Not wanting to expose Syri to his father more than necessary, Jae turned to Den and requested, "Will you see to it Syri reaches the gamma safely? Yejin and Estan will make sure he remains safe."
The prince of Eternal Dawn inclined his head slightly as he answered, "Ae. I will."
Jae bowed his head to Den as he turned to the pink-haired behind him. Jae gave a small squeeze to Syri's hand before saying, "I'll come back for you once I tend to what is going on in the hall." Jae's words spurred concern within the zeta, but Syri knew it was Jae's duty and that he could not stop the prince from doing what he needed to do. Masking the swirling concern, Syri put on a small smile and nodded up at the prince. "Stay safe, Jae," Syri voiced quietly while Den came to stand next to him.
Jae smiled down at the zeta softly before reluctantly releasing Syri's hand and nodding at Den. Taking the prince of Crimson Night's cue, Den stood in front of the pink-haired protectively while Jae started toward the beta who was waiting at the mouth of the corridor. Jae stopped, however, when he caught the crown prince of Black Moon staring at the zeta behind Den. "Don't you want to see what all the ruckus is about?" Jae inquired of Black Moon's prince.
Seth lifted a brow when he heard Jae's question and slowly turned from the zeta to face the prince of Crimson Night. "Not particularly," Seth answered with a sly smirk. "I don't think it necessarily pertains to my pack, so why should I? If I was needed in the hall, someone from Black Moon would have come to fetch me. Seeing as only a wolf from Crimson Night has arrived, I do not believe I am needed." With that, Seth returned his gaze of intrigue to the pink-haired being hidden by the tall true blood.
Knowing Seth was set in his response, Jae turned back toward the mouth of the corridor and neared Yehwa, who bowed to her prince upon Jae's arrival. The prince gave a small nod to the beta who then turned on her heel and began leading the true blood toward the hall. Jae hated leaving Syri under Seth's gaze, but the prince had been summoned, and there was nothing he could do to change that, so Jae was forced to leave the zeta behind and hope Seth would not try anything that would put Syri in danger.
Resorting to trusting Den to care for Syri and make sure he reaches Yejin and Estan, Jae focused on the task at hand. Yehwa was tense the entire walk to the hall, so Jae knew it was no light matter, but what met Jae when he entered the hall shook him to his core. Yehwa did not react to the two, bloodied forms on the ground as she passed them, but the clenching of the beta's hands and the tensing of her shoulders showed her disgust and worry. Jae stopped in front of the two while Yehwa continued into the hall until she came to stand behind the Luna.
"Haikon...Xander..." Jae's jaw clenched when he smelled the distress and blood oozing from the two wolves tied on the ground. The prince flicked his eyes up to see his father standing before the theta and delta. Fachan's face was solemn, and his voice was low when he spoke. "I just lost my best tracker and my best assassin because they could not follow the law. This is what happens when you let 'love' get in the way, Jae."
Fury flamed within the prince at the Alpha's words. "No," Jae voiced in disagreement. The prince's expression was furious when he lifted his head to address his father. "No, this is the result of a cruel law that should not be."
Gasps filtered throughout the hall at the prince's disagreement with Crimson Night's Alpha. "Do not question the law! It is a fundamental value that has stood strong since the beginning of the eastern packs!" Fachan roared as he glared at his defiant son.
"And it is high time that was changed!"
"Do not dare give orders to your Alpha! How many times must I punish you before you understand that?!" Fachan motioned for his guards to subdue the prince of Crimson Night, but Armina was quick to stop them. "Halt your step!" The Luna's expression was hard when she turned from the guards to face her mate. "You have been sworn into a dual and must not bring harm to the prince until such dual takes place."
Silence filled the hall as the Alpha glared at the Luna. "This is a law that has stood strong since the beginning of the eastern packs," Armina declared when she felt the Alpha's anger grow. "Unless, you are willing to change the law..."
A growl from Fachan echoed from the Alpha in response to the Luna's prodding. "Very well. I am a man of my word; I shall respect the law," the Alpha then turned from the Luna to address his son, "which is what I expect you to do as well, Prince."
Pain struck Jae's heart when he heard Fachan's warning. How could he respect the law when it had killed so many? The prince clenched his fists and was about to respond in disagreement once more when a groan sounded from the theta on the floor. The true blood was quick to look at the bloodied werewolf to see Haikon's brown eyes open slowly. Jae immediately rushed toward the theta but was blocked by several guards upon Fachan's command.
"Xander..." The call of his mate's name was extremely weak, but Jae heard it, and Haikon's broken expression at seeing the torn body of his mate lying before him broke Jae.
"Let them go, please," Jae pleaded to his father when he saw a tear fall from the corner of Haikon's eye. Fachan lifted a brow and turned to face his son at the prince's plea. "And in return?"
"Punish me. Do to me what you did to them. Just spare them, please."
Jae's answer impressed his father; never did Fachan perceive his son would beg for him to spare a lowly theta and delta. "You'll take on both their pain in exchange for their lives?" Fachan inquired, his expression growing serious.
"Ae," Jae answered solemnly. Fachan grew silent for a moment before he nodded his head in agreement, "Very well; I will spare them."
"Alpha Fachan, you cannot seriously wish to punish your son for the sin committed by another," the Alpha of White Fang, spoke up in concern for Crimson Night's Prince.
"It was the prince's choice, and the exchange was fair. I do not see any reason for concern, Alpha Gen," Fachan responded before addressing his guards. "Take the theta and delta away, but do not administer aid to them until the prince has fulfilled his end of the deal."
Four guards bowed to their Alpha in response and collected the theta and delta from the floor before carrying the two unconscious werewolves out of the hall. Jae released a breath of relief when he caught the faintest trace of two heartbeats when the guards passed by with the two.
"Now," Fachan voiced, drawing Jae's attention to his father. "When shall you take their punishment?"