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Kill.
Die.
Even leave, if that’s what she wanted.
“I know. That’s why I’m here. I have something to say related to this case.”
“Closed proceedingmeans you don’t get a say,” her mom cries, obviously aghast at her daughter’s behavior.
“No, you will hear me on this.” I’ve never heard such strength come from Lotta. Her wolf is small. She’s quiet by nature. She doesn’t usually project this much power.
“Carlotta Ann. Get out of here right now.”
“What is it?” Alpha Green asks, overriding Lotta’s mom.
Lotta holds up the file in her hand triumphantly, like she’s just broken Nazi codes. “I have Asher’s file. A record of every disciplinary act he’s been issued.”
Oh, fuck. Shame burns in me. All the fights. The suspensions. The warnings. I’ve never been a model student.
What is she doing?
Lotta slaps the folder down on the table beside me, flashing me a quick, conspiratorial look that makes me forget my self-hatred as my heart bursts into flames.
She flips open the folder and grabs the note on top, reading from the file. “This is from third grade.” She waves the piece of paper in the air, then reads from it. “Asher held John Blackmore upside down by the ankles and shook him.”
My heart sinks, remembering the incident.
Lotta looks around at the council as if she’s just delivered good news. “Do you want to know why?”
When no one responds, she says, “I’ll tell you why! It says,When questioned, Asher explained he was trying to shake loose the pencil John took from his friend Sebastian.”
Clearly everyone in the room–including me–is having aso what?Moment.
She whips out another paper. “In fifth grade, Asher punched Nolan Sykes. Reason–Nolan pulled up the skirt of a classmate. Seventh grade–he got in a fight when someone picked on a human. Eighth grade–”
“I’m going to stop you there,” Alpha Green interrupts. “What’s your point?”
Lotta is undaunted by the council’s disapproval.
“My point is” –she jabs a finger at the folder– “I went through that file this afternoon. There are nearly thirty incidents of violence on Asher’s part and every. Single. One of them was because he was defending a weaker classmate.” She points at it again. “Every one of them.”
“It’s not an excuse–” her mom begins, but Lotta cuts across her.
“It’salpha wolfbehavior. It’s what an alpha does. And this instinct in Asher, it should have been nurtured. It should have been encouraged and honed into leadership by this pack. Byyou.” She points at Alpha Green now, and I fear he will banish the both of us.
He remains silent, though. Apparently considering her words.
She paces in front of them, like a courtroom lawyer. “Asher came from a violent household. Everyone here knows that. He wasn’t safe growing up. That’s the only reason I came forward and told you what his dad did to me.”
“Lotta,” I choke.
She meets my gaze, and I see a storm of concern and regret in those beautiful blue eyes.
“And I asked for that information to be kept secret because I wanted him to have a chance to become something different, without that hanging over hishead.”
I flinch.
Fuck. She was protecting me. My strong, beautiful, brave, brave mate. I hate myself for hating her.
