Page 21 of Tides of Fate (Fated in the Stars #3)

Lang grabs his briefcase and stomps toward the defendant’s entrance as soon as the door to the judge’s chambers swings shut, leaving his client in the hands of his stoic guard. The guard has to make several strong-armed attempts to get Hayes moving—who still only has eyes for Jay, craning his neck so far that it looks like it hurts even as he’s being pulled out the door.

Leo wants to smack that sleazy grin off his face.

Just as the thought crosses his mind, he watches as Hayes’s eyes cut away to a point at the back of the courtroom—and his face crumples in what looks to be abject fear.

Leo has to know who has put the fear of the Goddess into someone who hadn’t shown one iota of fear up to this point—not even upon hearing he was probably going to have to fight for his life.

He and Gideon must agree because they turn simultaneously.

There—half a courtroom away, standing behind the first crush of witnesses, law students, and other official personnel leaving for a break—is Patrick Carnell. His face holds a smug smile as he turns this way and that, trying to get a good view of their omega.

Carnell catches Gideon’s eye, then raises an eyebrow tauntingly. With a wink, he pushes his way out the door.

As the members of the gallery move toward the exit, at least fifty people stand between them and Gideon’s father.

Leo feels Gideon’s growl as his body goes taut as a bowstring, his thunderstorm overpowering his scent blocker instantly.

Mama-Frankie covers her nose, and Rowan’s mother gasps at the olfactory onslaught.

The pack’s family presses close, determined to shield them from bystanders who might be interested in the spectacle. Even in the heat of the moment, it warms that place in Leo’s heart with family stamped all over it.

Steadying himself, Leo grabs onto Gideon with both hands—ready to be dragged through the crowd clinging to his back.

Lightning-quick, Lauren pulls a small fabric pouch of what smells like coffee grounds out of her bag. She drops her designer purse to the ground, gets close, and presses the pouch right up to Gideon’s face, her other hand holding the back of his head.

The two alphas lock into a staring contest, neither looking away until Gideon’s eyes fade from bright red to his usual honey brown.

“Gideon, stop,” his mom says quietly but firmly.

Once more, Leo is impressed. He will never know how she had known to plan for the alpha to lose his cool, but the gesture has no doubt saved them.

Leo’s mate doesn’t give up easily, though. He growls, snapping his teeth at the older alpha.

Pushing in close, Jay and Nix flank him on the other side.

“Fuck, Gid.”

They both look pale, and Jay hesitates, choosing his words carefully. “Was it Hayes?” he asks finally.

Jay must have felt Hayes’s eyes on him the whole time, yet his Alpha hadn’t let his fury show. When Jay Rhodes said he was going to do better, he fucking did better.

“Let me go, Lauren,” Gideon hisses, bucking and pulling against her hold on his head.

At that, Jay shifts behind him, steadying him, while Nix slides a hand inside Gideon’s jacket, rubbing soothing circles on his back. The four of them effectively box him in—surrounding him, refocusing his senses on anything but his villainous sire.

“Whatever makes you this angry, my son, it is not worth sacrificing your pack or your freedom,” Lauren says firmly, lifting his hand in her own and letting him press the bag of coffee against his nose .

“You will only have regrets. Do you understand?”

She touches his cheek gently.

In that instant, Luca pushes through the tight knot of mates and family, tearing off his scent blocker patch.

“Let me through, let me through—fuck.”

He exhales sharply as a flood of mocha-coffee fills the tiny space, overwhelming the tension with its calming aroma.

Gideon’s nostrils flare, and his eyes squeeze shut—only to pop open wide an instant later. He looks at Lauren, and Leo can tell the exact moment Gideon realizes why she brought a small bag of coffee to help him control his wolf.

Because it smells like his soulmate.

She had known this was going to be hardest on Gideon.

He just blinks. And blinks. And blinks.

Eventually, he mutters, “Don’t think this makes me like you, Lauren.”

He hoists Luca up into his arms, pressing him close to the source of that intoxicating mocha-coffee scent, humming a low tune.

Lauren allows a small smile, but it’s wiped away soon after with faux sternness.

“Nor I, Gideon.”

Only Leo sees her squeeze the hand she’s holding before Gideon sits, Luca straddling his lap.

There’s a faint whiff of smoky pine as Jay leans in, his soft lips brushing against Leo’s ear.

“What was that about?”

