it was unheard of.
The witch held up her hand, as if controlling us like puppets.
I reached up to yank off the collar and got the shock of my life. The sharp sting zapped into my neck, causing me to cry out.
Our pack went wild then. Paladin and city wolf pressed forward. The sound of bones cracking signaled their shifting. Screams of anger were hurled at the council as they threw themselves forward. But when they got too close, a bubble-like shield erected from the witch woman, covering us, my wolf, and the council, and no one else. It was instantaneous, thick like glass, and I felt myself marveling at this council woman’s incredible power. When the pack slammed against the shield, they too were zapped with electricity.
“Stop!” I cried to our people, not wanting anyone to get hurt on my account. Then I looked to the witch. Only a high priestess would have this kind of power, and Raven had told me that you didn’t make high priestess at that age unless you were a magical prodigy.
“Sawyer Hudson and Demi Calloway-Hudson, you are hereby under arrest for the recent jailbreak from Magic City Prison and your role in the crime. You have the right to an attorney and trial hearing. You may opt to forgo lengthy legal proceedings and enter into a quick and instant trial right here and now.”
I frowned, looking at Sawyer. Her power … her human lie detector power that Star had told me about, this is what she was referencing.
‘She’ll see everything, and she’ll show everyone here, like a movie playing out from your memory,’ Sawyer warned.
I nodded. “I will consent to an instant trial right now about the jailbreak, but only if you promise to reopen Sawyer’s murder case, take my testimony, and look at everything.”
I had to bite my lip to keep from crying. Showing her and everyone here my rape would be one of the most horrific things I’d ever had to relive, but if it would save Sawyer, I would do it.
Her brows drew together. “You know of my abilities and you would consent to have me see that you masterminded a jailbreak?”
I nodded. “If you would also see that Vicon Drake raped me when I was fifteen.”
Every council member inside of the bubble gasped.
“Lies!” the vampire councilmen roared. “What a convenient little falsehood to save her beloved. Cry rape. How original,” he seethed.
I could see the veins in the witch’s neck twitch. She didn’t like him.
“Is she crying rape if she’s willing to allow my power to see the truth?” the witch spat at him, looking up at the vampire with a cold gaze.
He just puckered his lips, like he’d sucked on something sour.
“I will grant your request. Consider his case reopened.” The witch stepped closer to me, extending her hand, and I froze.
I had only flashes of memory from that night. I didn’t want to see the whole thing, to remember more. Sensing my anxiety, my wolf bucked against the collar and the chain went taut in the witch’s hand.
‘I have the memories. Let me do it,’ she said.