Chapter 486: Violet on Trial
"Violet you are here today after a pattern of behavior that raises concerns," Charlotte began. She was seated between Sylvia and Maggie in one of the rows of mezzanine seats with Graeme, Greta, and Samuel seated further down.
Violet raised her golden eyes to that row of individuals who had chosen to accuse her today with little prior notice. And yet somehow Pearce remained locked in the dungeon—yet to be called for a trial like this. It made no sense. They were obviously more threatened by Violet than they were by Pearce, and that thought gave her a smug sense of satisfaction despite the position she found herself in.
"It is our goal to get to the bottom of your intentions within this pack so that we can move forward in the most appropriate and agreed upon manner possible," Charlotte continued. "These proceedings are set before the whole pack today, because we wish for everyone to witness the process and understand why a given judgment is made."
This room was absolutely stifling. Was there no better place they had to hold something of this magnitude? Ever sense she began seeing unexplainable additions to her surroundings, she struggled with this sense of there being more than the space between objects that she was used to, but now—in here—with all of these people crowded around, it was difficult to even concentrate.
"Violet?" Charlotte’s voice jolted her from her thoughts.
"Yes?" She asked, squinting to try shutting out the extra noise that was crowding her senses.
"Do you understand what I have said?"
"I think so," she nodded innocently, putting on the sweetest face she could.
"We will proceed with the first accusation of conspiracy against a member of our pack who was at the time yet to be our future Luna, August Cady Hallowell, the mate of our current Alpha," Charlotte continued. "Is it true that you engaged in a plot to distract the male who was guarding her while Graeme was off pack land so that the elders could gain access to her for one of their alyko tests?"
"I don’t know anything about any tests that were planned or given," she shook her head.
"Did one of the elders approach you to ask for your help in distracting Finn?" Charlotte restated the question a different way.
"Auden did. He told me that August was an imposter and a threat to our pack and that I would be doing a great service for them if I helped," she said honestly.
"And for that reason, you agreed?" Charlotte asked.
"Yes," she shrugged. "I was concerned for Graeme. I was concerned for our pack. And I trusted the elders."
"Did you know what the elders had planned during this time that you were supposed to distract him?"
"No, I had no idea," she shook her head and bit her lip. "I just did as I was told."
"Why did you leave pack land afterward?" Charlotte asked, raising her eyes from the notes in her hand.
"I was asked to."
"By whom?"
"Auden. It was my understanding that with Graeme back, they wished for my role in whatever happened to be kept quiet. And so I left," she shrugged.
"Was there another time when any of the elders approached you for help regarding Graeme?"
"The elders were in charge. They were our leaders," she chuckled then at how outrageous this seemed. "Graeme was not officially back yet, and he certainly wasn’t Alpha. Was I not supposed to do as requested?"
"Just answer the question, Violet," Sylvia said as kindly as possible from her place next to Charlotte.
She had spent a lot of time with Violet now, and she didn’t enjoy seeing Violet in this position. Violet had been through a lot. She just hoped that she wouldn’t make it more difficult for herself than it needed to be.
Violet sighed and recalled that Zoe was standing not far from her. Surely if anyone knew the dirty little secrets regarding whatever the elders had been up to, it was her.
"I was told to meet Graeme once in an office where he was reviewing his parents’ file. They told me to say that I was looking for Zosime, though I didn’t even know who she was at the time," she said.
"Why did they want you there?"
"I don’t know," she shrugged again. "As a reminder?"
"A reminder of what?"
"Of the one he had abandoned. The female who he had gotten pregnant and then left when she lost it," she lifted her chin with a haughty raise of her eyebrows.
There were some soft gasps of those present as well many gazes that darted to where their Alpha was sitting for his reaction, but it was the truth. This wasn’t news to anyone. She wasn’t going to hide it or apologize for it.
"Why do you think they would want to remind him of that?" Charlotte asked patiently.
"Probably because they didn’t want him getting any ideas about trying to rise as Alpha. His relationship with me and the way he left it was a reminder of failure," she clenched her jaw when her thoughts tried to dwell on that period of time when she had lost the baby and then she had lost him. She had lost everything.
"Were there any other times when one or more of the elders requested your help with handling Graeme or August?" Charlotte asked.
"No," she said.
"How did you distract Finn in order to keep him from guarding August that day in the market?"
"Is this necessary?" She sighed.
A strong pang of guilt stabbed her with the mention of Finn. He was gone, and she had never gotten the chance to thank him for everything he did for her. He was the one who brought her back, and he was the one who insisted on staying close in order to guard her against any continued threats after her assault. He was kind and generous and she didn’t deserve his friendship after how she had fooled him into thinking she was interested in him.
"Yes. We need you to answer the questions asked," Charlotte replied.
"I flirted with him," she said. Her eyes darted away from them all and focused intently on the black floor upon which she was standing. "I talked to him... I brought him a sandwich," she chuckled and shrugged, trying to prevent the tears that welled when she thought of her false friendship that she had offered Finn when what he had offered was so true.