Hoping Jay has a better grip on his anger than Gideon, Leo responds with a single word.

“Carnell.”

Jay’s reaction is immediate. He tries to move around the cluster of whispering family members, intent on locating Carnell himself.

“What the fuck does he want here?”

Nix steps in, blocking his path. “Jamie. Please stay with me, okay? I need you.” His iron grip on Jay’s arm underscores the desperation in his voice .

“Like Lauren says, is it worth your freedom? I can’t do this without you.”

His pleading eyes flicker as a waft of burnt vanilla floats through the air—though he quickly reins it in.

“Okay, baby boy, okay,” Jay whispers, pulling Nix into his arms, his resolve softening.

With Gideon and Jay busy comforting and being comforted, Leo takes stock of his remaining mates.

Grayson is perched on Rowan’s lap, his mouth pressed to Rowan’s ear, while the baby alpha’s eyes remain closed in deep concentration. Every so often, a low growl escapes Rowan, making Finn’s beta family pale. They stay put in their seats, though—standing firm as a bulwark against the curious crowd.

Only Finn is missing from their row.

Leo decides that since his alphas are best kept right here, he must find their missing pack member.

He climbs onto his chair when his mothers are looking away, deep in conversation with Mrs. Foster.

With his new height advantage, he spots Finn sitting with Arlo and a middle-aged man in a red sweater. They’re using a phone to translate, and it occurs to him that maybe his mom might help as a translator—she’s proficient in ten languages, at last count.

He’ll make a point of introducing them when the dust settles.

Right before he jumps down, the doors at the back open, letting another wave of bystanders in and out.

Just beyond the threshold, Leo catches sight of Hayes’s lawyer in his offensive peach suit—deep in conversation with Patrick Carnell, punctuating his words with a pointed finger.

Carnell looks like he could just bite it off.

Then, the doors swing closed, and they’re gone from view.

A sense of foreboding makes the back of Leo’s neck itch.

“Boo-Boo, get down this minute.”

Mama-Frankie grabs his pant leg. “I blame your father for this.”

He doesn’t know whether she means his shorter stature, familiarity with the courtroom, or even his general daredevil spirit.

“Sorry, Mama. I’m going to go…” Leo gestures toward the doors.

It’s not hard to slip away now, with everyone still occupied. He skirts down the aisle, muttering “excuse me” or “pardon me” when he steps on toes or bumps shoulders.

When he finally reaches the back of the room, he merges with a group of court reporters and exits into the hallway.

Lang and Carnell are gone, so Leo moves to the side, leaning against the wall near a large ficus.

Hidden there, he wonders where the sinister duo has gone.

Leo does what he’s seen Gideon do a thousand times—he closes his eyes and just breathes.

Then, he feels it—somewhere deep in his chest. A nudge. A push.

It tells him to go right, down to the end of the hall.

So he does.

Past several open meeting rooms, then hard right—he stops like he’s hit a wall of air.

That’s when he hears them.

They’re in a meeting room, the door mostly pushed closed.

“Mr. Lang, you have your instructions, yes?” Carnell says, the oil in his voice as slick as the one in his scent.

Lang hesitates before saying, “…Yes, sir.”

“Good. He’s served his purpose.”

“Sir, are you sure? This is your—”

A squeak. Then—

“Spare me, you imbecile. Levi, we’re leaving. As much as I’d like to see my son and his little omega—an omega! Well, I had not planned for that, eh?”

“No, sir. They don’t exist, right?”

The high-pitched voice must belong to a henchman.

“Shut it, you idiot. I’m surrounded by idiots. How I miss Alistair’s counsel in these matters,” bemoans Carnell.

How Carnell could miss the counsel of a ten-year-old boy is a mystery .

Maybe Hayes isn’t the only one who’s lost his marbles.

“Let’s go before Rhodes gets free of my son’s infernal pack, and I have to show my hand in a courthouse.”

The sound of footsteps nears the door, and Leo realizes that Carnell isn’t the only one who doesn’t want to show his hand.

He scrambles across the hall into an empty room, pressing himself against the wall behind the door.

There’s nowhere to hide.

He can only imagine what damage Levi could do to Leo on Carnell’s command in an unoccupied meeting room, with most guards on crowd control elsewhere.

“Levi. Did you hear that?” Carnell says, closer than ever.

Leo holds his breath.

