The wait was more agonising than the entrance.

Avery tapped her heeled foot against the tiled floor as she sat on the stone bench outside of the arena.

Mitch scowls over at her, and Hayden puts his hand on her leg, forcing her to stop tapping.

The silence is too much, and Avery abruptly stands up and begins pacing up and down the hall.

"Ave, sit down, you'll wear yourself out," Mitch orders, and Avery glares at him, rubbing her neck.

"I'm too warm, I feel dizzy," she complains, unbuttoning the final two buttons of her shirt.

Both men stay focused on her face, shaking their heads at her.

Avery's phone buzzes and she pulls it out anxiously.

It's a good luck text from her sister, rife with emoticons and thumbs-up.

A small, wary smile makes its way onto her lips, and she sends back some heart emojis.

Louisa was on the other side of the door.

She had to appear because she was the only Wilcott left to hold the position temporarily if Avery was penalised.

She didn't want that; in fact, Louisa would rather die than actually have to have that much responsibility.

Richard and Marie hurry by, and Richard grabs his daughter's hands briefly, squeezing.

"Good luck, sweetheart, it'll all be okay," he whispers, kissing her knuckles before the two sprint down the hallway and into the conference call.

Other former Alphas hurry by, avoiding eye contact with Avery.

Some of her allies won't even look her in the eyes, and she's making a note of who is too afraid to speak to her.

She'll be less kind and inviting when their renewal for contracts comes around - she'll definitely play favourites this year.

Zephyr walks down the corridor blankly, his eyes landing on Avery.

She has to hide her horror at his appearance, gazing at his pale complexion.

He looks grey, and his eyes are bloodshot. His usually pristine clothes look crumpled as if he slept in them or picked them off the floor before he left.

"Hey, Zephy," Avery whispers, drawing him into a gentle hug.

He embraces her tightly, inhaling her scent.

"How are you?" She murmurs, and Mitch and Hayden turn away to give them some privacy.

"I haven't heard my wolf in three days," he barely gets out, and Avery grimaces.

"I'll get my healer to send you some medicines, they'll support him while you ride this out," she vows, mindlinking her healer immediately.

"I'd appreciate that," he mumbles, "are you ready for this?"

Avery shrugs, gnawing on her lip, "it can't be that bad."

Zephyr disappears into the arena soon after, and a bell rings.

Avery fidgets with her phone, and a guard steps forward, trying to take it out of her hands.

She steps back in disgust, scowling at him.

"No, I'm an Alpha until they say otherwise," she snarls.

Only Alphas are allowed to have cellphones in Council buildings, and Avery knows the laws.

A man with a clipboard walks out of the arena and clears his throat, holding his walkie-talkie to his mouth.

"Alpha Wilcott is ready," he announces, and Avery hastily does the buttons on her shirt back up, Hayden helping her into her bright red blazer.

Hayden and Mitchell take their positions behind her, Mitchell on the left and Hayden on the right, flanking her.

They all put their shoulders back and their chins up, the man leading them inside.

The arena is full of hushed chatter, and it quietens down when Avery makes her entrance.

"Alpha Avery Rose Wilcott," the man announces over a loud-speaker, and some people clap for her.

She is led to her seat in the middle of the arena, looking up at everyone as the seats rise upwards, colosseum style.

Hayden and Mitchell remain behind her, raising their hands in salute as she reaches her chair.

Avery nods to them, and they salute her and then march to the box nearby which contains a pale Kathleen.

"Did you set Luna Kali Petty up to take the fall for your actions regarding Luna Lilith Addison?" A man booms.

"No," Avery states calmly, her face reflecting her horror.

Her brows are raised and furrowed, and she's leaning forward in her seat, her hands on the podium.

The questioning started off as soon as she sat down, and it was intense.

"Is it not true that you and Alpha Scott Petty were in an illicit relationship?" The same man growls.

"Seven years ago, yes we were, and I wouldn't call it illicit, everybody, including you guys knew about it," she responds, her tone irritated.

"Is it true that you two are currently in a relationship?" The man roars, and Avery bolts up from her seat, her eyes flashing.

The crowd rumbles, and everyone chatters nervously.

