From that one word spat like a curse, Lupo recognized Jasmine’s mother’s voice.
The two men sitting at either side of the woman gently pulled her down to the chair, and she started sobbing. The man to her right passed an arm over her shoulder, drawing her closer to him. His black eyes were full of unshed tears, and the resemblance with Jasmine’s uncanny.
Neither the chancellor nor the judge intervened. The entire court remained silent and still until the woman stopped crying.
Only then did the judge say to Lupo, “Continue.”
“We…” Lupo’s throat was dry, and his eyes kept wandering toward Jasmine’s mother. “We spent a few hours together, getting to know each other, and she told me how she could read my mind—”
Jasmine’s mother gasped, “It’s not possible,” while the man hugging her—who had to be Jasmine’s father—brought his free hand to his mouth to cover his swearing.
Again, both the chancellor and the judge didn’t say anything, but let the moment pass, then Lupo was ordered to resume his deposition.
“I was in the bathroom when Jasmine’s mother came to tell Jasmine she must hurry for the date with her fiancé.” Lupo gazed at the woman, and the shock on her face was such that for a moment hate was replaced by surprise. “When I heard my soulmate was promised to another man, my instincts took over and I acted upon them.”
“Explain what happened,” Martina Colonna asked.
Lupo told them how he had stolen a car to leave the city, and that they spent a day and a half at the reserve. When he reached the part of the accident, he stopped a few times, tears obfuscating his thoughts.
“You called the enforcers to ensure Jasmine would be attended by paranormals, is that right?” His lawyer regarded him with compassion in her eyes.
Lupo nodded, then said, “Yes, I did. She wasn’t… she was still and I feared she would—” He took his face in his hands and couldn’t stop from crying before the whole court.
“You exchanged your freedom to save Jasmine,” Martina Colonna said.
“She’s—” Lupo wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “Jasmine is the love of my life. Without her, I can’t go on living.” He shook his head. “Had I known she would die as a result of my decision, I would’ve stepped aside and let her marry her betrothed.” With his chest heaving from the effort to keep him from sobbing louder, Lupo looked straight at the two parents. “I am sorry, and I’m ready to take full responsibility for Jasmine’s death.”
“That would be all for me, your honor.” Martina Colonna went back to her chair. Her heels hit the marble floor with a loud staccato that echoed in the silence that followed.
When the judge asked Jasmine’s family lawyers if they wanted to interrogate Lupo, one of them stood and approached him with the same accusing expression the family sported on their faces.
“You just confessed to killing Jasmine Cannalis Conte,” the man started, his voice as cold as his eyes.
During the next three hours, with the help of his colleagues, the Purist lawyer attacked Lupo from several fronts. They asked intimate questions and probed into his past, but they didn’t mention the Reds except in passing. His relationship with Quintilius was torn to pieces. Yet, he didn’t react to the constant bait.
“You thought that being the son of the alpha made you untouchable,” the lawyer said, after a few inflammatory statements that didn’t provoke any response in Lupo.
“When I spirited Jasmine away from her house, I had nothing else in mind but her. The mating call is impossible to ignore, and in our case, her Purist genes added an extra pull. She marked me in her apartment, and from that moment onward, I was a slave of my senses. My brain stopped working altogether. My blood ties forgotten. I only wanted to live with her, away from Rome.” Several memories assaulted him, and Lupo blinked.
The man didn’t give him time to breathe, ready to attack again. “So you are saying that taking her away from her family, violating her, and acting so recklessly that she was eventually killed should all be excused because you were in the throes of a mating call?”
Lupo gave the audience a sad smile. “I don’t want to be excused.”
A final volley of questions followed, and Lupo answered each one of them, hoping he could fade away, but the sight of Jasmine’s parents kept him anchored to the present. Their pain reached for him and fueled his own, his heart bleeding from invisible cuts.
When he was sent back, and Martina was called to make her closing argument, he shut his mind and let her words soothe him into a state of suspended consciousness. Words reached him, but he couldn’t assign them any meaning. He sat still, watching first his lawyer then the Purists’ talk to the judge, and only came around when Ludwig patted his arm and said, “Pay attention.”
