Summon from the wolf court

As time passed by, Tom had earned the trust of Azazel for everything he said the latter took for gospel truth.

One day, he whispered what happened that night.

Azazel was enraged. His son should not get in the way.

They thought of a plan. They would sue Isabella in the court of law and that fact Azazel kept from Tatin.

Benjamin noticed that Isabella grew cold in her dealing with him as her fiancé so one day, he told her and Aunt Teresa if it was okay if he were to leave ahead. Isabella was too sorry for her fiancé but all was fair in love she thought. She knew that Benjamin would be all right. Isabella called James over the telephone so he could be accommodated in one of his ships. James said that he would be always glad to help her. The next day, Benjamin was gone.

But the news that she and Benjamin were married had spread throughout the kingdom and a suit had been filed in the court of wolves.

xxxxxx

This time, Tom and Azazel had thought of a grand scheme of poisoning the minds of each one of the magistrates. The key? The oldest trick—bribery.

Isabella and Aunt Teresa received a summon from the court. They looked at each other. They knew what it was about.

Apollo, Lucas, James, Andrew, and Julia learned about the trial from Aunt Teresa. They had themselves ready and the other wolves in defense of Isabella. Isabella would have to face the ridiculous charge of being married to Benjamin, a lie which spread too fast that it became the truth.

At the court:

"Where is Benjamin," Rufus, one of the elders asked.

"He left for Europe, sir."

"Why would he leave?"

"The reason why I am here, sir, to dispute the charge that I have been married to Benjamin."

"Do you admit the charge?"

"No, sir," Isabella made sure that she answered politely to the magistrates. "It's a big lie."

Rufus, faced Tom and Azazel. "What have you to tell this court, plaintiffs?"

Apollo and the rest were looking at each other. They were all trying to smell what was to come. Lucas and Andrea felt guilty. They had been so busy that they failed to pick the news.

Tom and Azazel were holding fabricated documents of marriage. They had thought of this intricate scheme so that they should not lose by all means. They handed the documents to the court secretary. They would nail Isabella.

Before the pitiful daughter of John and Nenita could talk, the bribed court had handed down a decision that she was to be put behind bars and killed by means of a guillotine for marrying an alien who was likewise tried in absentia.

Apollo and the four were overwhelmed with chagrin. The kingdom died that day.

Aunt Teresa had thought that justice was not served as her surrogate daughter was to die from a death sentence. She lost consciousness. Gabriel and Michael tried to revive her vital signs. She came back to life, but was very sorrowful.

The sun was high and the chief magistrate was announcing the impending sentence. It was a harsh decision reached through a tribunal of twenty elders among the oldest of the wolf-dom.

Isabella's lips quivered in front of the crowd; they were excited for her blood. She didn't answer their questions, but her silence made them rage for more of her death.

"Die," they cried.

Isabella's eyes were surveying the people surrounding her. They were her friends before, men and women. Not one could defend her now that death was before her eyes. Her uncle Tom was there, sneering. He must have felt triumphant, she thought. On the contrary, she could feel that not all of the crowd was under the influence of the incumbent dispensation. She had wished that somehow he was there and that these men she saw were with him. She knew, she could feel, by those looks in their eyes. She was nervous, but she could smell his presence and so not all hope was lost.

Scattered were the renegade wolves of the more liberal view, the minions of Tatin. Some were on the higher grounds to where the guillotine was located. They were, in fact, everywhere. Some were also hiding behind the mountains. They were the believers who had witnessed what happened to strictly observed arranged wolf-wolf marriages. Eighty out of a hundred marriages broke leaving the children to the care of the elderly or the community.

A man raised his right hand to signal the fall of the ax.

That signal was the same signal for the rebellious wolf pack to come out of hiding. One of them who stood up in front of the ceremony, lit the torch, then, screamed, "for love and freedom!" Michael ran to Isabella's side to untie her hand, body, and feet. Then, they ran together towards the exit gate, but were blocked by men who now had transformed into wolves. Isabella and Michael's eyes flashed, sensing an immediate danger. They had to change quickly into their animal form and faced the wolves surrounding them. Then, they lunged at the enemies as beasts ready to kill and defend themselves.

The fight that ensued was more ferocious between the warring packs.

Azazel and Tom led the enemy's side while Apollo, Lucas, and Andrew led the pro-love movement.

Blood sputtered all over. Apollo, Lucas, James, Andrew, and Julia came face-to-face with Azazel and Tom.

It was the most dangerous civil war that took place in the wolf-dom.

Suddenly, Tatin came, and in one wave of his hand, he carried Isabella and Michael to another timeline.

Azazel and Tom were insanely mad.