The head of the Council bangs his gavel against his desk.

"Silence," he orders, and everyone quietens down immediately.

"No, and I resent that accusation," Avery snarls, "you never ask male Alphas questions about their relationships, and I ask that I be treated fairly."

Avery makes eye contact with Scott, and he nods firmly, giving her a thumbs up.

"You cannot be treated fairly, because you are simply not a male Alpha," the man spits.

Avery clenches her fists, forcing herself to stay relatively calm.

Don't explode; it'll make us look terrible, Sonya utters quickly, redirecting as much energy as she can into holding her temper.

She sits down, and clasps her hands, leaning forward to speak into the microphone.

"I am horrified by your sexist bias. I would like to have a different questioner, preferably one of the female gender, as it is clear that you will not ask any pertinent questions during this session," Avery replies after a moment of fighting with Sonya.

"That will not be possible, there are no women on the Council," the man states, and Avery inhales.

"Maybe that's part of the problem. I would be glad to offer myself, or Alpha Katya, or Alpha Lexis to that position," Avery says evenly, staring into the man's eyes.

The women in question stand up from the crowd and nod to Avery.

Avery nods back in respect.

Alpha Katya is approaching fifty, and her mate is a nervous-looking creature with long curly hair. She's a formidable Alpha who rarely appears at these events, but she and Avery were on good terms due to having trade deals in place.

Alpha Lexis is older than Katya, and Avery is secretly shocked that she hasn't retired from her position yet. She's heard rumblings of a coup from her pack, led by her son, but she hasn't said anything to the other woman yet. She was by no means a fan of Avery, she found her very impulsive and impatient, but she was a brilliant ally, rambunctious and not afraid of any man.

The three of them were the only female Alphas on the entire continent, and the other two were unlikely to stand by and let Avery be put down if the reasoning wasn't fair.

The majority of the Council, bar York and a few of the younger members, who look rather sleepy, are now scowling.

Before the man who had questioned her before could open his mouth, one of the older members cleared his throat and stood up.

"We will take a break for tea. The conference will resume in fifteen minutes," he announces, and the Council storms out of the room in one group.

Avery rubs her neck, closing her eyes and inhaling slowly as she leans her head against the podium.

Hayden immediately hurries onto the stage, as do her parents, Kathleen, and Mitch.

Louisa is trying to get over to them, but it's taking her longer as she has to waddle now.

"Are you okay?" Marie asks quickly, and Avery shrugs blankly.

"I didn't lose my temper," she sighs, running a hand through her hair.

Kathleen is rubbing at Avery's chin and adjusting her lipstick, clipping back some of her hair and straightening her white collar.

"The red was a good choice," she mutters to herself, stepping back to stare at Avery intensely.

"Power dressing is always a good choice," Louisa manages to sigh as she gets to them, rubbing her stomach.

"How is my niece doing, listening to her favourite auntie getting in trouble?" She asks with a weak smile.

"She isn't happy; I think she's your biggest supporter," Louisa snorts, taking Avery's hand and resting it onto her bump, letting her feel the kicking.

"Good, I think she's the only one I have in your side of the crowd," Avery grimaces, and Hayden shakes his head.

"My former pack is on your side for definite, and they're old-school anti-female Alpha. Nobody is happy with how the Council is using its power to force you to be here," he shrugs, resting a hand on her back gently.

Scott is silent, nodding along with Hayden.

"My pack supports you, and always will since you took the Luna role briefly seven years ago," he states, and Avery nods slowly.

"That's good to hear," she murmurs.

High heels can be heard on the stage, and everyone turns to make eye contact with Alpha Katya, who's mate is trailing behind her.

"Avery, good to see you again. I brought Ellie with me today; she's very unhappy with the treatment you're receiving," she states in her deep voice.

Avery blinks at her and then leans over to shake the hand of the woman she hasn't met before.

"It's lovely to see you again, Katya, and it's lovely to meet you, Ellie," Avery smiles grimly, and Katya straightens up.

"We plan on filing a complaint on your behalf for that man," she informs her, her tone sharp and irritated, "we should stick together. The worst inquisitions are of the female Alphas, especially the ones who don't conform."

