{Angelina}

"Its not going to budge," I said quietly as Justin shoved and kicked at the bars of his cell. They had placed us all in separate cells and left is here until tomorrow. The only guard was Jason. Who was standing off to the side closer to the door and further from us. I didn't blame him.

He was trained that in desperate times, a wolf would attack the nearest threat and to us, he was a threat. Well...not to me. To me, Jason was stuck in a situation that his faith had dragged him into.

Having faith in his alpha was a good thing, but following his alpha when his alpha was wrong, was not. It was up to him to see that.

"Theyre going to kill us," Jake whispered from the corner of his cell. My eyes flew to him and my wolf half growled and half whimpered. She loved Jake. I loved Jake. Jake was like the mate we never had, yet Jake was a traitor and the sad thing was he didn't even deny it.

"Why?" I asked suddenly.

Jake looked up at me, his eyes void of emotion.

Jake shrugged before he put his head in his lap and started straight out sobbing. To be honest...it was a complete turn off.

"Stop it," Jason ordered from where he stood. That only made Jake sob louder. My wolf started to whine, wanting to physically comfort Jake but we were too far apart.

My eyes flew to Jason, who's eyes were on Jake, filled with sorrow and regret.

"Stop that. I feel bad enough," Jason growled.

"Then let us go," Justin snapped.

"I wish I could but I can't," Jason said.

"Jason. You're alpha is wrong. This is wrongful imprisonment and you are supporting a wrongful exile. Imagine the consequences if the council were to discover this," I said.

I could tell that my words had gotten to Jason but he remained silent, taking his eyes from me and placing them on the wall directly in front of him. I sat back against the wall and sighed.

James. Poor James. He was locked up and alone suffering because he came to my rescue and I never even got to thank him. What did he think of me now?

He definitely doesn't want to be your mate now my wolf whimpered.

I growled at her and Jason glanced at me out of the corner of his eyes. He wanted to say something, I knew he did. He just had to gather enough courage to say it.

{Jason}

I sighed in relief as I left Angelina and her friends behind and made my way up to the house.

Hours with them was like hours with my mom. Exhausting.

As I walked back towards the pack house, angelinas words rang through my head. The council didn't take well to finding out that someone had been misjudged. That usually ended with bloodshed.

Execution to be more exact.

Anyone from guards to wives, that knew, witnessed or were involved in anyway. My good name would be crushed, if I even lived to share my name with the world.

As I approached the pack house, me and my wolf finally agreed. We would talk to Astion and he would clear this up. He was the best alpha there was, alongside alpha bane. I hadn't met a better alpha in my life and I didn't think I would.

I pushed open the front door and shut it behind me before I made my way silently through the halls towards alpha Astions office.

"I don't know. What if they find out?"

"They won't, we're the only ones that know," alpha Astion's voice said. I paused a little ways down the hall, leaving a good distance between the door and me so they wouldn't know I was there.

"I feel so terrible doing this-"

"Don't. It's what has to be done," Alpha astion said and I imagined him crossing his arms while saying this. What were they talking about?

"Hey, dude, why you just standing there?" A voice asked from behind me. I whirled around to see Asin standing there, hands in his pocket.

Suddenly, Astions office door flew open and alpha bane was standing in the doorway, his eyes scanning the hall and landing on Asin and me.

Alpha astion shoved alpha bane aside and stepped out into the hall.

"Is there something I can help you two with? I'm in the middle of a meeting," Alpha Astion said with ease.

My wolf growled at the lie but I pushed him back.

"What were you too talking about?" I asked.

Alpha Astions face looked shocked for a second before he composed himself. His eyes went to Asin.

Asin nodded slightly in understanding and left. Alpha Astion came closer to me, until he was inches from my face.

"You might want to follow after Asin, wolf," Alpha Astion said lowly.

My wolf growled in anger and I straightened up.

"I'm going to the council about the judgement placed on the wolves in the cells. We'll see who's the wolf then," I said as I turned on my heels and started down the hall.

The next thing I knew, Alpha Astion was in front of me, eyes black as the night.

"My office. Now," he growled.

I turned and walked down the hall, winking at alpha bane just to get under his skin.

When I entered the office, I sat down in the chair across from Alpha Astion's desk and leaned back.

Alpha Astion walked into the room, shutting the door behind himself before he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well?" I asked.

Alpha Astion sighed before he moved to sit behind his desk.

"I was contacted by the rogues that have been plaguing many packs, including ours, in the area. They said they wanted Angelina and several other wolves of high rank and of alpha or beta blood-"

"You would just hand over your pack members and your family like that? No question about it?" I growled.

"I had no choice. If it's for the greater good of the pack, the choice is obvious no matter how painful-"

"You do realize they will still kill us once they have what they want don't you? You're handing them the strongest members of both of our packs combined and you expect this to end well?" I growled, imagining Angelina being handed over to the rogues. Rogues.

They could do anything to her. She's a female. They could try to force her to have pups because these days there weren't many female rogues. Just the thought of it made me sick to my stomach.

I turned to glare at alpha bane.

"You should be ashamed of yourself. Tossing your children out there to the rogues having no clue what they want them for. You don't deserve to be a father," I snapped.

I watched his eyes fill with regret but that didn't matter. What was done was done. Angelina and his own children had been sentenced and there was no changing that.

"When James is removed as my beta, I am placing you as my beta. You've been the perfect companion and I believe you would make a fine beta," Alpha Astion said.

My wolf fought to come out and tear him apart, but I held him back. It wasn't worth it. It just wasn't.

I stood and started towards the door. I would just tell-

"And don't think about telling anyone about what we are doing. Even if they believed you, which they probably wouldn't, we are keeping a close eye on Jessica," Alpha bane said quietly.

I froze, fear slicing through me.

Jessica. I can let them hurt Jessica. Yet I cant let them make a decision that would hurt both the packs on the process. I just can't stand by and let death take its toll. No.

I nodded at Alpha bane and Alpha astion, giving them my respect as kindly as I could, and I left the room, my mind racing with plans.

{Astion}

I stared at the door for a moment before I turned to Alpha bane.

"This is so messed up," alpha bane said again.

I couldn't agree more, but it had to be done. I was an alpha and so was bane. We were responsible for protecting our packs and if this wouldn't protect us then so be it.

"What if the kid is right?" Bane asked.

"What?" I asked.

"What if they turn on us after we hand them over?" Bane asked.

"Then we make sure that we are damn sure ready for whatever they bring down on us. We don't have a choice," I said. Bane knew I was right. We really didn't have a choice. It was either them or us and I chose them. He had to follow through. His support was vital to our survival.

Bane nodded silently and I smiled.

We had been promised immunity and like many other packs in the area, we were handing over whatever they asked at the chance for immunity.