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I furrowed my eyebrows.
“That’s not how they looked when we left,” I murmured. Gillian suddenly cursed beside me, and everyone turned their attention to him.
“I’ve been giving the doctor at the pack money to feed the girls. I never thought it would come back to bite us in the ass like this.”
“Can you get the doctor to testify?” the councilman asked.
“Maybe? But he would likely need assurances. He has a family.”
“We don’t need that,” I said, sighing, and pulled out my phone. ‘Maya, are you okay with me showing the pictures we took?’I mind-linked to get her permission before I showed them to everyone.
‘Yes, if it’s necessary. Whatever it takes,’her immediate answer relieved me. I didn’t want to betray her confidence if she didn't want me to, but this was important.
“Celeste?” Markus asked me. I never showed him the pictures Maya and I took when we first got here, and I didn’t think he ever saw the extent of the damage to my body before I started gaining weight.
“When Maya and I got here, we took some pictures. But Markus, Danny, I need you two to sit down and promise me that you won’t do anything rash. There’s a reason I haven’t shown anyone these pictures. You need to promise that you will wait for the council to pass judgment.”
“I am not promising anything until I see what you’re hiding, Luna,” Danny answered, already getting worked up.
“Danny, you will accept her terms, or you step outside,” Maya said, moving to my side. We both knew what their reactions would be to the pictures.
“Celeste, you can’t expect us to make a promise blindly,” Markus said, crossing his arms.
“I can because I know you. In fact, Gillian and Kelly, you need to make the same promises, or you can step outside.” I folded my arms and looked at them.
Kelly sat on a chair, and Gillian sighed and sat after thinking about it for a few minutes. Danny and Markus remained where they were, arms crossed, having a standoff with us. Danny was having a private mind-link conversation with Maya, occasionally growling. After a few minutes, he gave a frustrated growl and stomped over to a chair next to Gillian. Maya went to sit on his lap; whether to soothe him or ensure he kept his silent promise, I didn't know. Now, it was just me and Markus staring at each other.
Atlas is trying to convince Markus, but damn if he’s not stubborn –Kara mentioned.
“Markus?” I pleaded with him.
“No, Tuli. You can’t expect me to say I will be fine with whatever you show me. You are my mate. I am allowed to be outraged.” He shook his head and stared me down.
“Outraged, yes. Throwing away months of work and risking the girls still stuck in Blood Moon because you feel the need for revenge. No. I can’t have you storming off to kill Alpha Geoff. It would ruin everything, and I would lose you. I would prefer you see these today so you’re prepared when we show the council, but if you don’t give me your word, you can wait and see them with the rest.”
“Alpha Markus, she is right. There’s more at stake than revenge. Think of all the girls she’s trying to save,” Councilman Matthias stated. Markus pushed his hand through his hair and, after another minute of trying to stare me down, went to sit in a chair. I turned and started to connect the phone to the TV.
‘Gillian, I’m going to need you to restrain Markus,’I mind-linked him.
‘I’m sorry. You need me to do what?’Gillian asked, panic filling his response.
‘The pictures are not pretty. Atlas is helping Markus stay calm right now. That will change when Atlas sees the pictures, too,’I said.
‘Is there no other way?’he asked.
‘I don’t think there will be,’I answered.
‘You can count on me, Celeste,’he said sadly.
The phone connected, and I went through the pictures until I found the ones I was looking for. I grabbed the remote to turn on the TV.
“These pictures were taken three days after we arrived at Crescent Moon. When I realized Alpha Geoff was selling my friends, I asked Maya to take some pictures of me in case they could help free them and condemn Alpha Geoff. When I explained what I needed to Maya, she agreed to let me take pictures of her as well. Councilman Matthias, this is how the girls looked before Gillian began helping my friends.”
I turned my back on Markus and my friends, unwilling to see the looks of outrage and pity. I took a steadying breath, then turned on the TV, and I heard Kelly and Councilman Matthias’ sharp intake of breath. It was a side view of my body, every rib visible, my stomach or lack thereof indenting inwards. The next picture was of my back. Every bone in my spine protruded, and scars littered the back. My legs had very little muscle. The images of Maya were almost the same, except she had fared a little bit better than me in terms of scars and food. The last picture showed my body from the front, the raised scars from Sandra’s claws on my stomach still healing.
I turned around when I heard the cracking of bones to find Markus shifting with Gillian on top of him. I ran to my mate before he hurt Gillian and wrapped my arms around him. Being wrapped around him would force Atlas to stop shifting, or he would hurt me. When the cracking of bones stopped, Gillian released him, but Atlas wasn’t shifting back yet.
The rest had stepped back. Knowing the kind of rage Atlas was in. They didn’t want to be accidentally on the receiving end of his wrath.