Katya is gay - she and her mate were together over thirty years, and that, thirty years ago, was met with almost as much horror as Avery being marked as an Unfortunate was.

The older woman had reached out when Avery was branded, and they had established some communication, but Avery would say they were more allies than friends.

"I think a lot of complaints will be filed about this, especially about this wasting everybody's time," Richard grumbles, exasperated.

Avery rolls her eyes, shaking her head.

"They need to make sure I'm a suitable Alpha, I don't blame them for the meeting," she groans.

"Men don't get called for a meeting, even though almost all of the problem Alphas are male," Marie sniffs.

Her disdain for the entire thing was apparent.

Zephyr skulked up to the group, and Richard pulled his wife away to let the Alpha through.

He simply rests a hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing it.

"Are you okay?" She asks, glancing up at him.

"That's what I should be asking you," he chuckles.

"I'm fine, I'm hanging on up here," she rolls her eyes, and he releases a dry laugh.

"I can tell, you're keeping your temper and the questioner is ready to leap over his table and kill you for it," he snorts, glancing around the room.

People are trickling back in, and they're gathering in small groups, glancing down at the centre where Avery's friends and family have congregated.

Some of her allies who gave her a heads up nod firmly to her, and she nods back to them.

The ones who didn't inform her about what she was in for don't get a nod back, merely a blank stare.

Some of them pale, and the rest quickly look away.

Meredith waves to her and Avery nods to her, slightly confused by her friend's eager movements.

The red-head quickly makes her way down to her.

"Hi, you're doing great!" She beams, nudging Zephyr out of the way and squeezing her best friend tightly.

"Yeah, I don't think I am," she sighs, watching Scott return to where his Beta is sitting.

She gives the man a nod, and he gives her a two-fingered wave.

"What do you think they're going to ask about next?" Meredith asks curiously, sitting on her friend's lap and looping her arms around her neck.

Avery puts her hands behind Meredith's back to secure her, so she doesn't fall.

"Maybe about my sex life. I haven't seen Roman here yet, so he might be on the witness list," she shrugs casually, and Meredith scoffs.

"If he is, I wish them good luck. I'd have more success talking to a brick wall; I doubt he'll be any different under oath," she snorts, patting down some of Avery's hair.

"Yeah, hopefully," Avery laughs, and Meredith grins at her.

"You'll do amazing, I've got to go and find my mate," she beams, kissing Avery's nose lightly before hopping up and wandering off.

Avery shakes her head with a laugh as she watches her friend retreat.

A bell rings, and Avery rolls her shoulders back, inhaling slowly.

Are we ready for the next round?, Sonya asks warily, and Avery bites the inside of her cheek.

We'll find out now, I guess, she sighs, hugging each of her friends.

Kathleen straightens her collar one more time before giving her a firm nod and going to sit back down beside Mitchell, who is heavily invested in something on his phone.

Avery focuses on him for a second, because she can see his brows furrowed.

What's wrong?, she links him, slightly concerned.

Nothing big, just checking in with some of the generals, he quickly reassures, looking up from his screen and shooting her a big smile.

Okay, keep me updated, she responds, closing the link and tuning into her parent's conversation.

Her mother and Louisa are whispering to each other, and Louisa looks slightly cross, which makes Avery curious.

Now isn't the time to question it, though, so she'll ask about it on the way home.

Richard claps his daughter on the shoulder and then returns to his seat, taking his wife with him.

York, Louisa, Hayden and Zephyr remain on the stage with Avery, glancing at each other nervously.

"It'll be fine," York mutters, excusing himself to the chambers of the Council.

Zephyr is called for by his Beta, and he hurries off too, after giving Avery a quick hug.

Hayden and Louisa stare at each other, and then at a slightly amused Avery.

"Louisa, this is my new Gamma, Hayden. You both like making fun of me and you're both parents, I feel like you'll get along well," she chuckles lightly, and they both shoot glares at her.

"What? It's your second time meeting, I thought a proper introduction would be important since he has a title now, and you're not in a prison jumpsuit!" Avery protests.