Even though Carnell can’t see him hiding behind the still-open door, all it would take is for him to poke his head into the not-so-empty meeting room for Leo’s last-second hiding spot to be discovered.

“Court has been called into session. I have to go,” Lang says from directly outside the doorway.

His footsteps fade quickly down the hallway.

Carnell lingers for a heart-stopping moment, his hand resting on the doorjamb as though he might step inside.

But without an audience to entertain, he loses interest.

With a sneer, he and his henchman finally slither away like the snakes they are.

Leo exhales the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, air escaping in a whoosh as he bends over to steady himself.

Fuck, that was close.

The tension still buzzes in his chest.

Then it hits him—court’s in session.

Straightening up, Leo jogs back the way he came, marveling at how he managed to get so lucky.

Hayes is already being led in by the time Leo hurries up the aisle and slides into his new seat between Rowan and Finn off the narrow aisle close to the wall.

Gideon has finally claimed his seat on the center aisle, with Luca next to him in Gideon’s old spot.

Luca looks calmer now that he has Gideon to watch out for, and Gideon looks a bit scent-drunk—which Leo supposes is better than being incarcerated.

Finn leans in to whisper, “Where did you go?”

Now is not the time for Leo to share with his pack about Carnell’s hand in today’s proceedings.

So he shakes his head.

“You’ll tell me later?”

“Yeah.”

He grabs his alpha’s hand and doesn’t let go.

Leo’s view of Hayes is better (worse?) from this angle, and once again, he’s only got eyes for Jay.

Hayes hears the door, and his head turns toward the back of the courtroom, visibly perking up when it’s not Carnell.

Whatever Carnell has in mind, Leo thinks, Hayes knows nothing about it.

The judges’ door bangs open, and Judge Patel enters with the same flurry of black robes as when she’d left an hour prior.

Only the Goddess knows if that’s good or bad.

The crowd barely has time to get to its feet before she’s banging her gavel loudly.

“Sit.”

Judge Sanderson shakes his head and addresses Hayes.

“Will the defendant rise and state his name for the court?”

Hayes smirks, taking his time while he has the court’s attention—enjoying every moment when all eyes are on him.

“Dawson Hayes,” he says, omitting Ulysses Haversham. Probably wise, given what happened the first time.

“You may be seated,” Judge Jones says.

“Judge Patel?”

The elder judge frowns and adjusts her glasses .

“First, I want to begin by saying how disappointed we are that the prosecution has resorted to this underhanded subterfuge. There are protocols in place for a reason, Ms. Christie.”

Patel points her gavel at the team in question.

“You are fortunate my colleagues are more lenient than I, or I would be inclined to request a professional conduct review.”

Leo’s father moves to rise in defense of his colleague and mentee.

“Sit down, Mr. Costas. Don’t think I haven’t considered this as being entirely your doing.”

Judge Patel’s tone is razor-sharp.

“We are disappointed and will have long memories. You will conduct yourselves from now on with the utmost decorum, or we will revisit this discussion.”

All three prosecution lawyers rise, murmuring their assent.

With a nod, Patel abruptly changes horses midstream. “As we are all on the same page, I would also like to commend Ms. Christie for her thorough understanding of the Omega Protection Law. It is impressive.”

Leo doesn’t think he’s ever seen Erin’s face that red.

Judge Jones picks up the large brown book he brought with him and opens it to a page marked with a white piece of paper.

“I’d like to begin with a reiteration of the law as we interpret it.

“The Omega Protection Law was passed by a joint committee representing all two hundred and fifty pack representatives.

“That is two hundred and fifty individual pack votes at the national level that unanimously passed this into law on March 25, 1853.

“There is no other law before or since— that we are aware of —that has had such singular, unanimous support in the Were Constitution.

“And it is with that knowledge in mind that we intend to allow this law to influence our sentencing.”

Hayes is on his feet in a blur.

Nix throws himself back with a cry, knocking into Grayson.

“What the fuck!” Hayes shouts. “This is ridiculous.”

Judge Sanderson bangs his gavel as the guard forces Hayes back into his chair.

“Mr. Hayes. You will remain silent and seated or learn of your sentence via a video call from your holding cell. Am I clear?”

Hayes declines to answer.

The judge reiterates himself, voice firm.

“Mr. Hayes. Am I making myself clear? ”

Lang bumps him in the shoulder.

