Part 3

The drive back to the castle was done in absolute silence. Falcon didn’t say a word to me, but then again, he didn’t need to. I knew Kai was pissed at me, he was disappointed, yet again. I was still trying to come to grips with the fact that all my friends were dead and I’d driven them to their death.

Falcon parked the SUV in the courtyard and I went straight to my room, my father didn't talk to me and five days of solitude had passed. It was a painful reminder of the shame I’d brought upon him. It hurt too, that he didn’t at least try to talk to me. 

The official police report came back and it was ruled as an accident. I hated myself and I spent my time in my room, locked away and I didn’t even talk to Slade. He regularly checked up on me and Brigitte brought all my meals to my room. The truth was that I was too ashamed to face anyone.

I attended my friends’ mass memorial service from a distance and even from where I stood I could feel the hate of their families as they watched me, like they knew that it was me. I think it was my guilt making me feel that way, because I was guilty. They wanted answers that I couldn’t provide and the fact that I survived made it hard for them.

I was laying on my bed when I heard my father in my head, summoning me to the square behind the castle. I still had my suit on from the funeral and I made my way down the hall and outside to the square. Nobody really talked to me and honestly, I preferred it that way.

The Zetas stood three deep around the square with Kai in the middle. My mother stood to one side with Slade, Gabriel and Adira next to her. Carter stood behind my father and Falcon stood right next to him. Tala stood away from the square and she looked at me sadly before walking into the forest.

“Jericho, make your way into the square and face your King,” Falcon said. I stepped through the opening that the Zetas made for me and stopped a few feet away from Kai.

“Jericho Kiran St. Claire, you are responsible for the deaths of sixteen young men, how say you?” Falcon said as Kai just watched me.

“I am,” I said and I turned my head to look at my mother as tears formed in her eyes.

“Henceforth you are banished from Scotland, banished from this pack–” Kai said and I looked up at him.

“Kai!” I heard my mother but he ignored her.

“You are no longer fit to be a member of this family and I announce Gabriel St. Claire as my heir and successor to the throne of Scotland,” he continued.

“Dad!” I said as I looked at him but his expression was unreadable and it seemed like he was looking right through me.

“I choose banishment with my Alpha,” Slade said loudly as he walked toward me and stood slightly behind me.

“Slade, no,” I said to him but he ignored me as he looked my father in the eye and Kai nodded his acceptance.

“You have twelve hours before my protection expires,” he said and the blue-gray fire enveloped him as he brought me to my knees.

His aura was too powerful for me and I had no choice but to submit to him. My shirt tore from my back as Kai’s eyes blazed with magic and it fell to the ground. I couldn’t move and I felt everyone’s eyes on me and I could taste the disappointment that radiated from Kai.

“Svíða nafn liflátinn flá,” Kai said loudly as my back arched and I screamed in pain as the names of the sixteen boys were burned onto my back. I could smell my skin burning as my mother gasped and stepped forward but Kai stopped her with one look.

“Kai,” Falcon said and placed his hand on his shoulder but Kai shrugged it off and glared at me.

“May you never forget what you did,” he said and turned his back on me. Even without this reminder on my skin, I would never forget.

It took a few minutes for the burning to subside as the pack turned their back on me and walked away. Slade knelt next to me as I took deep breaths and supported myself on my hands and knees trying to focus as the pain subsided.

“You’re going to be okay,” Slade said and helped me to my feet.

“He banished me,” I said, still not able to believe what had just happened.

“Come on,” Slade said as he led me back into the castle and toward my room.

On my bed stood a bag already packed with an envelope on top of it. Carter stood next to my bed and he lowered his head when he saw me. Slade looked at him for a few seconds before leaving and closing the door behind him.

“You’ll find everything you need in the envelope. I’ll take you to the airport when you’ve said goodbye,” he said and stepped forward to leave.

“Does he really hate me that much?” I asked him.

“Your father doesn’t hate you, Jericho,” Carter said but he couldn’t meet my eyes and I didn’t believe him.

My life had changed in the blink of an eye. I had no home, no family and no pack. I didn’t even care about the title, I never wanted to be the king anyway. I took a clean shirt from my cupboard and turned my back towards the mirror as I felt my healing kick in.

The names went down from my shoulder, each below the other. Sixteen names that now looked like tattoos were forever etched onto my back. The dead I was responsible for now marked me. I pulled the shirt over my head and opened the large duffel bag on my bed. Almost all of my clothes were packed inside with my toiletry bag. I zipped it shut again and opened the envelope.