Shadows of Destiny

55 Dominic’s Trial

~Tamia~

“That went well,” Kaira said, purring in my head as Sylvester walked to the

bathroom naked.

I stared at his chiselled body, and it made me groan. How could someone be carved so perfectly? Tight

butt cheeks, define calves. His muscles flexed, and his tattoo

was masterfully done.

“How did we end up with such a hottie?” Kaira said, and I had to shut my horny

wolf up because Leo was hot too but not

this hot.

Kaira was a complete contrast from a few hours ago when she was panicking about our make-out

session with Devin.

I wondered how Devin was doing and if he had indeed moved on. I hoped so because the last thing I

wanted was for

him to feel cheated.

“Come over,” I heard Sylvester in my head, and I left the bed naked and went into the bathroom. He

laid in the tub with

water and asked me to sit between his legs so he could wash me.

I got in with him, and he kissed my shoulder, which made me moan. He

lathered the sponge and began to wash my skin. I knew I was being pampered, so I relished the

moment. Taking everything

in and letting him spoil me.

Morning came, and we had our breakfast

together.

Everyone congratulated me, and I noticed

Avery was a bit affected by it. She was

happy for me, but she was sad for herself.

I touched her hand lightly to encourage her, and she knew that I knew.

Soon we left the place and got ready to go to the council hall.

55 Dominic’s Trial

Stephanie approached us on our way out, and I was a bit uncomfortable.

I did not know what to tell her, but I chose to be civil for Sylvester’s sake.

“Good morning, dear Tamia,” she said, and I smiled at her in response.

“Congratulations. Thanks to you I will soon be a grandma,” She said, looking genuinely happy, and I

smiled at her, not wanting to say anything.

She touched my hand and patted it lightly.

“We should talk when you return,” she said gently with pleading eyes. I did not want to be alone in a

room with her, but I knew Sylvester won’t see anything wrong with it, so I nodded.

“As long as the conversation does not include my doom and slurs, I will make

room,” I said, and Sylvester chuckled.

She pulled me into a hug.

“I am sorry for all the hurtful things I

said to you,” She said. Because she didn’t strike me as the type to eat her words, I was wary of her

apology, but I accepted it for Sylvester’s sake. I did not want him to feel torn between his mother and

me, but I had questions for her and hoped she would be truthful enough to answer them.

We walked away, and a vehicle was

waiting for us.

Usually, Sylvester used his jeep; I

wondered why he opted to have a driver

drive us in a car. We got into the backseat,

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and he held me.

“A car?” I said, and he nodded.

“No one drives my jeep, and I want to hold you all through,” He said and kissed my neck.

“I still can’t believe you rejected your fated for me. You have proven to me that true love exists,” he

said, and I looked at

him and searched his eyes. The driver

started the vehicle and moved.

“I was scared you would be mad,” I

confessed, and he shook his head.

“I wasn’t growling from anger, green eyes; I was growling from fear. Ever since the attack on the

northern gates, I have feared that Devin would take you from me. What you told me has now put my

mind at peace,” He said and touched my

belly lightly.

“I want to claim you so badly, and I doubt

I can wait until the blue moon. If I did not

need the blue moon for it to work, I would

have done it last night. I want us to be connected on all levels, Tamia; I want you inside me. I want you

to share my soul, and I share yours,” he said, and we kissed.

We finally arrived at the council hall and

went to sit in Sylvester’s box. Everyone was there, Avery, Marcel, Theodore and

Linda. On the floor at the centre was a

broken version of Dominic, a very afraid

Bryce and a furious version of Larry.

I knew Larry shouldn’t be there, but Sylvester wanted to humiliate the man

and make him suffer.

He was justified to do so because the man

tried to use Dominic to work against him.

The sooner Dominic realises the enemy is

from without, the better.

Vino greeted Sylvester and acknowledged our presence, then handed over to Jacob Mikhailov, the

council spokesman.

“I speak on behalf of the council when I

say you have overstepped your bounds, my lord,” The man said, and Sylvester was silent.

“Civil and criminal matters are overseen by the council. You have abused your power by holding the

prisoners in your custody and choosing to preside over this case. We hereby ask you to withdraw and

only observe as we deal with the matters.

“He said, and Sylvester raised his hand

and signalled the man to be seated.

“Tell me of the council’s investigations and findings first before I respond to your demand,” He said

calmly.

Pamela, who I had slowly started to hate, stood up to speak.

“What more is there to know? Enforcer

Golubev has confessed the truth. We are here for sentencing,” she said, and I could feel Sylvester’s

rage.

“If it was possible to unseat this council, I will. This council has failed woefully in their duty. Was it not

this council that accused me of being wicked without investigating the allegation against me? And now

you have done the same. Unfortunately, I will decide on this one because my brother is involved. I have

done some investigations, and here are my findings. Enforcer Golubev has

confessed that he was blackmailed into

framing Dominic Volkov. We are in

possession of the letter he received from the culprit instructing him to go to the East and cause trouble,

and name Dominic as the culprit. In exchange, his pregnant mate will be returned safe and

sound.” he said, and people exclaimed.

“We have the letter,” I said, “and I have made copies for you to see.”

“May we see it?” Council Woman Joan Clayman said, and Sylvester nodded.

“What use is this council when it fails to do the needful? I think that there are people actively working

against my family and me. And because of this, I will be presiding over every decision until further

notice.” He said, and they began to murmur.