The Purists’ lawyer was at the end of his speech, and he paced back and forth, his hands moving before him. Then he stopped, took a moment, and in a much quieter voice said, “Given the nature of the perpetrator’s crime, we ask for the maximum penalty, death.”
Behind Lupo, his group murmured their dissent, but Martina turned and said, “I’ve got it, don’t worry.” Then she nodded to Ludwig and raised a hand to get the judge’s attention. “Permission to approach the bench, your honor.”
The judge made a come-hither gesture, and she walked to the dais where she leaned toward the judge and spoke to him in hushed tones.
Although Lupo wasn’t interested in the conversation and didn’t make an effort to listen in on them, his ears could detect the softest of whispers, and he heard bits and pieces.
“I don’t want to drag the family into a scandal, but if my client is convicted of murder, we will appeal, and his criminal activities will be closely investigated,” Martina whispered.
“Where are you going with this?” the Purist lawyer hissed.
“Lupo delivered drugs to the Cannalis’s building—”
“You—” The Purist stepped closer to Martina, towering over her in a menacing stance.
“Enough!” the judge said, his countenance changing from perplexed to annoyed. He asked the two lawyers several questions, then when the Purist’s temper rose, he sent them both back to their sides of the courtroom and announced he would retire to make a decision.
When the judge and the chancellor left, Lupo’s group gathered around him.
“Everything will be okay. Don’t worry,” Martina said, as the rest whispered words of encouragement.
Lupo thanked her because she had been nothing but nice to him, then he slumped into his chair, his hands on his lap, his eyes staring at the faces in front of him but seeing nothing.
Raphael dropped to his haunches and waved a hand before Lupo’s face. “Earth to Lupo.”
“What?” Lupo let out a long breath.
“I can’t even imagine the pain you’re in, but, brother, you must react. Jasmine would’ve wanted you to live,” Raphael said.
“She marked me so I wouldn’t look at another woman.” Lupo couldn’t help but smile at the memory. “So, I’m not sure about the extent of living she wanted me to have in her absence.”
Raphael chuckled back. “Still, I wouldn’t want Luisa to lose any interest in living because I wasn’t around.” He placed a hand on Lupo’s shoulder and applied a light pressure. “Please, don’t waste away. Even if you think you have no reasons left to go on, remember that you are loved.” Tilting his chin over his shoulder, he pointed at Quintilius who was looking at Lupo. “And you have a friend in me.”
“Thanks.” Again the word came out of Lupo’s mouth by rote.
Both Peter and Ravenna talked to him, and Lupo listened and nodded, but didn’t contribute to the conversation.
A step away from the rest of the crowd, Quintilius watched Lupo, as if he was guarding over him, a solid wall of a man shielding him from the angry family a few meters from them.
The door behind the stand opened, the chancellor entered and asked everyone to take their place beside their chairs, then to stand for the judge, w
ho appeared a moment later.
After a few more formalities, the judge said, “Lupo Solis, stand up.”
Lupo obeyed the order, but his legs didn’t want to cooperate and he pressed both hands down on the narrow table before him. The vertigo passed, and he straightened himself up.
“After considering all the facts presented to me by both sides, I’ve reached a verdict.” The judge paused, his eyes roamed from Lupo to the Purists. “Taking into consideration the age of the accused, and the exceptional circumstances that led to Jasmine Cannalis Conte’s death, I declare Mr. Solis not culpable of the crimes of kidnapping and manslaughter.”
The courtroom split in two. Lupo’s side let out a collective sigh of relief. The Purists’ side froze, their postures betraying their anger. Nobody said anything.
Amidst a silence filled with tension, the judge resumed talking. “Given how sensitive the third accusation is, we reserve the right to pronounce a verdict after Mr. Solis is seen by an aura reader.” He gave the chancellor a silent command.
After nodding, the man talked to a two-way radio, then addressed Lupo, “Mr. Solis, please follow me.”
Martina touched Lupo’s arm. “Just relax and let the reader do his work.”
