Chapter 2 Banished

LUKE

I sit outside of the courtroom in silence. My knees shake with anticipation, and the shackles that connect my wrists to my ankles jingle loudly in the silent hallway. There are two guards on either side of me in case I decide to run.

I couldn't run if I wanted to. I am bound with silver, like a common criminal, to keep my wolf at bay. I try to keep my hands still because the silver burns against my skin. With each small movement, I hiss at the pain the shackles are inflicting on me.

People file into the courtroom one by one. It would appear that almost the whole pack has shown up for my trial. As the people file into the room, many of them look in my direction with looks of disgust on their faces.

My father's Beta's son, Jeff, stops just in front of me. He looks at the guards on either side of me and approaches me slowly. The guards shift uneasily as Jeff bends down to talk to me.

"We are cool, right?" Jeff asks.

I don't have to ask what he is talking about. I already know. He wants to know if I am going to rat him out to the elder council or if I am going to keep my mouth shut.

"I have already told you that we are," I growl in his direction.

Jeff lets out a sigh of relief, turns without another word, and heads into the courtroom. There is a bounce in his step, and I want nothing more than to drag his ass to the ground. He is the reason I am in this situation.

The courtroom doors swing open and my father gestures for me to come inside. I get to my feet and walk with my head held high to the front of the room. The pack elders are sitting at a long table in front of me, and my father takes his place at the center of the table.

"We are gathered here today in order to decide the fate of our future Alpha," my father says with sadness in his voice. "He is being charged with abuse of a human."

I stand with my head held down in shame. I can barely look into my father's eyes as he reads what I have been accused of. None of it is true.

Of course, I have grown to hate humans as much as the next person in my pack, but I would never do the things that I have been accused of. Only a sick person would do the things those things to that human girl. I know who the culprits are, but like a good friend, I keep my mouth shut and take the brunt of the punishment.

"Is there anything you would like to say for yourself?" My father glares down at me.

I roll my shoulders back and hold my head up high. "I didn't do what you are accusing me of."

"Then would you like to name those who participated in the abuse of that poor girl?" My father's eyes are begging me to tell the truth.

"I will not," I say as I continue to stare into my father's eyes.

His face falls with disappointment. I am not turning out to be the son he thought I would be.

"As the future Alpha of the River Run Pack, you are expected to treat all creatures with the same amount of respect. And, yes, that includes humans. In the past, we tried to keep our bloodlines pure. That is no longer the case. Humans and werewolves are learning to live amongst one another in harmony all over the country. Our pack's views of humans are archaic, and they need to change." My father's Alpha Aura washes over the crowd, daring anyone to speak against him.

I can hear a wave of murmurs washing over the crowd. Some agree with my father, and others do not.

The elders sitting on either side of my father seem to be conflicted. Many of them believe that humans and werewolves should remain separate. But I have to admit my father might be right. We have lost many pack members over the years because they found their mates among the humans. They feared how their mates would be treated within our pack and left for more progressive ones.

The elders whisper to one another, and my father stands stoically, waiting for a decision to be made. Our head elder, Elder Wilder, stands up and clears his throat awkwardly.

"We are unable to come to a decision," Elder Wilder says. "We will leave his punishment up to Alpha Gunner."

My father's face is grim. I knew he didn't want to be the one who gave me my punishment, but now he has no choice.

"A new human family is moving into the old farmhouse at the edge of our territory. They reached out to me looking for someone who could help establish their farm and do the hard labor. Lucifer, you will be banished from the River Run Pack and be their farm hand until you can learn to respect the human race." My father's tone is serious as he lays out my punishment.

"You can't be serious," I exclaim. "You expect me to be nothing more than a low-level Omega?"

"I think this is just the punishment that you need," my father growls. "There is nothing wrong with a bit of hard work."

"I am an Alpha," I shout, trying to throw my aura over him. "I will be treated as such."

My father chuckles at my show of power and throws his Aura over me. I fight against the need to bare my neck to him in submission. Sweat begins to bead on my brow the longer I fight against his command. Finally, I can fight no longer, and I twist my head to the side, baring my neck to him.

"You will do as I command," my father continues to hold his Aura over me.

I grit my teeth together. "Yes, Alpha," I respond.