But before he sits, Hayes looks at Jay and Nix, pointing a finger in their direction.

“Clear,” Hayes snarls.

Judge Sanderson picks up where his colleague left off.

“While we agree that this law will affect the defendant’s sentence, we have further to add.”

He pauses and looks at Nix.

Leo can only see his mate’s face in profile, but Sanderson must see terror because his voice is so gentle when he speaks.

“While the law allows for trial by combat and death, there are two additional inclusions Ms. Christie may have failed to note.”

Holy shit.

Given the Judge’s foreboding statement, a murmur spreads through the courtroom.

“Don’t blame Ms. Christie. These changes were ratified two years afterward. I won’t bore you with their location, but regardless, we must also apply them in this instance as well,” Jones states.

“Our purpose is to interpret the full intent of the law. We must account for historical periods and apply them to our modern times.

Judge Patel gears up for one of her educational-style court decisions.

“While this is no longer 1853, Mr. Rena may be the only omega…”

The other omegas in the room rise.

Five men—at various stages of life, from countries across the world—stand united, showing Judge Patel that she is wrong.

Rena Nix is not the only omega.

Arlo bows, speaking loudly and with the confidence that freedom brings .

“We apologize for the disruption, Your Honors, but Nix is not the only omega.”

The news is shocking enough that even among the highly professional audience, a titter of whispered reactions spreads through the room.

A speechless Judge Patel is a sight to see. Her mouth is open, her eyebrows so high they could almost be considered an extension of her tightly pulled-back bun. After a long moment, she smiles.

“I stand corrected. Thank you. Please be seated. Well. Be that as it may, it changes nothing regarding this ruling.”

“This court will allow the trial by combat by Alpha James Rhodes or his chosen proxy,” Judge Patel says. “But we must be clear—this is to the death, and it does not matter whose.”

The pack has always known there was a possibility that Hayes could win and walk away a free man, no matter how unlikely. It’s why there had been so many strong reactions, so many furious outbursts, and so much self-doubt. But somehow, hearing it out loud only makes the idea much, much worse.

Because now, it’s real.

“Both parties will stay in the field until one of them is dead or dying. There will be no medical assistance permitted.”

The crowd mutters audibly now, causing Judge Sanderson to raise his gavel again with a pointed look. “The date will be set as soon as this court can secure a suitable location.”

“Finally, the guilty party will be allowed a brief, supervised audience with his accuser to air his grievances or to make amends—unless he waives his right to do so.”

Nix sucks in an audible breath.

There’s a hysterical burst of laughter from Hayes, drawing the attention of the entire courtroom. Lang whispers something, but Hayes continues to laugh maniacally.

“Is there something you want to share with the court, Mr. Hayes?” Judge Patel asks, and it’s like Hayes had only been waiting for someone to ask.

“Fuck yes, there is. ”

He turns to Jay, pointing a crooked finger at him.

“Rhodes, you think you’re such hot shit, and yet all this time, I had him. I had him on his knees, and that mouth…whoo -boy. ”

Judge Sanderson bangs his gavel so hard it finally cracks in two.

“Mr. Hayes! You will cease this behavior immediately.”

The single guard grapples with his prisoner, but he is no match for Hayes when he’s on a roll.

Hayes limps out from behind the table, dragging the single guard with him, and now that he has Jay’s attention, he’s not going to stop.

“No, I don’t think I will.”

His voice drips with twisted satisfaction.

“Do you know how tight he gets when you hurt him a little? How he cries? He likes it—” He cuts himself off, laughing again. “Well, he likes it when I hurt him a lot, too. Useless dumb cunt.”

“Mr. Hayes! If you do not cease this immediately, we will consider this your supervised audience!” Judge Jones shouts.

A second guard bursts through the door, grabbing hold of him, but Hayes drags both across the floor until they finally contain him.

He’s within ten feet of Leo’s mates when he yells—

“Fine! Do you know how long I have waited to tell you this to your face, Rhodes? Forever! Your bitch will always have been mine first. Mine. Covered in my bites, kneeling at my feet—”

It all happens so fast.

Leo isn’t sure how he gets over the railing, past the prosecution’s table, or by the guards.

But then—Grayson is on him.

Hayes is down, his unhinged rant is cut off mid-word by the most vicious punch Leo has ever seen.

The crack of breaking bone echoes through the courtroom as Hayes’s head snaps back. His nose shatters, blood spraying across the floor. Several teeth go flying before he collapses, unconscious.

