I kept my eyes on Luiz as he interacted with Julieta. I didn't like how he had come in the first time. I had expected it though. I didn't want to say Provocatio was backwards but they certainly had... specific mentalities about females and mothers. I knew I used to have them as well but living as a wild had certainly chilled out those tendencies. That and interacting with Shey, having a female hand your ass to you could give you a hard reset to the sexist bits of your brain.

However the moment he entered, I had expected his reaction. Family was everything and females who didn't want children were almost vilified, one giving a pup up? She might as well be the mundane Satan. So I had been expecting it so back handing him had been needed. Despite what Julieta had said, I had warned him, I said enough and stop. He didn't listen. He deserved it.

She didn't deserve to be treated like that for something that was natural for her to feel. She didn't want the pup and from her older internal injuries, she was more than likely heavily assaulted. No wonder she didn't have any maternal feelings yet. I wouldn't have cared if she outright hated the baby instead of feeling guilty she didn't like it, she would have been well within her right to feel that way.

She had been raped.

It was a harsh word but it was the truth. Even if she rationalized it to herself, and I knew she probably would, saying that she chose that path. Coerced consent was still fucking rape. It was vile and made me sick to my fucking stomach that the young female I had known all those years ago had suffered like that. She had been good, she had been kind, and life fucked her over in the worst possible way. Vera fucked her over in the worst possible way.

Not just that but all of those females had been raped. All of them. They had been used, abused, and raped. Countless others must have died as well during that fucker's reign as an illegal rogue. How many mundane females did he take and do that to? How many other victims were out there? How many would never be found? Too many to count in my eyes.

I and my wolf wanted every single fucker that had roamed with that sadistic bastard, dead.

"I just..." She sniffled and my attention as drawn back to her. She was wiping her eyes and Luiz just held her close. He looked troubled and I bet he was but he wasn't looking at me at all. He knew better. Julieta might have been okay to forgive his harsh words but I wasn't, he wasn't my family, he didn't get any passes from me.

"It's okay. I might not understand it but... but I accept that this was a hard decision for you to make." Luiz spoke slowly, carefully choosing his words as he glanced at me. I crossed my arms over my chest and narrowed my eyes slightly, just to ensure that he knew I was fucking serious.

I knew the hit had rattled him. We had never fought before. Sparred? Yes. A purposeful hit? No. But I wasn't that male anymore. All the softness, all the comfort, all of it had been drained out of me over the years of the bond sucking me dry, punishing me for Vera's rejection of our claimed bond.

There was a heavy knock on the door and a nurse came in with a healer. "Looks like you are awake! That's good, let's take a look over you and get baby fed." I gave a low growl at the words that had the nurse startling, looking at me warily. The healer seemed partially out of it, barely aware of what was going on. They were always so weird. Even Jason on Fortis was strange.

"The Head Priestess took her." It came out of Julieta small and almost unsure. She wasn't looking at the two females and there was a thick silence.

"She didn't check to see if we would allow that." The nurse did not look impressed and I moved until I was standing between her judgmental gaze and Julieta.

"It's a good place for the child." The healer gave a small hum and moved towards Julieta. "Sometimes these things happen and having a choice is good, yah?" Her voice was comforting as she walked around me and to the other side of the hospital bed. I ignored her, my focus on the nurse. "At least we know the babe will be well taken care of. Those in the heartlands are always so doting on children."

I could hear Julieta giving a hiss of pain and I stiffened at it but when I glanced over my shoulder, the healer was merely palpating her stomach. "The best place for a newborn baby is with their mothe-" The nurse started and I snarled loudly, snapping my gaze back to her. She jolted and threw me a wary look, taking half a step back.

"Are you wanting to preserve your milk supply?" The healer sounded completely unbothered and I stiffened slightly but didn't want to take my eyes off of the nurse. Her expression was dark and I knew she wanted to say something foul to Julieta.

"No." Julieta's voice was small, tiny really and I didn't miss how the nurse's eyes narrowed slightly. I took a step and I wasn't sure if it was my movement or not that had Luiz moving but he got off the bed and headed straight for the nurse. He lowered his head slightly, whispering something I couldn't quite catch. They both left the room and I turned back to Julieta and the healer.

