Page 89 of Understanding Fate

Cain: That’s my girl.

The three men sit across from us, setting down a series of documents and folders on the table before the man at the center begins.

“Mr. Daniels, Mr. Mingan, Ms. DelaCourt,” he begins, and I interrupt him.

“It’s Mrs. Mingan,” I correct, and nod for him to continue as I feel the surprise and subsequent joy that comes from her.

Cain: I guess we should have discussed that too.

Bri: No need. I’ve never been attached to her last name. I’d be proud to be a Mingan.

Her reply has my heart fluttering.

“Oh, apologies. I wasn’t aware you’d had your Mating ceremony,” the man says, turning to Noah. “Has their Mating paperwork been filed?” he asks, flipping through documents as if trying to locate it.

“Not yet; I’ve been busy with the more… pressing legal action and planned to submit them before returning to Vegas,” he says, not allowing the question to rattle him. “However, before we continue, can you please remove my client's cuffs? He is no threat to you. He turned himself in willingly and has been nothing but cooperative,” Noah says, crossing the fingers of his hands together and placing them in front of him, waiting.

The man nods, and the bearded man stands, producing a key from his pocket. I extend my hands to him, hating that I must release my hold on hers, even if only for a moment. A growl escapes her throat when he grabs my arm, causing him to pause before tentatively continuing.

Once he’s seated, the man in the middle continues while I rub my sore wrists.

“We asked you here today to clear up some misconceptions and hopefully be able to set the record straight. We understand that sometimes these things need a second look, and with the new information we received, we would like to discuss some options going forward. My name is Oliver Horn, and I am assigned to the legal oversight committee here at the LLC. This is Alpha Douglas Martin, one of the committee members for the hearing that was just conducted, and this is Attorney Evan Hasting, legal counsel for your criminal charges.”

He reaches for a document and picks it up to be read aloud.

“Cain Mingan is being charged with one count of witness tampering, one count of abduction in the second degree, and one count of failure to obey,” he finishes setting down the document.

“Now we can agree that we may have been too hasty in our judgment regarding the placement of Ms. Dela… oh, Mrs. Mingan. Our laws clearly state that Fated Mate bonds trump pack affiliations. The gray area of this case was that she was neither Awakened nor Mated at the time of the hearing. That is no longer the case, and as such, we are willing to reverse our decision regarding her home pack. Hasting here will write up the overturned motion today and submit it to official records before the end of business.” He tips his head to the younger man in the suit on his left, who nods in agreement.

“So the Reno Pack no longer has control over her?” Noah clarifies.

“That is correct,” he says, and I see the bearded man on the left bristle in irritation. My hand finds hers again, and I give it a squeeze, knowing the future of the Vegas Pack and the war was her biggest concern aside from me going to jail.

“Where does this leave the criminal charges? If you agree that she was his to take all along, are those being dropped too?” Noah questions.

“Not exactly,” he says, pulling a small stack of papers out and sliding them across the table for Noah to look at while he continues.

“Mr. Mingan still broke the law. His decisions came while orders were in place. We have avenues for appeal, and they should have been taken. However, we also understand that he may not have been thinking clearly when he believed his Mate was in danger of being taken by another pack, so we are willing to offer him a deal. It is outlined in the document before you. We believe it is more than fair considering the alternative. Take a few minutes to confer, and let the guard know when you’ve decided. This deal is good for the next thirty minutes. Then it's off the table, and we will proceed with all of the charges in court.” He stands, prompting the other two men to follow suit, and they file out of the room without another word.

Noah reads the document silently for a few minutes before setting it down and explaining the terms.

“All I can do is advise you on what happens if you do or don’t take the deal, but let me start with the fact that I think it’s very fair. The LLC is offering to drop the abduction charges completely and only charge you with witness tampering and failure to obey. Additionally, they are willing to limit the punishment for each offense to six months of community service. Meaning you would only have to complete a year of service. They have also outlined a position that Brielle can fillhere in Colorado in the… sustainability marketing?” he says, unsure if the term is correct.

My chest releases the air held there, and relief fills me.

No jail time away from her

Just community service for a year.

She gets to stay with me.

“So I just need to, like, clean up parks and pick up trash for a year, and I’m done?” I ask, knowing this is the best we could have hoped for under the circumstances.

I feel Bri’s hope filling the bond as I wait for Noah to explain more fully.

“Usually, it would be something like that; however, they have added an addendum to the community service,” his tone turns more serious.

“They are offering you the community service under the condition that it be carried out as a special assignment working directly for the LLC here in Colorado,” he says.

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