Chains to Crowns

Marc hadn’t gained any information from the reports, and the meetings with the guards had drawn a blank. He had to punish all on the two shifts, with all denying knowledge he had been left with no alternative. This meant, the King’s court had to be called to discuss their options. His father had suggested whipping, Wade had suggested they forfeit their days off. His father’s old beta, Andrew suggested a stint within the cells.

Marc passed a hand over his face with the five men around the table, “They have to know something.”

“Then get the information out of them, son.”

“I’m not torturing half our guards,” he retorted.

“Is there anything off on the reports?” Trey asked, seeing Marc’s lost expression he was desperately hiding.

“They seem all above board, Jeff was the first to catch the scent?”

“Yes,” Jesse replied.

“He had been paired with Laura, who…” he started rifling through the reports.

“Laura wasn’t on shift in the afternoon,” Jesse piped up, “She was on the midnight shift, have the reports been mixed?”

Marc frowned as he found Laura’s report and saw the inaccuracy he hadn’t noticed. “She’s not made a report for the evening. Do you think Jeff was mistaken? Mixing a previous shift?” Jesse’s eyes glazed after Marc’s question.

“We’ll find out, he’s on his way.”

The six men waited for Jeff to arrive, Marc knew he had to make a decision and if this avenue didn’t work he would have to pick a punishment. Public whipping had been the case under his father, he understood the reasons why that had become his preferred method. It was quick, it made a point and worked as a deterrent. And they had put their Queen in danger through being incompetent. If he didn’t evoke a strong punishment what kind of King was he?

’You look really conflicted. It’s your decision what we do. Listen to Jeff, this is someone’s fault, maybe it’s his?” Marc straightened his face at Wade’s link. The problem was he didn’t know what was going to be the best decision.

His mind drifted to Klara, it was two days since the attack, she seemed to be taking it all in her stride. He had a suspicion her wolf had a lot to do with it, she was stronger, more sure. She knew her mind better than she had, she was decisive. While he had been in his meeting for the last hour, he knew she was with his mother and Adelaide, beginning her training. He had offered for her to take more time off, she had had a trauma again by being dragged from his bed, but she’d been adamant she needed to start knowing what was expected of her, and her wolf wanted to be as important as she felt.

He had to chuckle, her wolf was arrogant, cocky, full of herself. He had spoken to his father though, they came to the conclusion she was still a young wolf and would mellow, silver did strange things to wolves if exposed for long periods of time like hers had. There was bound to be a few side effects for a while.

A knock brought his mind back to the present. Jeff entered looking a little nervous. Marc didn’t blame him, the King’s council rarely asked to see others. “Take a seat,” he directed formally. Jeff did before Marc started. “We have found a discrepancy in your report, is there anything you wish to disclose before we look into this?”

“A d-discrepancy, my King? I don’t…” he trailed off, clearly unsure what to say.

“You arrived at post at 1300 hours, you began at the southern border, heading East. You were accompanied by Laura Ellis. Correct?”

“Ye-yes, my King.”

“Anything out of the ordinary?”

“N-No, my King.” Marc sucked his teeth, he felt the chocolate haired man before him was at the very least hiding something. Jeff fidgeted in his seat as Marc’s golden eyes studied him hard.

“At 1500 hours you alerted Gamma Jesse to an unknown wolf smell. Was this before or after he alerted you to the breach?”

“After, my King.”

“And where were you to not smell, or hear the trespass?”

“I… I was further North, something had caught my attention.”

“What was that?”

“Another wolf, I didn’t realise Laura was on rotation and she ran past me, I didn’t recognise her at first.”

“Why would you not recognise her scent?”

Jeff’s eyes flitted between all the men at the table, “I… erm… I…”

“You stated you were with Laura, she was your guard pair.”

“She was!”

“Then how come you didn’t realise she was on rotation until almost 1500 hours?”

“Erm.. well… this was… erm… It was about 1400 hours…” Another panicked eye flit around the room. Jeff had done something wrong, all those in the room knew it. “Where was she before 1400 hours?”

“She said she started in the West, she made a mistake on where she was posted.”

“If she distracted you at 1400 hours, what happened in that hour?” Marc asked, a note of steel in his tone.

“I… erm…” His face flushed, his panicked expression intensified until his shoulders slumped. “We… got intimate, my King. I’m sorry,” he mumbled, shame and embarrassment simmering from him.

“You left your post,” Wade clarified as a statement.

“Yes, Beta Blackwood… yes…” Jeff was clearly frustrated with himself. “I didn’t mean to.”

“You let yourself down. You let me down. You let your Queen down,” Marc rumbled, his jaw ticking in irritation. “Were you aware the Silversmith’s were coming?”

Jeff’s eyes widened in shock, “No! I had no idea!” he stated with so much sincerity Marc had no trouble believing him. “I’ll take any punishment, I’m really sorry, I was weak.”

“You are under house arrest until I decide what to do with you.” Marc quickly mind linked a guard to escort him, “Simon will accompany you home. Be lucky I’m not demanding you be locked in the cells during my verdict.”

“Thank you, my King… I cannot apologise I should have come clean at the beginning I just… I was ashamed of myself… I should never have left my post.” A knock came on the door and Simon entered. “Go, get out of my site,” Marc growled at Jeff.

He was angry at Jeff, a note of betrayal settling within him. But he knew Laura’s tricks, knew her wiles where even the strongest would struggle to rebuff her advances. He needed to talk to her, but highly didn’t fancy it. “Get Laura here.” Jesse nodded before his eyes glazed again.

“She was on her last warning with you,” Wade reminded him professionally.

“Let’s see what she had to say. I don’t want to make decisions without all the facts.”

“Nothing but trouble that girl,” Andrew announced, running his hand through his almost completely grey hair. He had been Gamma before Wade’s father left, leaving the Beta position open, which Andrew stepped into naturally.

“Had any issues with her, Jesse?”

“A few minor infringements, nothing a few drills didn’t sort. She just seemed to have general issues with authority.” Just as he finished his sentence, the door opened without a knock.