Leo’s pacifist mate is gone, leaving a snarling predator, red eyes blazing, long fangs bared in a deadly growl in his place .

Grayson teeters on the edge of a decision—whether to end Hayes for what he’s done.

His black hair swings wildly around his face as he looms over the wreckage of his enemy, chest heaving, rage rolling off him in waves.

The room is deathly silent.

No one dares make a sound.

No one wants to be the one to draw the attention of the feral enigma barely clinging to control.

Two security guards rest their hands on their tranquilizer guns, but they remain holstered as the situation teeters on the brink of disaster.

“Gray,” Nix whispers.

He leaps over the railing, landing lightly before gently gripping Grayson’s sleeve.

The front of the courtroom is suddenly flooded with the warm, familiar scent of toasty vanilla cookies.

A collective breath rushes through the room—one so noticeable that, if it weren’t such a dire situation, Leo might have laughed.

“Come on, Gray. Please. I don’t want you to get into real trouble over him. Please.”

For a second, Leo thinks Grayson might still rip out Hayes’s heart right there in front of the judges.

Instead, he exhales sharply, grabs Nix around the waist, and buries his face in his soulmate’s neck.

The guards hoist Hayes to his feet after the near-miss, but despite the presence of medical personnel in the courtroom, no one rushes to assist.

When Hayes comes to—coughing and spitting blood—he struggles, but the guards force him back into his seat. Eventually, the judicial assistant hands him some paper towels to stem the flow of blood streaming from his nose and mouth.

Nix and Grayson return to their seats as Judge Patel sighs into her microphone.

“Mr. Hayes, this court considers the airing-of-grievance provision satisfied. ”

“What? No! That’s not fair!” Hayes yells, a definite lisp distorting the words, thanks to his now-missing front teeth.

Judge Patel ignores him completely.

“Mr. Pearce, we will require a conversation immediately following this trial. Please remain with your counsel, Mr. Costas. Are we understood?”

Leo’s father nods at Grayson, who stands but does not sound remotely contrite as he speaks.

Grayson nods, but he doesn’t apologize. “Understood, Your Honors.”

“Let’s finish this. Judge Sanderson?” Judge Patel says.

Sanderson adjusts his robes. “Before we rule, we would ask Pack Alpha, James Rhodes of the Rhodes Pack to rise.”

Jay squeezes Luca’s hand before rising to his feet.

“Alpha Rhodes, do you agree with the sentence? Combat to the death?” Sanderson asks.

Hayes grumbles, but Lang murmurs something that shuts him up.

Time seems to slow as Jay stands, the weight of life and death balanced in his hands.

It’s a pivotal moment. A crossroads where justice hangs by a thread.

It’s not right , Leo thinks. Omegas should have their own voice, their own say.

“Your Honor, if I may speak?” Jay asks, his voice steady, commanding.

Judge Sanderson gives a slight nod.

Jay steps forward, hands resting on the wooden rail.

“This decision isn’t mine to make. I may be the leader of this pack, but we are equals in all things.”

His words are firm, unshakable. With a simple gesture, he calls his pack to rise.

They do—standing together, shoulder to shoulder, as they always do.

“But most importantly,” Jay continues, his gaze locking onto Nix, “Nix should be the one to decide. He has earned that right—paid for it—with his blood.”

Nix straightens.

His quiet strength draws every eye to him.

In that moment, he’s more than just a victim. More than an omega .

He’s undeniable.

“Alright, Mr. Rhodes. While the law is not written this way, we can interpret it in this modern context. Mr. Rena, do you agree with our sentence of combat to the death?” Sanderson continues.

Nix rubs the tail of his borrowed tie with one hand and slips the other into Jay’s waiting one. Leo digs deep into where his bond is, where he feels it tug sometimes but never tugs back on purpose. This time, he pushes his love and pride out along the bond, and when he looks to his right and left, he sees each of his mates has a similar look of concentration, and for a second, Leo thinks Nix glows.

Nix’s voice does not waver as he says, “I do.”

Judge Patel smiles. “Since Mr. Rhodes has allowed you to decide, you must confirm with the court whether your leader will mete out justice or if you will be assigning a proxy.”

“A proxy, Your Honors.”

Judge Jones nods. “Very well. Who will fulfill this honor?”

“I will.”