"Okay. I'll work on getting you some herbs that will help dry up your supply but you will have to watch for any hard lumps, okay? You could get mastitis and we don't want that." The healer meandered over to a cupboard and opened it. "I'll get you some breast pads because you will start leaking and if you get too engorged and swollen, massaging to express the milk will help while you wait for it to dry up." I could tell Julieta was slightly uncomfortable with the conversation but I didn't interfere. It was important for her to hear about it. Somethings would be inevitable as they came with pregnancy and birth and the healer wasn't being rude about it.

"If you get really swollen, just let off enough milk to make the pain go away and use some cold compresses. Take over the counter pain meds as well. Those will help take the edge off." She wandered back with a box and tucked it beside Julieta. "Take nothing Stacy says to heart. She doesn't understand Mene's will at times. She is so focuses on the physical she forgets that we are spiritual creatures and that sometimes, mentally, we need to heal." The female patted Julieta's hand before opening the box.

She held up two round things. "These are breast pads. Let me show you how to wear them okay?" That was my cue to turn around so I did, moving over to the opposite wall as if the posters I had already looked at were the most interesting thing I had ever seen.

There was a knock to the door and I look over right as that other female came in, the one I had tasked with helping Julieta. "Hey, I know they told me that you needed some alone time and all and that you just had a baby but the Council is deciding the fates of the bastards, wanna come watch?" She hurried over to the bed and I glanced over as Julieta blinked slowly, staring up at the female.

"Hilla, I-" Julieta cut herself off, ooking confused. "They... they are opening that to the public?" I slowly walked back over to the bed as the healer made herself busy. I was fairly interested in the conversation. My wolf and I wanted all the males dead, to see them being sentenced would probably soothe some of our raised hackles.

"No, just us females. There are only a few coming but I immediately thought of you. I know you're probably sore as all hell but I thought of you first before anyone else." The female, Hilla, looked eager and I could approve of that. She was a tough one.

"Can I?" Julieta looked over to the healer and the spacey female waved her off.

"Of course. You will experience some bleeding and probably some cramping so don't get too over excited." She gave Julieta a soft smile before pointing at me. "Have your male carry you." I reared back at that, confused as to why the healer was bringing me into it.

"Oh, he's not-We aren't-It's not like that, we just-He's my brother's- was my brother's friend and-" Julieta stuttered slightly, her face red. She glanced at me and mouthed 'I'm sorry' and I simply shrugged as I rubbed the back of my neck. That had been uncomfortable slightly but the healer was moon touched, they could all be a little... weird.

"If you say so but he should carry you there. You probably won't want to walk." The healer turned and started grabbing a bunch of things from the cupboard.

"Come on, dude, you gotta bring her." Hilla didn't waste any time and I nodded. I didn't mind carrying Julieta to watch. She deserved to be able to see the fates of those who had hurt her and the other females.

I walked over and Hilla moved to let me close but Julieta held out her hand, her eyebrows furrowed. "I wanna try to do it myself first." I paused and nodded my acceptance at the request. It was a bit hard because she winced and hissed in pain as she slowly sat up, putting her legs over the side of the bed before standing up. Her face went pale so quickly that I nearly lunged for her at the same time Hilla did.

"That's what I meant when I said bleeding." The healer practically singsonged it and Julieta flushed and leaned against the bed.

"Bleeding? That felt like I birthed a fucking three pound jellyfish." She muttered the words and Hilla laughed, helping to prop her up, her arm wrapping around Julieta's waist.

"Let's get you to a bathroom, okay? Get that taken care of." At the words Hilla helped Julieta shuffle her way to the attached bathroom. I waited and several minutes later, and after one entrance to the bathroom by the healer, Julieta came out looking marginally better but leaning heavily against the other females as they guided her.

"Yah, you should carry her, big guy." Hilla gestured for me to come over and I nodded. I moved over and scooped Julieta up. She was marginally lighter without the baby, not a lot but it was interesting to notice.

"Sorry, Ezekiel. That took a lot out of me." Julieta muttered it and I shrugged, carrying her to the door.

"It kay." It was fine, I didn't mind.

Hilla opened the door and I carried Julieta through. Luiz glanced over and did a double take. "What's going on? Where are you taking her?" He rushed away from the nurse, hovering and looking like he wanted to snatch Julieta from my arms.

"We're going to see the Council sentence those fuckers. I figure it'll be cathartic. I hope most get death." Hilla was chipper and I watched as Luiz looked like he wanted to disagree before Julieta adjusted herself in my arms slightly.

"I need to see." It came out low and there was something in it that had Luiz buckling, his resolve to protect her from it crumpling, before he nodded.