Sonya giggles at the memory of Louisa in a prison jumpsuit.

"Be serious, this is your trial," Louisa chastises, and Hayden nods, pointing at Louisa for emphasis.

"Think about your answers before you speak, they can fine you for any type of disrespect," Hayden warns her, and it's Louisa's turn to nod and point at him.

Avery rolls her eyes, and hugs each of them, shooing them away.

They're both emitting a lot of nervous energy, and she's particularly sensitive to it today - she needs to be alone for a minute to collect her thoughts.

She takes a minute to compose herself, and then opens her eyes, looking around the amphitheatre.

It's almost full, and she looks around, making a note of who's missing.

Lancaster is the most prominent face that she can't see, and she makes another note that neither Ryan nor Carolyn are there either - his pack has no representation here today.

She frowns slightly at that, not appreciating the snub.

It was a courtesy to attend trials like these, even if you didn't know the Alpha. In his case, he definitely knew her, so the snub was either intentional or he was testifying, which she doubted he would do.

"Alpha Wilcott, are you ready to continue the questioning?" A young man asks her quietly, and she nods firmly.

He scampers off to where the Council sit and inform them of her answer.

Her eyes follow him, and he looks over his shoulder anxiously.

York is getting comfortable, chatting to some of his colleagues.

The older men are arguing with each other, stopping when they notice her staring.

One of them prods a younger man, and he stands up reluctantly.

"I will be continuing the questioning of Alpha Avery Wilcott," he sighs into the megaphone, a microphone being clipped onto him.

Avery rolls her eyes and sits back, folding her arms and shaking her head to get her hair off her shoulders.

"We will start with your affiliations," he manages to get out after looking at a page that was slid to him.

Avery merely nods, sitting up a little.

"Who is Roman Lancaster?" He begins.

"He is an Alpha on the West coast who I have a peace deal with, in order to trade safely," she explains briefly, staring at him blankly.

The man looks nervous as her eyes continue to bore into him.

"Who is Alpha Katya Amaro?" He reads off his list, squinting at the words.

"She is an Alpha who is here today. I have trade deals with her, and we have known each other about six years," she clarifies, wondering who else is on the silly man's list.

"How about the McConaghy Alpha couple? We have noted you make frequent calls to them every week," he comments.

Avery refrains from rolling her eyes.

"I have a good business relationship with Mike McConaghy. Meredith McConaghy is one of my closest friends, hence the frequent calls," she nods.

"Seven times in one day?" He asks, raising an eyebrow.

"What, is there a limit on my phone?" She grumbles under her breath before sitting forward to the microphone, "we had an exciting day, we were filling each other in."

There's a moment of silence as the man goes down his list.

She knows that she makes him nervous, and she revels in the fact that her questioner is afraid to ask her questions.

"What is your connection with Alpha Zephyr Addison?" He asks nervously.

"He's a friend and an ally, we both sit on the rogue management board," she drawls, glancing at Zephyr who nods, looking slightly confused on why his name has been brought up.

"Is it true that you took his mate in before her attack?" The man questions, walking down the steps to the flat middle part.

"Yes, he believed their pack might be a danger to her due to his breaking from tradition. It was better to be safe than sorry, and my pack is safe," she emphasises the word safe, clenching her teeth.

"How was she attacked?" The man breathes, sweat forming on his brow.

"Luna Kali Petty was also staying at my pack due to a security threat in hers. As she and Alpha Petty have been mates for six years, and I have worked with him throughout it, regardless of my not meeting her. I offered safety and training in my pack for her," Avery lists, and the man nods, glancing at the table.

One man, in particular, shoots him a look, and he exhales.

"How was she attacked?" He asks.

"She was kidnapped on the way to the hospital. She was stabbed, and in a cavern when myself and Gamma Hayden Nakamura found her," Avery lists.

"Is that when you got injured?" He queries, staring at the jagged scar on her face.

"Yes. I collapsed and was taken to the hospital. When I woke up, I was informed that Alpha and Luna Addison had a baby boy who was in critical condition," she grimly states.

"Who is Gamma Hayden Nakamura?" He moves on, and Avery raises a brow slightly, taking a sip of water before answering.