I take up my spot on the stand and I can feel thousands of eyes on me.
This is the final moment. Whatever I say now will determine what happens.
The pills I took early are starting to weigh me down. I remember why I didn't like taking these. It makes me want to just take a nap in front of all these people.
I catch my father's eyes and he gives me a nod to start speaking.
"After my aunt Petra died, Chris was in mourning and she couldn't take it living here for a while. I saw her packing her things and I didn't want her to go off on her own. I wanted to make sure she stayed safe. It was also a way to run away from everyone and avoid having to tell everyone I was pregnant."
Unlike any other time that new information was presented during this case, the crowd didn't go wild. Everyone stays silent and listens to everything I have to say.
I think after seeing me stop the commotion between Alaric and Arsenio, they see me in a different light. I think the opinions in the room are starting to change and they're actually willing to hear me out.
My eyes meet with Alaric. He seems calmer now compared to how he was outside. I'm scared to see his reaction after I say everything I have to on this stand. I'm scared to see what will happen after this.
I know he knows that I was pregnant already, but we haven't had a chance to really speak yet. I know he has questions and I have to be ready to answer them.
Even if its from behind bars.
"I didn't know how to tell everyone I was pregnant. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to have the baby. I was scared and the only person who knew the truth was no longer alive. So, I ran away with Chris. We didn't know where we wanted to stay, so we just drove for hours, days, and weeks until we did. We landed in New York with no knowledge of any werewolves being in the same state. Like I said before, we had no intentions on killing anyone."
"So, how'd Chris end up in my father's pack house and how was your sword found with his blood on it," Gianna asks.
I know she's just waiting to catch me in a lie. I can see the vengeful look in her eyes. I know that look too well.
"After my mother died, I did have a huge hatred towards werewolves for a long time, and my schizophrenia didn't help much either. After coming here and meeting new friends, I stopped thinking that way, but a little bit of that hatred came back when Petra died. So, when Chris and I received a message with every location of where the group that killed Petra was, we took that chance."
"So you're saying that you were out for vengeance," Kora asks. I know I'm pulling them in many different directions. One minute I'm saying I'm innocent and in the next I'm proving myself guilty.
"Let me finish," I say and Kora stays silent. "We didn't go to attack. We waited and just wanted to observe what was going on. I was pregnant and I didn't have the strength to go fight a battle. The place reeked with rogues and we just wanted to know if they had a leader. Before we could find out anything else, we were knocked out and kidnapped."
I decided to just tell the truth. There was no way I could go around telling it. If I did make it out of this, I wanted support to fight against Sybil. If I got out of here with a lie, no one would know the truth and I'd be going against Sybil and her army with only six people.
People need to know what happened. If they choose not to believe me, than they'd be left fighting blind against Sybil when she got stronger.
"When Chris and I woke up, we were tied up and met with Markus. He didn't seem like himself, but he was threatening to kill us. We had to protect ourselves, even if it was against someone we adored. We know he was being controlled by someone, including his pack members. that's why all we smelled was rogue and they attacked us."
"You really want me to believe that happened? Do you think I'm an idiot," Gianna says, interrupting me.
"Gianna, we need you to stay professional," Kora tells her calmly.
"No! She's trying to sell this sob story as if it was self defense. She's trying to paint my father like a villain!"
"It was self defense. Markus wasn't a villain. I'm not saying that. He was also a victim here. He was being controlled involuntarily, and Chris and I were forced to protect ourselves. I was pregnant and my first instinct was to protect my daughter. The daughter of next in line Alpha Alaric."
There's movement in the crowd and I watch as every werewolf in the crowd bow their heads in respect to a newly mentioned princess. It's what happens when a new life is brought into the werewolf community.
They protect their own and now Angie, even if they don't know her, she's part of it too. Any werewolf that was against me isn't anymore. They understand why I had to protect myself. Every mother and father, werewolf or not, understands it too. I can see respect in their eyes.
"I don't believe shit that comes from you. What's your explanation for who was controlling my father? How is mind control even possible? I've never heard of this in the witch community," Gianna yells.
She can see the audience swaying more towards my side and she's desperate to change it.
"It is possible," Cassandra speaks. "It isn't common here in the states, but witch covens from Europe are familiar with the spell. They have many cases of mind control there. We could be dealing with a foreign witch."
I smile at Cassandra, silently thanking her for backing me up. She's been a great help throughout this whole case.
"Anne and Chris were put in a helpless situation where they had to protect themselves. We should be putting all this time into getting who's actually responsible," my dad says.
"And who would that be," Gianna challenges him.
"We can talk about that in private. That's a matter for another time. I think we have enough information to make our decision," Kora says, standing up. "Does anyone in this courtroom think Anne is guilty," she asks.
"I do and everyone else should as well. She's fooling all of you," Gianna yells. The three people that could've possibly been on her side weren't here. Hailey, Giovanni, and Arsenio are nowhere to be found.
"Well, you have no evidence that can prove her guilty. So, I say we're done and it's time to move on to what's really important," Cassandra says, glaring down at Gianna.
Compared to Kora and Cassandra, Gianna looks like a child playing pretend judge on the stand.
"I declare Anne Micheal not guilty," Kora says and cheers erupt in the crowd.
It's crazy how everything started with almost everyone against me, but now everyone's on my side.
"The other girls will be let out shortly as well," Cassandra finalizes and that calls the end of the trial.