Moonlit Fever

My lies were unraveling, and it was becoming blatantly clear to everyone in court that I hadn't been there to save Cara.

"I was protecting Cara!" I said firmly. "Nothing more."

Elder Argent stepped in front of me again, folding his arms across his chest. He hummed to himself in deep thought.

"You mentioned earlier that you made it 'just in time' to save Cara," he repeated, testing my story. Then he tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "Tell me, Lucius, if it was purely for her protection... why weren't you with Cara in the first place?"

"Relevance!" Rafael abruptly stood up. He, too, had his face pulled back in annoyance. "How many times must Lucius explain himself? He was there to save Cara!"

"Councilman Diaz, sit down!" Thaddeus slammed his gavel.

Rafel groveled to himself as he sat himself back down and folded his arms with a pout.

"But Councilman Diaz has a point, Elder Argent?" Thaddeus jotted down on his notepad.

"I have an argument," Argent continued, annoyed by the interruption, and turned back to me.

"Cara is your fiancé, and you were both supposed to run together. Yet Beta Xavier, informed me this morning that you disappeared and left Cara behind before shifting into your wolf."

Damn it, Xavier!

"Black Wood's territory is large, and has a lot of distance to cover for you to arrive 'just in time,' don't you think?" Argent continued. "How would have known Cara was being attacked? And how would you have known where she was being attacked in the first place when you weren't with her when she was initially being attacked?"

I stiffened, and for the first time, I could feel the doubt ripple through the room. He was digging too close to the truth.

"I was already near the border," I said through gritted teeth, trying to keep my voice steady.

Argent raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "How fortunate for Cara that you were nearby. But then, if you were that close, why didn't you stop her from trespassing in the first place? It seems careless, don't you think, for a man so intent on protecting his fiancé, you so easily allow her to walk into danger?"

"I didn't know she'd crossed into Silver Moon territory until it was too late."

Argent watched me for a long moment, as if he could see straight through me. Then he took a step back, his fingers tapping against his arm.

"Curious," he mused, eyes never leaving mine. "There are other accounts, Lucius, that suggest you weren't there for Cara at all. That perhaps your focus that day wasn't your fiancé, but someone else. There have been rumors of you hanging around Nate Silverman since his banishment."

My heart jolted, but I kept myself composed, refusing to show any emotional reaction. Argent didn't know. He couldn't know. His words were mere speculation.

I briefly glanced at Nate's father, feeling his intense gaze burning over me.

The other wolves in the courtroom immediately erupted into conversation, their hushed voices filled with curiosity and doubt about my connection with Nate. It was imperative for me to rectify this situation. Revealing the truth about our relationship was too dangerous.

How the hell was I supposed to get out of this one?

Argent's voice lowered, barely above a whisper, as he leaned in closer. "Tell me, Lucius. Was it really Cara you were protecting?"

"I hate Nate Silverman!" I growled, the sound echoing through the room and silencing the gossiping wolves.

"Nate was trespassing in my territory, hiding from his brother. So I chased him out along the borders. My guess is that Donavan mixed up Cara for Nate and that's why he attacked her, and that's when I sensed Cara in trouble."