The chancellor opened his arm to the side for Lupo to walk to the back of the court. The judge left the stand and walked with them outside, through the hallway, and into a room adjacent to the court.
The place smelled of dust and its low ceiling contributed to a sense of claustrophobia that hit Lupo as soon as he stepped a foot inside. Two chairs, one plain, the other with leather straps and a footrest comprised the entire amount of furniture in the room. The walls closed in on Lupo, and his chest constricted, making him gasp for air.
“Sit.” The chancellor took him by the elbow and guided him to the chair with the bindings. “It will take but a moment.”
The judge sat on the plain chair as Lupo was strapped to the other. “Boy, we are doing this for your sake, so please relax.”
Lupo’s heartbeat sped up, and by the time a tall man with long blond hair entered the room, he was hyperventilating.
“Hi, Lupo. My name is Caelum and I’m here to help you. I’ll try to make the reading as non-invasive as possible, but I’ll have to enter your mind,” the man said.
Lupo nodded, but he wanted to scream, loathing having his memories of Jasmine seen by the warlock. Yet, he could stomach even less to have something as holy as their mating perceived as rape.
“The warlock has graciously accepted to drive here in the middle of the night,” the chancellor said, walking to the wall where he stood out of the way.
“Let’s begin.” The judge nodded at the warlock who walked around and squatted before Lupo.
“We don’t need to tie him down for what I’m about to do.” The blond man unfastened Lupo’s wrists with a few swift movements of his elegant hands.
“Are you sure about this?” the chancellor asked from the wall.
“Yes, I am.” Caelum massaged Lupo’s wrists, sending a wave of pleasant warmth up to his shoulders, then he stood, and walked behind Lupo. “I’ll start by positioning my hands on your temples.”
Lupo experienced a jolt of awareness at the warlock’s touch. The warmth he had felt before was followed by tingling.
“Open your mind to me, and let me in.” The warlock’s voice soothed Lupo’s excited nerves.
“Thank you, Lupo.” Caelum’s fingers circled Lupo’s temples.
A pleasant scent filled the room, and Lupo closed his eyes as Jasmine’s appeared before him. Her hand reached for his, and he took it, savoring the softness of her skin.
Images exploded in his mind. All the kisses and caresses he and Jasmine had shared displayed at once. The tenderness of their private moments created a beautiful canvas where their love became art.
Then the scent surrounding Lupo changed, sweetening until the fragrance was entirely redolent of jasmine. Anticipation built inside him, growing like a seed of hope that burst into curlicues when he sensed Jasmine’s presence.
I’m here, wolf.
Where?
With you, always.
I can’t find you, and I miss you.
I love you.
I love you more.
Her presence and her scent disappeared at once, leaving Lupo alone and bereft, gasping for air. Please, come back. The connection was lost, and he opened his eyes.
“It’s done.” The warlock patted Lupo’s shoulders.
“What did you see?” the judge asked, shifting in his chair as if uncomfortable.
“Lupo’s love for his mate is pure.” Caelum squeezed Lupo’s arm, then stepped to his side. “He never hurt Jasmine. His aura is green.” He extended his hand, palm up, to the judge.
Standing with a loud sigh, the judge placed his palm over the warlock’s and closed his eyes, his brows furrowing at first, then relaxing. A long moment passed, then as if waking from a deep slumber, he blinked a few times. He stared at Lupo with an intent gaze. “Good. I would’ve hated to be wrong about your character, boy.” He made a gesture for Lupo to stand as well. “It’s almost morning, let’s send everyone home.”
The chancellor opened the door for them, and they marched back into the courtroom where the warlock joined them for the last section of the hearing.
The room was silent, the tension palpable as Lupo walked to the table and sat beside Martina. Every set of eyes trained on the judge, who took his rightful place behind the bench, and, after the chancellor executed the formalities of the rite, he announced, “After reviewing Caelum’s aura reading, we also find Mr. Solis not culpable of sexually assaulting Ms. Cannalis Conte.”