"Okay, but just this time. If it gets too much, I will cart you out myself." It was a clear warning and I wanted to tell him that it was an empty threat. I would prevent him from doing that if Julieta asked. She wanted to see some form of justice done. I would make sure she got to see it.

I followed after Hilla as she walked down the wide hall and after a few moments, Julieta looped an arm up and over my shoulder, as if trying to get comfortable. I lifted her up a bit higher so she could rest her arm more comfortably. The concrete floor was cold on me bare feet but I didn't care, I was used to that. I didn't like shoes. The thought reminded me of Mari for a brief moment and I smirked slightly before shaking it off. Thinking about her would have me thinking about Micheal and Luka and if I thought too much on them it would weaken my blocks and they would be able to get through.

They hadn't stopped, not once, since they realized I had blocked them out. I hated that they were pressing panic and worry against my mind but this was something I had to do myself. This was something I couldn't have them doing with me. They had families to care for, that were more important than me and my paltry issues.

Hilla pushed open a wooden door and I followed her inside. We were on what looked to be a balcony overlooking a packed courtroom. Packed with enforcers and the males from the camp. No one else was there but a few other women that glanced at us before turning back to look down at the proceedings. I could see the Council was all there, sitting at a long table and staring down at the prisoner that had been brought front and center.

"Harold Millar." The name was called out and I set Julieta down on a chair, making sure it was close enough to the rail so she could see properly before I moved over to lean against the wall. I was aware Luiz sat down beside Juieta, taking her hand with his.

I watched as Jovan stood up at the table, nodding to the other councilors. "Harold Millar, in fact all of you, normally we would list out what acts you have violated, what laws, and what the punishments are. However, there are so many laws broken and violations that have happened that we cannot physically do so. So, you are getting a list of your crimes and then you will have your punishment addressed for sake of time." His voice was sharp as he looked down at the male.

"Harold Millar." His voice was crack. "Your crimes are such. Failure to check in at Hunter Checkpoints, cannibalism, exposing yourself to mundanes, killing mundanes and eating them, the rape and torture of many different females, attacking packs without provocation, killing shifters without justifiable reason, and evading the law." Jovan lifted his chin, "Due to the severity of your crimes, the death penalty is on the table. All in favour of sentencing Harold Millar to death?" He called it out and every single councilor lifted their hand, their eyes on the male as they did so. "Harold Millar, you have been sentenced to death. Make peace with Mene, you will find none with us."

"Fuck you! Fuck all of you!" Harold started snapping and snarling and the enforcers moved in on him as he struggled against his cuffs.

I could see some of the councilors looking up at where we were sitting and one lifted their hand. The two enforcers stopped and the Council spoke amongst themselves before one of the females looked up at us again. "Do you wish to see the death sentence carried out?" The question was clear and I glanced over at the females. The two that were already there when we arrived nodded. I could see Hilla nodding and Julieta did as well. "Very well. Enforcers, take him to the wall."

I watched as they grabbed Harold and dragged him over to an exposed concrete wall and shoved him to his knees, his face to the wall. One raised their rifle and I watched with my eyes widening slightly as he was promptly shot in the back of the head. That had been effective and the other males seemed to start to panic. I watched as they started to want to move, to get out. Murmurs broke out among them as the enforcers closed ranks on the group, not letting them move.

I watched as he two enforcers dragged Harold's body through a door when Councilor Sasha stood up. "Eugene Wilson." At the called out name I watched as a male was dragged from the group, cursing and struggling against is cuffs and chains.

"Don't you fucking dare!" He shouted it but Councilor Sasha just smirked.

"Crimes. Failure to check in, cannibalism, exposure to mundanes, killing mundanes and eating them, rape and torture of females, attacking packs, killing shifters without reason, and running from law." His smirk deepened, I could see he was enjoying this. "Due to severity, death penalty is on table. All in favour of death for Eugene Wilson?" His hand went up and as did the rest of them. "Death it is. Make peace, Eugene. You will find none with us."

I watched as Eugene snarled, growling and trying to fight the enforcers as he was dragged to the wall and promptly shot. I liked this, I liked this a lot. I glanced over at the females and Hilla was beaming, Julieta was watching with an even expression and the other two females seemed to be pleased with it. Even Luiz seemed somewhat satisfied with it.

I was glad. These males were sick in the head and you put down rabid animals.

You didn't keep them alive.