"Very well," Channing said as he looked back at everyone who had kneeled on their one knee, ignoring Julianne. It was a sign of submission in werewolves to kneel on one knee and the hand of the same side covered the leg that did not kneel, as the palm rested on the ground in front of the non-kneeling foot to show zero offence.

Channing walked ahead to the seven members who were kneeling to him and talked without asking them to get up. "You will serve your sentence for two months in the prison dark rooms and when that is done, you will join a force of your choosing - the police force or the prison guard force. You, seven members, will show your loyalty towards me from there and no longer will be a part of the pack. When you all are out of prison, you will form your blood bond of loyalty towards me. So I suppose you still have two months to decide your loyalty."

I watched at Channing with my jaw slacking. This was a different Channing to what we all were used to seeing. The blood bond of loyalty was used in old times between the packs to know which member belonged under which Alpha. It was nothing but a slave contract in today's date as once the bond was sealed then the Alpha had complete control over the members.

This was a Channing who was stern and I suppose the way Diana had portrayed it all was a slap for Channing to the reality. He was always kind and almost looked naïve at times, but that was not the Channing that stood in front of me.

The police officers all walked to where Channing was and they had missed out on all the things that Channing had said right now.

"Alpha," one of the female officers said, offering her respects to Channing. There were only five officers who had come here, but then again, there were barely ten people working at the police station. In old times, they had built the police stations to keep records of criminals and keep things officially on the royal seal papers. It was to loosen the weight on the pack's shoulders. Funny enough, that left the pack with only patrolling duties here in the current times, as even the prison was handled by official guards.

Channing turned to the officers, and the smile on his face had faded. "Take these seven to prisons and they will be locked in the dark rooms till I ask them to be freed."

The female officer standing ahead nodded and all the officers went ahead to cuff the members, who were still kneeling on the ground. If them pledging their loyalty was true, then they would still be the same after spending time in the dark rooms where the brains slowly started to shut down on people's reality.

The officers got up holding the traitors and just before leaving, one of them asked Channing, "Can I ask what were their crimes?"

Channing smiled at the officer, a smile that did not reach his eyes, and replied, "They tried to harm the other members of our pack. It was a minor issue and is now solved."

It would only be disadvantageous for Channing if he wanted to give them a second chance. If the police recorded they were traitors towards the Alpha on royal seal paper, then it would go to the elders and become an official case for trial in the village. And the village trials were not fair for everyone.

The trials ran on people's rage and not rationality, and with them plotting against the Alpha meant plotting against the village itself.

The officer nodded to take their leave, and Channing signalled them to wait. He turned to where Sam and Suzan were holding back Chief Jack, "Bring the Chief here." Saying this, Channing turned back to the officers in front of him and told them, "few of my members will accompany you to the prison with two more criminals. Also, Chief Jack would be staying back here so you all move ahead."

The officers nodded and took their leave while Sam and Suzan came here with Jack. "Alpha, I don't understand why I was held back like that," Jack tried to be friendly with his words, but the discomfort on his face was evident.

Channing flashed him a smile, "Chief Jack, I wanted to spend some time with you away from your force. Let them go ahead to the prison and do the job while you wait here."

Jack looked at the van starting without him. He tried to retaliate, "But Alpha-"

"Stay here till I finish the important matters," Channing cut Jack in half and it made Jack feel disrespected, but he did not say anything. Jack simply nodded to step back from where the pack was. Channing then passed his instructions to the members, "Arina, help Selene change back to her human state." Arina was quick to obey and bring a bag with her that she always carried around. Both me and Arina headed towards the dense trees at some distance to change there.

Arina always had a large cloth to wrap around, so it was never a hassle to change behind a tree. "Do you want to ride me so we can reach there faster?" I asked, to loosen her tense mood.

Arina shook her head with a smile, "Thank you Selene, but you were injured so let's just walk there."

"Okay," I telecommunicated, before taking my attention back to Channing while still walking away from the members.

Channing continued as I heard it in a fleeting sound since I and Arina were walking away from the pack, "Suzan, take four members with you to the prison and ask the prison supervisor to place Diana and Julianne in the special ward." Suzan did as asked before joining the police force in their van that was headed towards the prison.

I turned behind to watch Suzan, and she passed me one last glance with an encouraging smile before boarding the van and closing the door shut.

Channing saw them go and his final instructions were for Sam that I almost heard in a low voice as I had walked away from them to a longer distance now, "And Sam, gather Selene's belongings that are scattered here then join back with the members. Rest sit down till your new Beta returns."

"Yes, Alpha."