Chapter 25
Merricks's POV
I had him. There was no way Luca would get past the King. He would pay for his crimes and trying to kill my mate. Ella gripped my hand until Phillip arrived and when he did my heart skipped a beat.
He walked past Luca never once looking him in the eye but you could tell that Luca was baffled. Clearly, he wasn't expecting to find Phillip alive but there he stood, beautiful as ever. Phillip bowed and the magistrate introduced him to the King.
"You're alive," Luca said clearly relieved Phillip ignores him as bows.
"Your majesty, this is Phillip DePointe. Son to the former duke's groom. He comes from Taobh gorm na beinne along with your groom. I believe the two know each other", he tells the King.
"I hear that you have evidence that this man has a relationship with Theodore Tawney. Do you know what your master has told me?"The king asked Phillip
I hate that he used the term 'master' Phillip was my mate and my best friend. I loved him and hearing anyone use that word made me growl. Before I know it, Ella nudged my arm and I realize that I am actually growling.
"Sorry, I'm not sure what came over me" I look at the king.
He smiles and laughs. "Lost in your head, my boy?" he asks. I just smile looking at Ella and then at Phillip.
The king turns back to Phillip, "Well Mr. DePointe? Do you have the evidence or not?"
Phillip stepped up to the king's desk opening his laptop. We watched the king look at the photos and back in forth between Luca and Phillip. The scowl on growing deeper with each picture.
"I've seen enough," the king says closing the screen of the laptop as Phillip steps away.
"Your majesty, I have more as well but you can see that the Alpha is obviously helping the Silver Spears or maybe even one of them..." I start to tell him.
"SILENCE" the king commands.
I watched the gears in the king's head turn as he put two and two together. At this point, Luca was dripping with sweat and anxious for a way out of this. I hated the way he looked at my mate. Like he was still his. It made me furious to even imagine what he was thinking.
"Mr. DePointe, is it true that your mate is the Alpha Luca?" the king asks through gritted teeth.
"He was my mate, but he rejected me on our first meeting and I have had no contact with him until our recent trip to Rhodes, Your Majesty", he says calmly.
"Good. The thought of two males makes me sick!" the king says disgusted. I feel my Lycan threatened to shift at his words its only Ella who stops me when she stands at the king's words.
"How dare you say the Moon Goddess made the wrong choice. You may be the King, but she is our Goddess and you are a bigot." She says enraged.
The room begins to shake and dust falls from the ceiling. Ella's eyes glow and her finger extends into her claws. A strange wind blows ripping open the windows and the air swirls around the king.
Everyone in the room's eyes are on Ella. No one dared speak to the king in such a manner and here was my beautiful wife calling him out. The wind had died down as the king was still busy picking his jaw off the floor when a young man burst through the door. He was tall with red hair and freckles. I swear I had seen him before. I see him look at Phillip before addressing the King.
"Your Majesty, the silver spears have invaded Kern and they are being led by Theodore Tawney. They have made it into the capital!"
Before I could blink the king had shifted and told the young man to check out his armor. He did as he was told helping the king fasten the sides of the gold-plated armor as he prepared to leave. Before walking out of the door, he turns to look at all of us.
"Do not think I will forget this, Duchess; I expect you to be here when I return. As for you", he turns to look at Luca "You better have a damn good reason to have met with him" and out the door, he went, the magistrate in tow.
The young man stayed at the doorway until the king and magistrate were out of sight before turning to the guard in the room. "The king wishes for you to take alpha Luca to his rooms; I shall escort these three to their chamber." The guard nods grabbing Luca by the arm and taking him out of the room. I watch his eyes as they look at Phillip who is currently comforting Ella.
"I'm glad you're OK," he said before disappearing out the door
"Alright ye bastard, we need to get you out of here before the king returns or he will beat the lass for her words." the man says.
"Who are you and who are you calling a bastard?" I growl.
Phillip's hand rests on my chest before he has time to speak. "Merrick this is Tristram, a very old friend of mine, we grew up together. He's the King's groom
"Sorry your graces, I would love to have a chat wit' ye but I need to get you as far away as I can from here. The king'll have a nasty temper." Tristram explains.
"Where do you suggest we go? If we go back to Greenvine the king will be able to find us just a quickly." I ask.
Without looking at me he turned to Phillip the exchange that happened in their eyes was something I had never seen before. Phillip and I shared a bond and many times he knew what I was thinking without me telling him But this was just a look. I could see Phillip shift uncomfortably.
"We are not going there, Tristram! I can't take them there! They are royals and someone would notice." Phillip exclaims.
"Not if you go up the mountain to Janets", the way he said it made Phillip uncomfortable and he look dumbfounded at Tristram.
"Who's Janet?" Ella asked after a few minutes of silence and awkward looks.
Phillip's face was cold when he turned to her, "My mother", he said coldly.
We had never spoken about his mother before. It was something he didn't like talking about but I know they had a troubled past. When his father came to work for mine, she had told him that she was "no slave and wouldn't raise a paw to help entitled princes."
"We are not going there. I have a safe house in the area and we can go there until we have time to figure it out." Phillip said still upset about the thought of seeing his mother again.
"It will have to work but we must be leaving now. I already have your things packed into a boat at the northern dock. Please be careful brother, I will come to you as soon as I am able." With that Tristram lead us to a small corridor and out a door I had never seen. We head to the docks and climb in the small boat.
"Thank you, Tristram," I say shaking his hand and Phillip gives him a hug.
"I know you'd do anything for her" Tristram says motioning to Ella. "You could have just told me"
We are more than a little shocked but with no time to waste we start the boat and make our way out of the small harbor. Looking over at Phillip who was driving the boat I place my arm around him.
"So much for not telling anyone!" I saw slyly
"I didn't tell him. I swear" he says looking at me.
Ella joins us and is still a little shaken.
"
Babe, what the hell was that?" Phillip asked her pulling her close to him on the other side.
"I'm not sure... that has never happen...." Ella's face looked flushed and sweat poured down her face. I grabbed her by the waist and sat her down on one of the seats. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she went limp almost as soon as her butt hit the seat.
"ELLA!!! ELLA!!!!"