A Secret Alpha Mate

(1sla)

The courtroom comforted me. It wasn't bright and bare like I expected, instead, it looked like something frozen in time hundreds of years ago.

The list of claims was read against him and he unsurprisingly said he was not guilty to any of them.

Cacious, the Elder's man that was in charge of gaining evidence spoke first. He shared photos of our sleeping areas and testaments that he received from talking to the omegas there. None of them wanted to go on the record so he had to sha his observations and paraphrase what he heard.

He brought Meghan to the stand and questioned her first. She had her signature high ponytail and was wearing a dark re dress that barely covered her as, a black jacket, and stilettos.

“Please state your name and your title”

“Meghan Stayer, Lead omega at Silver Moon.” She grabs her ponytail and looks around, seeming to love that all eyes were on her.

“How long have you been the lead omega?”

“Almost a year now.”

“What happened to the previous lead omega?”

“she moved back home or something” She waves her hand.

“Where is home?”

“I'm not sure.”

“We haven't been able to find her for questioning. Alpha Benjamin refused to tell us where she re-located to” Cacious tur to the presiding Elder who nods.

“In your experience has the Alpha ever treated you poorly?”

“No.”

“Never?”

“Never.” She confirms.

“Have you witnessed any behavior against other members that might be described as abusive?”

“Never” She crosses her arms.

“When asked to see a copy of your omegas payroll you didn't have that information,” he says.

“That wasn't a question.”

“How much do you pay your omegas?”

Meghan pauses for a minute.

“How much do your omegas get paid? And how often is it paid?” He goes on. She freezes, looking around.

“I don't have that information.”

“You're not in charge of payrollz” She shakes her head, “Then who is?”

“I'm not sure, it wasn't my responsibility.”

“How much do you get paid?” Anger flashed across her face before she composes herself again.

“That's none of your concern.”

“Actually, it is"

“I get paid.”

“But how much?” He asks.

“Like, maybe forty thousand?” She asks.

“Can you prove that?” She shakes her head, looking scared.

“It's cash,” She says.

“Ah, I see. The omegas that I talked to seem to not know that they were supposed to get paid.” Everyone in the audience gasps, even the presiding Elder looks shocked for a split second before composing himself.

“Uh.” She scrambles, “They lie, they hate that I became lead omega and want to do anything to take their Alpha down.” “So they have no loyalty to him?"

“No.”

“And why not?”

“They're omegas, they only understand power, not loyalty.” She scoffs as if it was an obvious explanation.

“Aren't you an omega?” She nods, a sour look on her face, “Do you respect your Alpha? Your ranked members?”

“Of course I do."

“Why is it they don't then?”

“That's not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean?”

“Just that the omegas are, um, they just aren't great. They're lazy and it's hard to get them to do anything."

“All of them?”

“Yes, pretty much all of them.” She crosses her arms again, I can see her face starting to flush even from this far back. “0 they have no loyalty because they're lazy. You have loyalty because.” He leaves the question open.

“Because I love my Alpha, er, the ranked members. They provide shelter and food for us and protect us. I understand that wouldn't be anywhere without them.”

“Alright then.” He gives her a long look, “How do you keep your omegas in line since they have no loyalty?”

“They listen to me.”

“Why is that?"

“Because they respect me, as another omega.”

“I see. What happens if they don't respect you if they step out of line? Every pack has to have some way to keep everyone in line.”

“Are you asking if we have punishments?”

Yes!"

“Then ask that." Meghan takes control of herself again.

“What are the punishments for people stepping out of line?”

“I didn't say there were punishments.”

“50 nothing happens if people step out of line?”

She doesn't say anything.

“I see we're talking in circles here. Let's call up someone else. Thank you for your time, Miss Stayer”

“Luna Isla of the Moonstone Pack?” He calls out, Jackson squeezes my hand and I try to swallow, a lump forming in my throat. I rise and take the seat Meghan was sitting in before. I feel Alpha Benjamin's eyes staring into me but I don't face him, can't face him.

“Please state your name and title.”

“My name is Isla, I don’t know my family name. I'm the Luna of the Moonstone pack.”

“Welcome, Isla.” He smiles widely at me, his demeanor changing completely, “You were previously a member of the Silver Moon pack, is that correct?”

“Yes sir”

“You were an omega?” I nod, “Could you describe the working and living conditions that you experienced when you lived there?” I took a deep breath.

I told them about the sleeping situation, working from dawn until dusk, not having much time off if any, rarely leaving the packhouse kitchen or our living quarters, and some of the punishments that I endured there and had witnessed.

“You were chained up all night, like a dog?” I see Jackson shaking.

“Yes sir”

“What was the reason for it?"

“I was cleaning the ranked member's bathrooms and I went into Alpha Benjamin's office. I didn't know 1 wasn't allowed in there” Cacious gives Alpha Benjamin a look.