The statement changed the mood of everyone present, included the Purists’. Jasmine’s mother started weeping, while her father cried long tears that escaped his lashes and wet his face. Despite the incommensurable anguish, Lupo sensed how Jasmine’s family was relieved by the news, and he was glad he had been able to give them at least that small amount of solace. For that, he mentally thanked the judge for ordering a reading.
“However, Mr. Solis is held accountable for stealing a car and obstructing mortal justice, which resulted in the accident that led to Ms. Cannalis Conte’s death. The penalty is stipulated as follows, one year in Regina Coeli without parole, starting tonight. We hereby declare the session closed. May the Goddess and the Great Wolf guide you as you travel the path of life.” The judge raised the gavel and let it fall on the sounding block, then left the room as everyone stood per the chancellor’s instruction.
The Purists too vacated the room alongside their lawyers, their faces impassive.
“We’ll appeal—” Martina started to say.
Lupo shook his head. “I don’t want you to do anything.”
“But Lupo, I can make you spend your sentence somewhere else at least. It doesn’t have to be Regina Coeli.”
“I deserve it. It’s my fault Jasmine’s dead. I could’ve waited and found a different solution, but I didn’t think about consequences, and she paid for my impulsiveness. I need to atone for my sins. One year in Regina Coeli isn’t enough.” Lupo took her hand between his. “Thank you for everything, but please leave things as they are.”
“But you know that it doesn’t end here. You’ll also be prosecuted in the vampire’s attempted murder case.” Martina sounded genuinely worried, and Lupo’s heart warmed at the idea that a complete stranger could care about his fate.
“And I thank you in advance for any help you can provide, but the vampire is only alive thanks to the archangel’s interference. I’m not innocent.”
“You aren’t a bad person either,” Martina said, eyes rimmed with bloody tears.
Lupo shrugged, and gave her a small smile. “That doesn’t make me good.”
From the row behind, Quintilius leaned forward to hug Lupo. “My son—”
Of all the moments that it could have happened, the word “father” popped up in Lupo’s mind, but it didn’t make
it out of his mouth. Still, he lingered in the alpha’s embrace, grateful for the comfort it provided amidst much sorrow and despair. As if sensing his need, Quintilius’s strong arms tightened around Lupo’s shoulders.
Two immortal guards appeared, interrupting their private moment.
“We must leave now,” the shorter of the two guards said, showing a pair of handcuffs dangling from his hand.
“Give us a moment.” Quintilius walked around and positioned himself between Lupo and the two men.
“We apologize, but we have orders to take the prisoner to Regina Coeli before dawn,” the second guard responded, as the first grabbed Lupo’s wrists and bound them.
The rest of the group came together around Lupo.
Drako and Ravenna Del Sarto hugged him. “We’ll visit you,” she said, and her companion nodded.
The demon made the same promise, while Raphael said, “Hang in there. You’re stronger than you think you are. See you soon.”
The guards parted the crowd, dragging Lupo in tow.
Walking alongside, Martina gave him a few legal instructions that ended with, “Stay out of trouble and be careful to befriend the right inmates,” she choked out between tears.
Overwhelmed by such a response, Lupo’s eyes filled with tears as well. Not because he was sorry to go to prison, but because he had to go to prison to find that there were good people in this world.
Ludwig Barnes approached him, holding the guards at bay with a raised finger. “I’ll personally see that you are safe in there. Nobody will dare touch you.”
Blindly nodding, Lupo felt Quintilius’s touch on his back, as if to support him the last few steps out of the courtroom.
“I’ll visit every day, I won’t leave you alone. You’ll come out of this stronger,” Quintilius said, his voice hoarse.
Lupo couldn’t help but feel the need to reassure him. “I’ll be okay, don’t worry.”
At the large, wooden door, the warlock, who had followed the procession, stepped forward and placed his right hand over Lupo’s chest, then mirrored the gesture with his left hand on his heart. A flash of warm light cocooned Lupo like a blanket.
“You have my protection.” Caelum’s voice resonated all around Lupo, and he couldn’t say if he had heard the words or imagined them.
The Lonely Wolf Page 22