Last time on Blind Hope

"Except for the fact," Dorian said, struggling to keep his voice calm for his mate's sake, "that you are a person. You are a werewolf. You are not something to be traded about."

"It was for a good-"

"We're not arguing about this." Dorian's voice was final, and Hope looked away in a huff.

"Then don't be expecting any."

"Wh-what?" His face flushed. Dorian couldn't believe Hope said that in front of her parents. She marched away, and Dorian watched in amazement. "How you two produced that angel is beyond me."

~~~~~~~~~~

Victoria and Bruce sat chained to the dungeon's walls. Their cells were directly across from one another, and they looked at each with small smiles. "Remember the day we met?"

"You mean at that training camp?" Victoria laughed. "Yeah. Everyone looked at me like I would be the downfall of werewolves." She smiled faintly. "Except you."

"Is that why you went out with me and not one of the others? They all made advances."

"Except you." Victoria leaned her back against the wall and closed her eyes, remembering those nights long ago. They paled in comparison to the way Drake could handle her, but she smiled none-the-less. Any memories that took her away from the nightmare she was living was worth it. "I liked your eyes." Bruce hummed in amusement.

"My eyes? My eyes were enough to warrant those moans?"

"Ah, stop it." She giggled. "It was my first time! I recall you acting like a fool to." Bruce laughed.

"Yeah, I guess. I tried to be the domineering type."

"My teenage self thought it was sexy. Drake's better though."

"Emily moans louder."

"Ah, nasty!" They both burst into laughter, glad their minds could be anywhere by the dark, damp dungeons. "Would you do it again? Would you have Hope with me?" Bruce thought about it. He wondered what it would have been like if he and Victoria had been able to hook up a few more times. If maybe, they had mated. But his thoughts drifted quickly to Emily. Her bright eyes. Her teasing smile. The way she was in and out. His thoughts drifted to Hope. His first child. The one he'd hurt the most - maybe more so than Emily.

"I... I would try to spare her this, but yes. I would want Hope."

"Me too." They drifted into companionable silence for a while. Then a familiar presence appeared before them, and their eyes enlarged. Not once had they been visited before. "Your Majesty..." Dorian sat down cross-legged on the floor between their cells.

"I'm very confused." They all sat in silence. "Did you think I wouldn't help you?"

"According to you, hiding procreation is a crime."

"Don't even begin to throw my words at me," Dorian growled. "I'm not supposed to be here, but I need to hear it from you. Why?" Neither Bruce nor Victoria spoke. "Fine." Dorian stood angrily. "Any assistance I can give you as my mate's family walks out with me tonight." Dorian stood still for a moment, waiting for one to speak. Neither did. As his back faded from sight, Bruce jerked to the front of his chains, the walls cracking under the pressure.

"DORIAN!" Dorian stopped in his tracks, surprised by the force of the man. "If you hurt my girl, I'll hurt you right back." Dorian nailed him in the eyes, indignant that he would even think he had to say that.

"I assure you... Sir. My intentions are far from hurting her." He let the words hang in the air and promptly left.

"At least she got a good one," Victoria murmured. "At least she got a good one."

"He's dirt ugly though." They both burst into laughter.

~~~~~~~~~

Everyone filtered into the courtroom once more, eager to hear the rest of Lunar Drake's tale. Jeffery was bitter about the whole ordeal and still thought the man needed rest. Maybe it would improve his story telling ability.

Alas, Drake was sworn back onto the stand and the courtroom drifted into silence. The Councilman, much more put together, sighed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it has been a confusing trial." He began pacing. "Both Alpha Victoria and Alpha Bruce were proven guilty, yet here one more witness remains with evidence of supposed innocence. Yet the story we've heard so far has been supporting the original conclusion of guilty. Alpha Victoria and Alpha Blake, as we last heard, were proposing to 'do away' with Hope in exchange for the freedom of their packs." The Councilman stopped, facing the jury. "I am not an Alpha. I have no experience leading a pack. However, my understanding is that an Alpha never negotiates with opposing armies, let alone when it involves their own family." He turned to Drake. "So, I ask, Lunar Drake, would you please elaborate a bit more?"

"Yes" Drake cleared his throat as if he was waiting for this moment his whole life. "Bruce and Victoria called Castiglione together."

~~~~~~~~~~

Bruce and Victoria each sat in their respective office using their private phones. "Victoria, are we sure about this?"

"We have to. For us, for the packs, and for Hope." Bruce nodded slowly and picked up his office phone.

"I'm dialing his number." It rang a few times before Castiglione's filthy voice filtered through.

"Why, hello, Alpha."

"You filthy little-" Victoria began screamed violent incoherent threats and insults, and Castiglione heard it all.

"Now, now. We need to watch our mouths." He cleared his throat, and Bruce tried strangling the phone. However, Castiglione still could talk. "What have we decided? I'm oh, so curious."

"We have a proposition."

"I'm listening." Victoria covered her mouth with her hand to hold back the sobs threatening to escape as Bruce explained.

"You want to hurt us and take the packs, right? That's the goal." Castiglione hummed, not saying anything. "Let us do it."

"I... I'm sorry?" Castiglione sat up in his seat, thoroughly confused.

"W-we will, uh. Kill Hope. And in exchange you leave her and the packs alone."

Castiglione laughed hysterically. "Are you joking!? I don't trust that!" Victoria kept as quiet as possible, tears streaming down her face. Had it really come to this? One for hundreds?

"Why not?" Bruce argued back, his voice hardening to keep the emotion out. "We figure you have spies. You'll know what happens. We'll deal with Hope. JUST STAY AWAY FROM US!" He breathed heavily, his wolf surfacing, frustrated that he couldn't do better than this.

"Fine," Castiglione muttered after a moment. "Take the kill from me. But if she isn't dead in a month, I'm coming. Oh, and Bruce? That daughter of yours, Callie? I bet she's good is bed." He hung up, and Victoria sobbed loudly.

"VICTORIA!?" Bruce heard Drake's voice over the speaker, and Victoria hung up quickly, still crying. Bruce sighed sadly and closed his eyes, leaning back. Tears began falling down, and he cursed. How dare that man threaten two of his daughters!? A soft knock sounded, and he smiled.

"Come in, love." Emily stepped through the door, still blushing at his nickname after so many years of mateship. She went to him, a quiet comfort. For what, she didn't know.

That's when Victoria and Bruce's attitudes changed. They had a month to plan a murder. It was a simple plan. Pretend she was an annoyance to make Hope more gullible for handling. Pretend to send her off "to find her mate" and have rogues kill her. From the beginning, the plan was doomed to fail.

They didn't know she could actually fight. Perhaps for the best, this plan never happened. They began treating Hope poorly, but she responded in ways they didn't anticipate. She didn't become gullible. She became angry. And while she was willing to go off, the anger didn't set well with Bruce because he was just trying to save his packs.

He got angry. He pushed her. John and Tammy and Vivian were all thorns that had to be dealt with accordingly.

Nothing went right.

~~~~~~~~~~

Drake paused in his speech, and the audience sat in horror, waiting for him to continue. "And because nothing was going right, Bruce and Vivian snapped out of whatever had been possessing them and came up with a new plan. One to save Hope and their packs." He was interrupted from continuing when a commotion sounded outside the doors. "And there is my evidence." The doors were thrown open.