“What happened when you were found in his office?”

“I got yelled at, called names, and then Meghan made me go outside to the pole after I finished cleaning” I shrugged. “Meghan said that there weren't any punishments.” I let out an accidental laugh, “That doesn't seem to be what you are saying?”

“Not at all, I've seen every omega get yelled at and put down, to say the very least. There was physical abuse, skipping meals, being chained up, stuff like that”

“When did this abuse start?”

“We always had cramped living spaces and long working hours, without much personal freedom. But the punishments really started to pick up when Meghan took over”

“The previous head omega, Janice, was it?” I nod, “Were things as bad when she was there?”

“They were bad, but it wasn't the same. Sometimes we weren't allowed to have meals, and someone would come to beat a bit if we stepped out of line, a warrior maybe, but it wasn't by her. She seemed to be on our side completely, trying to protect us. If the Alpha was mad, we knew it because it was taken out on us.”

“Is there a reason why Meghan would lie to protect the Alpha?” I wasn't sure how much I should be giving away.

“I think she likes power," I say.

“Anything else?”

“Um, I'm not sure about this, so I don’t know if I should say it” He doesn't say anything so I go on, “I think they've been sleeping together.”

A loud shout comes from the audience, “I f***+g knew it, that little b***h. I'm going to kill her, grab her by her stupid bleached blonde ponytail and drag her the f**k out of here. I want her out of my pack immediately? Where is she?” Julian makes eye contact with Mehgan, who is smirking at her, “I'm going to f*****g kill you. She lunges at her.

Two warriors intervene and pull them apart, “Pack your bags immediately, I never want to see your w***e face around the packhouse ever again.”

“The Alpha has to say if he wants me to leave.” Meghan gives Julianna a smile.

“am your Luna." She commands, “You will pack immediately.” Meghan looks down but doesn't say anything.

“Ladies, can you contain yourselves for the rest of this trial or do I have to remove you both?” Julianna doesn't stop glarir at Meghan but goes back to sit next to Alpha Benjamin. I can almost see the anger rolling off her in waves.

Alpha Benjamin whispers something to her and she shakes her head angrily.

“Well, I guess that confirms it” Cacious looks to the presiding Elder.

“It confirms nothing” Alpha Benjamin interjects.

“Do you mind if I ask you if Luna Julianna is your destined mate?" Cacious turns his attention to him,

“You can ask what you want when it's my turn. Finish up with her, this is already dragging.” He waves his hand towards me looking bored.

“Okay then, the last thing. Have you experienced any abuse from the other ranked members?” I pause.

“Yes,” I say looking down, doing everything to avoid their stares.

“Who?”

“The Alpha's children, Seth and Hailey."

“What kind of abuse?” He asks, concern lacing his voice.

“Hailey has hit me a few times, pulled my hair, pushed me, nothing too serious. It just started the last few weeks when I was there. She yelled a lot. And-" I pause, trying to steady my voice.

“Take your time.”

“There was one time that Seth tried to, um, he tried to force himself on me.”

jackson roars from the audience, his eyes black. I mentioned this happened but not in too much detail, knowing how ups he would have been. Every part of him is shaking and he's scanning the room for Seth.

“Alpha Jackson, please.” The presiding Elder says, “I understand this is hard to hear, but please let us get on with the trial. “It's okay, baby. Nothing happened.” 1 try to reassure him from across the room.

“See? Nothing happened, let's move past it” Alpha Benjamin interjects and Jackson turns his anger on him.

“Isla, thank you for your time. 1 don't think we need the details at this moment. You may be seated” I nervously stand an jackson comes up and meets me at the front of the aisle, putting his arm around me. When we get back to our seats he pulls me into his lap and takes a deep breath into my hair.

“I'm going to kill him” He whispers, “You did fantastic though, I am so proud of you baby." I let out a small laugh at his change of attitude .

Abigail gives her statement flawlessly. They asked about the night I was brought in and her time before I was there.

“I honestly don't remember much of my childhood” She laughs, “Call it old age, but I've been at the packhouse ever since could remember”

“Did you grow up there with your parents?”

“Um,” She pauses, “Yes, I must have, I haven't lived anywhere besides the packhouse.” She shakes her head. “I'm sorry, I' blanking a bit, I promise I'm not trying to leave information out.”

“I understand. The last question, did you ever work with the previous Alpha?”

“Um,” She shakes her head, “I don't think so, I would have been too young to remember if 1 had."

“Thank you, Abigail” She smiles and gets up and takes her seat next to me, I grab her hand.

“Well done’ 1 say,

“It's over, our part is at least, let's focus on what we're going to get for dinner” She smiles at me, she was right. I tried to tear my thoughts away from the trial and think of anything else. But I couldn't.