Page 105 of Hart's Redemption

I looked again at the faces around me. Influence aside, they all wore a mix of anxiety and trepidation. I’d been so wrapped up in what Conrad might do, it never even occurred to me how the rest of the pack might want justice. The entire world had learned that Josh was a Harker, a family name that had haunted werewolves for centuries. A bogeyman meant to scare young pups into behaving, and an omen of death for lone wolves left exposed without a pack to protect them. He had come here, infiltrated our home, and perhaps scariest of all, he was absolutely the nightmare the stories had built him up to be.

A shiver ran through me, and I forcibly dispelled the creeping doubt. It wasn’t mine. I’d made peace with the things Josh had done and the man he was beneath it all. Still, the momentousness of the occasion was not lost on me. Had a Harker ever been held accountable for their crimes by a pack? In all the stories and fables I’d ever heard about the infamous family, not one had a werewolf win.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Absence should have weakened any Alpha influence I might have had, the fact that I was still able to influence the pack and in tune to their anxiety was cause for concern. If my ploy to win Conrad over had even a chance of success, then he couldn’t feel threatened. He needed to believe he’d won. He might as well have. I’d do anything short of offering myself up as a sacrifice to have him spare Josh. Stars, if Josh would survive my death, I wouldn’t hesitate to trade my life for his.

No sooner did I relax, than a wave of murmurs rippled through the cluster of bodies waiting. All eyes turned towards the back of the House and the garage. The fact that Josh had been held exactly where I suspected, did nothing to soothe me. Maybe I should have listened to Remus’s suggestion to simplybreak him out. Eric had been surprisingly for the plan, though for different reasons. Remus wanted his Alpha safe. Eric wanted Josh secured so I could challenge Conrad without fear of him using Josh against me.

Conrad stepped forward, flanked by Nikolai and a handful of elders. The entire council had front-row seats to the spectacle. For once, I was actually grateful for the ridiculous position. The Klamath Alpha’s gaze passed over the assembly, taking stock of all present. His eyes passed over me, lingering half a second longer than anyone else. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Eric slip back into the crowd just in time to be counted. I sent up a silent prayer that Tommy and his brother’s absence wouldn’t be noted. Satisfied with what he found, Conrad gestured Nikolai forward.

“Today, we stand in judgment of one of our own.” Nikolai’s thick accent made the words coarse. “The newest member of our pack has committed horrible wrongs against us. The human world has failed to mete punishment, so it is up to us to right this terrible injustice.”

Conrad nodded along with the words. No doubt he had put together that colorful little speech. “Bring out the traitor.”

Fearful gasps preceded two of Conrad’s loyalists. My hackles rose at seeing the prisoner dragged between them. Silver chains twined around his torso, wrapped around his wrists, and trailed off in excess behind him. They threw him on the ground at Conrad’s feet, and a low growl slipped free of me. Those closest to me instantly picked up on my fury and fidgeted.

I fought to bring myself under control lest this whole thing be ruined before it even had a chance.

Josh

My knees collided with the makeshift stage with a sickening crunch. I bit back a snarl as the chains shifted to spread yet more burns. They weren’t even tight, and the magic was clearly fading. The effort alone that it was taking to pretend to be the subdued captive was enough to make me want to shift and tear apart every last one of them. I forced my thoughts inward, focusing on the grounding techniques Yanesh had taught me.

Breathe one. Two. Three in. One. Two. Three out.

Something rolled through the crowd and crashed over me like a tidal wave. My gaze flicked briefly to where Elijah stood at the front, practically vibrating with rage. I quickly averted my eyes as true understanding of his warning sank home. An Alpha’s influence extended well beyond verbal commands. Already theweresclosest to him were mirroring his visceral reaction.

That was definitely not in the books.

Before I could think on it too much, Conrad Mallin stepped forward. All thoughts of what I might accidentally do vanished, swallowed whole by my all-consuming hatred of the lycanthrope. “Joshua Harker, you are responsible for the deaths of three Klamath lycans and the endangerment of this entire pack.”

Blood roared in my ears, and the faces before me swam in a sea of red. I opened my mouth to correct the lie. Before I could utter so much as a syllable, Elijah lurched forward.

Hatred that rivaled my own rolled off of Mallin as he looked at Elijah. “Was there something you needed to say, Red?”

Elijah’s gaze darted to me and swiftly back to Mallin. I doubted a soul here could tell how angry and how scared he was. Whilethe anger may have been easy enough to guess, the fear shone at the back of his eyes and in the way he repeatedly opened and closed his hands.

“Speak up or step back. This is a matter for the Alpha, and not a self-important council member.”

A muscle in Elijah’s jaw ticked, and he squared his shoulders. “His name is Joshua Hart, and he is not responsible for those deaths.”

The man beside Mallin scoffed. “And who is?”

“Josh may have infected Levi and Keith, but it was Keith who killed Levi and you who killed Keith.”

I blinked with the same shock being vocalized in muffled gasps around me.

“Excuse me?” Conrad asked, his voice low and dangerous.

Elijah’s cognac glare was practically aflame. “You heard me. It wasyourarrogance that killed Keith.”

“Iwas protecting the pack.”

“From what? Moon sickness? It’s not contagious.”

“We administered the cure. How were we to know it would be fatal?” the man beside Mallin chimed in.

“Sabrina warned you more tests needed to be done. You didn’t listen, and Keith paid the price. Josh is living proof that a moonstruck wolf can control their urges.”

“What makes you so sure he has?” Mallin countered.