"Wait, what? Hold on Eva, what do you mean?" Ann shook her head in disbelief as she pushed away from the glass panel that Adam had pressed her against only moments earlier. "Well, I knew that something wasn't right as soon as it all kicked off. They had no business being there at all. So after everyone had left and we set about cleaning up, the guards that Alpha Nocturne left here for you, they offered to help me clean up. Matteus is lovely by the way, you know, the big sulky furball?" Ann chuckled at Adam's incredulous look as he mouthed silently back to her the words 'Big, sulky, furball?! Accompanied by an elaborate hand gesture. "Yes, go on," Ann answered patiently. She was used to Eva's elaborate way of retelling events and actually found it quite endearing. It was a nice change sometimes from the rigid work environment, just to sit with a coffee and catch up on tales from her social life. "Okay, well, there was a little patch of blood left on the carpet where Ada ha
Ann and Adam made their way to the front of the building to wait for Eva and Matteus. Even when she glanced back over her shoulder, she still couldn't believe that this building was now hers. She wasn't exactly sure how she was going to fill all the floors, as her staff team was only small, but at least now, she had room to expand and consider other avenues to explore. She had always had an entrepreneurial mindset, and Adam did nothing but encourage her to explore all of the possibilities. "You're going to have to think of a name for the company you know," Adam said with a sly grin. "It would be better if you thought of a corporate name first so that when you expand in other areas, they can be listed under the same umbrella." Ann nodded thoughtfully as she squinted up at the dazzling sight of the building. It would make sense to make this the corporate headquarters, after all, it was big enough, and then each floor could be dedicated to various departments. She would have t
Eva was horrified though and gasped loudly, covering her mouth in horror. "But... that's terrible! Ann, you have to do something! You need to..." "Eva, you have to trust me on this that I know exactly what I'm doing. I just need you to do everything that I say, when I say it. For now, we remain silent. Not a word to anyone. Do you understand? " Ann said, her expression serious. Eva nodded furiously. "Of course! I'll make the copy now and head home Miss Veritas." Adam growled suddenly and scowled at Eva, making her jump violently and the color drain from her face. "Don't call her that again. She isn't Ann Veritas anymore, and she hasn't been for a long time. She is my wife and Luna of the Dark Moon Pack, and as such, you will call her Mrs. Nocturne." As the day of the trial rapidly approached, Ann found herself fascinated with the daily release of sensationalist articles designed to tarnish her reputation even further. She laughed loudly at some of the wild theories th
"Grandmother had a few run-in's with dark witches in her younger days, but she was lucky enough to have been friendly with the daughter of a light witch. She gifted her this with the promise that it would protect her and whoever wore it, from dark magic." Adam explained softly as he watched Ann run her fingers over the delicate design. "Adam... I don't know what to say... it's beautiful!" Ann exclaimed almost reverently. "She was fond of intricate designs and artwork, as I'm sure you can tell." Adam chuckled softly. "It's made from obsidian and moonstone and wrapped in platinum. If you open it up, inside is a depiction of Selene, the Moon Goddess, and her first children, the Lycans, and her second born, the Werewolves." Ann nodded wordlessly. There wasn't much she could say, it was truly a breathtaking piece. "I should have given you this earlier, Ann. At this point, I'm willing to try anything that has the slightest chance of being able to protect you from those vile women."
"She's lying! I was taken by ambulance and admitted to the hospital immediately after the incident!" Ada yelled suddenly, banging her hands furiously on the railing that surrounded the platform where she sat. Ann said nothing and stared confidently ahead at her father's face, her expression neutral but her eyes burned with a determination that wasn't lost on him. "You will be silent until your testimony is called for Princess Ada. These are serious proceedings with dire consequences for the accused if found guilty. You will respect the order of things here, do you understand?" An irritated male voice came from above. One thing was for sure, the reputation of the Royal Court's Elder Council certainly seemed to be true. It made sense in a way, as the Royal Court undoubtedly had to have seen its fair share of power plays and false accusations over the centuries that they had presided over justice across the kingdom. The Elders that sat in the Courtroom were the oldest, and mos
"How Dare you!" Leopold roared, standing from his seat and turning to glare at the spot above him. The same dark chuckle answered him, only increasing his fury. "The assumptions about my wife and I are not even relevant to this trial and not up for discussion!" The King roared almost foaming at the mouth in his rage. "This is treason! How dare you speak up against your king!" A chorus of titters arose from the council from multiple sources as he looked around him frantically, his paranoia beginning to get the better of him. Ann watched with a mixture of horror and pity. She felt sorry for him because of the state that he had found himself in, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel a small spark of satisfaction, as the Elders spoke the words that she had been dying to say for years. It was heartening to know that the Elder's opinions, in this case, aligned with her own. "We dare to speak against you when we disagree with your decisions because we are the only peo
Ada stood at the lectern with her eyes lowered and her arms wrapped protectively around her belly. She was nervous and it showed. "Lady Ava, you bring serious charges against your step-sister to this court." The female voice stated. Ada simply nodded without raising her eyes. "So, in your own words, tell us exactly what happened in the room with Ann." Ada took a shaky breath as Ann turned her gaze toward where she stood. Their eyes met for the briefest of moments and all Ann saw was the pure unadulterated hatred that burned there, before it was quickly replaced with the all too familiar, doe-eyed innocent look that usually graced her features. "Well, we went to see Ann with the intention of smoothing things over. I at least wanted to try one more time to make peace with her. I know I did wrong, and if I could turn back the clock then I would do things differently but… wishing things would be different… doesn't actually change anything." Ada said in a small voice as she sigh
Both Ada and Leopold exchanged a frantic look as they began to realize that this trial was not proceeding how they had intended at all. "Treason? Are you insane?! It is you who is treasonous!!! You should be asking your King's permission before you enact or move to do anything! No one is above the royal family!" Ada shrieked suddenly as she banged her fists on the balcony in front of her. "Do you not respect his authority?" Ada snapped as she continued, her innocent demeanor evaporating almost instantly, "You want his throne for yourselves don't you?" She snorted maliciously as she looked across at Leopold, with fire in her eyes. Ann was watching this all with a mixture of disbelief and horror. This was madness! The audacity that Ada had to insinuate such a thing, and so fearlessly in front of them, just proved that she thought she was untouchable in her father's presence. Her arrogance was sickening and to the Elders assembled, incredibly offensive. "Leopold, either rei