Chapter Twelve: The Verdict.

Lycan Courtroom…

I'm her representative. I will represent her.

Mrs Doyle's announcement had taken everyone by quite a surprise, especially Ember. She stared at her mother, puzzled but Mrs Doyle looked deadass serious which was something Ember was thankful for.

With her father acting like a total jerk, she needed a parent that would stand by her. It was bad enough that she had always felt alone in this world, now she was going to have to stand and be judged by people who knew nothing about her. 

"Very well, Mrs. Doyle", Mr Lou said. He turned to face Ember directly. "Tell us what happened on the night of your mating, Ember"

She cleared her throat, feeling her blood run dry. "I… uh", she started to say but the words were a puddle in her throat, forcing her to stutter instead. "We… uh, we were so excited for the mating, Pete and I"

"I remember seeing him that night and just thinking, wow! So this is really happening" Ember said. "I remember walking to the Pyre with him. I remember the wide smiles on my parents' faces"

She listed off the little things she could remember hoping they would jog up her own memory. She hoped that they would force her to remember more than that, but she came up blank again. It seemed like the more she tried to remember, the less she could.

She gulped, forcing herself to sound convincing. "That's all I can remember about that night", she whispered.

Mr Lou narrowed his eyes on her. "Is that all you can remember or that's what you've forced yourself to believe?", he asked. Mr Lou's intimidating eyes bore holes into Ember's own skull.

"It's the truth", Ember croaked. 

Mr Lou nodded, looking perceptive. Ember understood that he was trying to read her. He was trying to examine her mannerisms and her speech patterns to figure out if she was telling the truth or not.

"What else can you remember, Ms. Doyle?", he queried. 

Ember glanced quickly at her mother, trying to center her thoughts. Mrs Doyle nodded to her reassuringly. It was a silent assurance that she was right there with Ember. "I remember waking up by the side of the road. It was a lonely road in the woods. I remember being scared and alone", her voice cracked as she spoke. 

A pin drop silence echoed through the stretch of the courtroom after Ember had said that. Mr Lou's voice sliced the air, breaking the silence. "So, you don't remember running away from your mating ground? You are trying to tell us here that you do not remember breaking the law and violating the Pack's mating rules?"

Mrs Doyle answered, before Ember could. "She has only told you what she remembers, like you asked her to. You are trying to put words in her mouth", she stated.

At first, Mr Lou was taken aback by Mrs Doyle's keen response but then he nodded, impressed by her statement. "All right, noted"

"Miss Doyle, going by what you've said, you woke up alone by the side of the road, right?" Mr Lou asked.

Ember replied. "Yes, the woods were completely devoid of any presence"

"So, how are you here now? Did you teleport yourself here?", Mr Lou asked. It was a trick question.

"No," Ember replied. "A kind man showed up and I rode with him out of those woods. I took a train back here and was arrested by my own father upon my arrival"

Mr Lou paced from one end of the courtroom to another. "As he should have. Good work, Mr Doyle", he said.

Ember watched her father's stoic expression falter. "Thank you, Apex Leader", he replied. Ember physically restrained herself from launching herself at her father. She barely recognized the robot who was wearing her father's skin.

Ember had never seen her dad like this. Usually loving, he now seemed like a soulless robot whose sole purpose was to carry out orders. Maybe he had always been this way, but because she was a kid and kids idolize their fathers, she had never noticed it. 

"There are over thirty members of this pack who witnessed you running away from the mating ground that night", Mr Lou stated. He nodded to Mrs. Doyle, "Your mother here is one of them"

Mrs Doyle bowed her head, briefly and this action elicited a sly smile from Mr Lou. "Do you deny that, Mrs Doyle?", he prodded her on further.

"I believe that if my daughter says she has no memories of that night, then she doesn't", Mrs Doyle retorted, raising her head high.

Mr Lou shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he was putting up no argument against her. "If that's the story she is going with, that's fine. Whether or not she's telling the truth, it's now up to the Lycan tribunal to determine if she's innocent or not", he informed the courtroom. His voice was clear cut and icy.

Ember reclined in her seat. She was willing to resign to any decision that they took. What could be worse than what she was facing already? 

"After hearing everything you've had to say, the tribunal will convene now. We will put into consideration every possible factor that has been examined here. If found guilty, Miss Doyle will serve whatever punishment we accord to her with due diligence. If she's not guilty, she'll be allowed to leave and continue life as normal", Mr Lou announced.

"I strongly believe you'll find her innocent.", Mrs Doyle bellowed. Ember stared at her mom, amazed by the nerves on that woman. The scales that were clouding her eyes seemed to fall of and she could see that her mom was brave. Inwardly, she berated herself because she knew she would never match up to the courage that her mom wielded.

Mr Lou appeared interested in Mrs Doyle's conviction. "And if I may ask, why are you so sure that your daughter is innocent? How are you so sure that she is not spinning this elaborate story in order to cover her ass", he questioned.

Mrs Doyle's eyes softened with maternal affection as she looked over to Ember. "I know my daughter. I have watched Ember grow from her infant years up until now, and if there is anything I can swear about… I know my daughter is not a liar"

A dead silence shrouded the still courtroom as Mrs Doyle's voice carried on, strong and unwavering. "Ember might have run away on the night of her mating -maybe she had her reasons for that. But she came back…", her voice was feathery. She continued, "She came back and that's what's important. Who commits a crime and instead of running away, runs back to the crime scene?"

Mr Lou smirked mischievously at Mrs Doyle. "We will see about that", he replied. Ember's heart sank into her stomach as she watched Mr Lou turn away from her.

He strutted to the rest of the tribunal and they turned away from the courtroom, talking in hushed tones with their heads bowed.

Ember watched them with quiet curiosity. What were they saying? She knew that her mother had put up quite a great argument on her behalf, but her pack was a very strict community and had strict rules which they upheld strictly.

After thirty minutes of quietly losing her mind, Ember watched as Mr Lou walked back to the center of the courtroom. Ember focused on his shiny black shoes, trying to distract herself from the fact that he was coming to give her verdict.

This was it. The moment of truth.

Mr Lou's voice reverberated in the air, startling Ember out of her quiet trance. "After much consideration from the tribunal…", he paused.

Ember's heart pounded in her chest like a thousand horses were running wild inside her. She was not a fan of the suspense. Whatever it was, Mr Lou should just say.

He cut his eyes to Mrs Doyle, steadying his gaze on her as he announced. "…Ember Doyle, you have been found guilty"