A Bruise, a Bitch, and a Bad Alibi

Lisa Rellane's hands were already shaking before she crossed the threshold. Lieutenant Blackhart escorted her in. Her gaze stayed fixed on the floor, her fingers twisted in her apron like she was trying to wring courage out of the fabric.

"Sit," Fin said.

She obeyed so fast the chair screeched.

Fin's Alpha aura dropped into the room like a blade.

The air pressed inward.

Lisa trembled.

"You will answer truthfully," Fin said, voice low. "Attempt to lie, and you will feel it."

Lisa forgot how to breathe for a second. "Y–yes, Alpha."

"Good. Tell us exactly what occurred."

Lisa took a steadying breath.

"I—I received a mindlink from Princess Meredith. She said she needed me. Immediately. I rushed to her chambers and... I heard noises. From inside."

"What kind of noises?"

"A—A struggle," she stammered. "Something falling. I thought—someone was attacking her."

Aeron scoffed quietly. "Convenient."

Lisa flinched at the sound.

Fin didn't look away from her. "Continue."

"When I entered, the princess was on the floor. Her cheek was bruised. I helped her up. She said Nova Moonveil had attacked her and stolen her gold comb."

Aeron tilted his head, a glint of dark mischief surfacing in his eyes.

"Did you personally see that?"

Lisa blinked at him. "The princess said it."

"That," Aeron said, tone clipping, "was not the question. What. Did. You. See."

"I...just the bruise," she whispered.

Fin's jaw ticked once, but he let the exchange stand.

"Lisa," he said softly.

Her eyes snapped to him, terrified.

"Did you see Nova strike Meredith?"

"I—I didn't see the actual moment—"

"So you didn't see her strike Meredith," Fin cut in.

"I—I saw Meredith hurt—"

"That wasn't the question." His voice was a quiet threat. "Did you witness Nova physically harm her?"

Lisa sagged in her chair.

"No, Alpha."

Jax muttered, "There it is."

Fin continued, unrelenting.

"Did you see Nova leave the room? Enter the room?"

Lisa hesitated for a moment, which under an Alpha's aura was agony.

"N–no, Alpha. I did not see her leave."

Fin's brows lowered. "Then how did you know she left at all?"

"Princess Meredith told me," she whispered.

A muscle in Jax's cheek twitched.

"And the comb?" Aeron asked, leaning back in his chair like they were discussing the weather. Rhetorical — he already knew.

"I went to Nova's room later that night," Lisa said, hands twisting harder, "and I found it under her pillow."

Jax gave a short, incredulous laugh. "Under her pillow. Yeah. Very subtle."

Lisa winced as if struck.

Fin leaned forward slightly. "You are telling us Nova entered Meredith's room at night... attacked her... stole a gold hair comb... and then hid it under her pillow?"

Lisa nodded weakly. "Y–yes, Alpha."

Fin's stare sharpened. "If she had just attacked your princess, how is it you did not see her leave the room moments before you entered?"

"I—I'm not sure," she whispered. "But I heard the struggle—"

"Did you hear Nova's voice?" Fin asked.

Lisa's throat tightened under the weight of his aura. Her eyes watered. She tried to speak — nothing came. 

"N–no," she finally choked. "I did not hear Nova's voice."

Jax took one step forward, eyes flickering gold.

"So you didn't see her. Didn't hear her. Didn't see her enter or exit. But you magically found a comb under her pillow. Right."

Aeron shot him a look.

Fin's aura pressed harder.

"Lisa," he said quietly, "did you see Nova involved at all?"

"No, Alpha. I did not," Lisa admitted.

"So, you entered a room, saw a bruise, and repeated Meredith's accusations without question."

Lisa nodded helplessly. "Princess Meredith was distraught—"

"I don't care about her emotions." Fin's tone sliced clean. "Did Meredith tell you to relay the accusation?"

Lisa froze entirely.

Aeron's voice sharpened. "Answer."

"I—" Lisa's voice cracked, "She said Nova was dangerous. That she needed to be contained until your return. I... believed her."

Fin exhaled once. It felt like the room breathed with him.

"Lisa," he said. "You will not repeat any part of this conversation to Meredith. Or to anyone. Do you understand?"

"Yes—yes, Alpha," she whispered.

"You are dismissed."

Lisa nearly fell out of her chair in her rush to leave. She scrambled out the door.

As soon as the door shut, Aeron spoke. "The incident happened in the middle of the night, and the arrest followed immediately. Nova would have been asleep when Lisa found the comb. Under her pillow. That she was sleeping on." 

Aeron's lips curled. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy speaking with her again."

Jax swore under his breath then glanced at Blackhart. "Unauthorized entry was part of the grounds for arrest, wasn't it?"

Lieutenant Blackhart recited the last of the report. "Lisa claimed she found the comb before we made the arrest. That was part of the grounds. The future Luna's word and the omega's discovery were used as justification."

Fin's wolf surged, his eyes flaring molten gold before he swallowed it.

"Lieutenant."

"Yes, Alpha."

Fin stood, and took one step towards Blackhart, who immediately stiffened, registering the danger.

"Detainment without due process. Abuse of a woman. Silver without cause. Harm inflicted on a subject in custody." Fin's voice was low, each count landing like a sentence. "Your men racked up four violations in a single night, Lieutenant. On orders from a guest."

The color left Blackhart's face.

"Their badges. Immediately."

"Alpha..."

"Immediately," Fin repeated the word louder. "They will face tribunal review in front of Brutus Sterling. You will remind every guard under your command that orders come from me, my Beta, or my Gamma. Not from a princess playing politics."

Jax gave a low whistle. "They're lucky you didn't let me handle it."

Fin's eyes cut to Jax. "Don't tempt me."

Blackhart lowered his head. "I understand, Alpha."

"No." Fin dropped his voice. "You failed. Your men failed." He paused, letting that land. "That doesn't happen again."

Blackhart bowed deeply. "I'll handle it at once."

"Dismissed."

The Lieutenant left, closing the door just as Elias arrived.

"For a woman claiming she was beaten, she miraculously has zero injuries. She did, however, have two cups of tea on her balcony. Still steaming."

Three heads snapped toward him.

Jax let out a dark laugh. "So whoever was there left or hid when you arrived."

"It would appear so." Elias dropped into the nearest chair. "There is no bruise. The princess is perfectly unharmed."

Silence carved itself through the room like ice.

"She pulled this the second we left the castle." Jax shook his head in disbelief. "Did she think we weren't coming back? I genuinely don't understand her thought process."

"We keep this contained," Fin said. "If Meredith so much as whispers about exile or demands Nova be removed from Shadowclaw, the Elders will get involved."

Elias stiffened. "They'd side with Meredith?"

"They'd side with protocol," Jax explained. "A foreign princess claiming assault by a non-pack member under our protection? If it reaches their ears, Nova becomes a political liability, not a girl who was framed." He paused, letting that sink in. "I'm not handing Meredith a loaded weapon because her feelings got hurt."

Aeron folded his arms. "So we keep her quiet."

Jax scoffed, fury still simmering. "She's going to throw a tantrum the second she realizes Nova's not being dragged out in chains."

"Let's ensure she has no tantrum to throw," Aeron said.

Jax raised a brow. "Meaning?"

Aeron's expression changed, settling into the look of a man watching the board rearrange itself in his favor.

"I have an idea. Something that keeps this quiet... protects Nova... and reminds Princess Meredith exactly whose territory she's in."

Fin's face tightened.

"Explain."