“That is wrong; our family fought for this together. You might be a Royal, but we all share in this…”

Pamela said, and

Sylvester nodded.

“That is why I have not ordered the arrest

of every council member. I hope you all have no hand in this because it is

disturbing that you do not investigate and are quick to condemn and destroy what is mine. My brother

would have been sentenced and executed for nothing. I want this council to focus on finding the culprit

behind this. My Luna and I know that Jenny was the target of the attack that took her life, not my

mother; I want this council to spend their precious time figuring out why. I want this council to reduce

my workload for me. If I have to get involved with the investigations, I will water down the council’s

power.

According to the law, I can do it,” he said, and they were all quiet. I noticed some of them look at me

scornfully.

“With all due respect, your Eminence, Lunas are not allowed in the council hall, and they are not

allowed to preside over

matters. Their duty is to make sure the Volkov bloodline always has an heir. You

are not married to this woman yet; it will

be advisable to keep her out of our business for now,” Joan said, and I knew what they were implying. I

always wondered why Stephanie never came; now I know why.

“Well, not in my Epoch,” Sylvester said and stood up.

“How many of you can boast of having Tamia Riverstorm Albert’s achievements added to their belts?

She is a strategist, an analyst, a warrior and one of the best investigators in our world. If that does not

qualify her to sit in this box, observe, interfere and decide over matters, then I don’t know what would,”

he said and sat down.

“I will not repeat myself. Let this be the last time any of you will speak of my Luna as if she is an

outsider and an object. I will take it as an insult to my person, and I

will not take it easy regardless of your family.” He said and sighed.

I looked at them, and they were silent. Some of them looked at me scornfully,

except for Vino, who was smiling at me. I returned his smile, and he nodded.

They read the photocopied letter that

Sylvester had passed to them, and they

were silent. Then Pamela moved to

question Bryce, and he was honest. She

asked him if anyone was coerced.

“Are you sure you speak the truth, Enforcer?” She asked him, and Bryce kept

his head down.

“I feared they would kill my wife and our unborn child. The instructions were clear.

I was to get to the Volkov estate so it would seem like I had a meeting with Lord Dominic. I was to go to

the East and state that the council sent me under Lord Volkov’s orders to collect development tax. I

was asked to be rude and threaten

the head Alpha of the East, and when I was asked who sent me, I was to tell this council it was lord

Dominic Volkov. That

is the truth,” The man said, and Pamela

nodded.

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“So, what made you tell the truth?” She

asked him.

“My Lord and Lady interrogated me in the council prison and figured out I was lying. I had to give up the

pretence and

tell the truth,” he confessed, and Pamela

shook her head.

“Are you sure you were not coerced by Lady Tamia?” She asked, and I would

have slapped her if I had been close to her. Suddenly I began to feel the woman loathed me. I

wondered what I did to these people.

She was now high on my investigation list. She better be clean, or I would disgrace her and make sure

she loses her seat. I will make an example of the bitch. I

was pissed off.

I felt Sylvester’s hand on my thighs, and he touched it gently and smiled at me.

“Calm down, green eyes,” he pleaded

with me, and I nodded.

“I wasn’t threatened or coerced by my

Lady.” Enforcer Bryce said, and the

woman kept quiet. I thought she would

dare to ask if Sylvester coerced him, but

she didn’t. The bitch.

“Very well then, I doubt there is any need for a trail,” Vino said, and people were silent.

“I hereby acquit Dominic Volkov of all the allegations made against him. I also acquit Councilman Larry

McMillian Babanins of the suspicion of conniving with Dominic to commit treason.” Vino said, and I

remembered the Babanins as one of the families that Maurice took out, according to Jake Brighton. I

kept a mental note of it.

Some enforcers went to release Dominic and Larry from the chains. Dominic walked away with his

head bowed, feeling ashamed. Likewise Larry, but I noticed something while they walked; Dominic kept

his distance from Larry. Locked up

for a few days, death looming over his

head made Dominic rethink certain

things.

Soon I saw Dominic come to join us in our box. I was uncomfortable, but he was Sylvester’s brother.

“Enforcer Bryce Golubev, you have lied against royalty. You committed an

offence that would have cost the man his life. You also misled this council, which is an act of treason.

As a result, we sentence you to death by beheading.” Vino

pronounced with a tinge of anger, and I squeezed Sylvester’s lap.

“Do not let them kill him. This will not be the end of people plotting against you.

The next person will never tell the truth if Bryce loses his life,” I said quickly, and Sylvester stopped the

enforcers from taking Bryce away.

“No one is going to die by beheading,” Sylvester said comfortably, and Dominic growled. I could

understand Dominic’s anger, but Bryce had no choice.

“He spoke up and told the truth. He could

have also maintained his lie, which would have saved him from punishment. But he told the truth and,

in turn, saved my brother and councilman Larry from being sentenced for treason. As a result, I

pardon him and move him to work at the Volkov estate. I would rather surround

myself with honest people than

connivers,” Sylvester said, and the

council murmured.

“The law, your Eminence,” Pamela said,

and Sylvester shook his head.

“I choose mercy,” he said, and the

woman looked at me. Her eyes showed she knew I was the one that instigated it. I needed to find a

way to clip her wings before she became a problem for me. As things were, Vino was the only council

member who did not hate me.