Mona put her son to bed in her own room, then joined the Alpha in the throne room where he sat, pensive.
"Where is Kyle?" He asked her.
"Safe and heavily guarded." She sat besides him. "How did it go? Are we under attack from the Vampires?"
"I don't think so. It was just a handful of vampires we easily defeated. Nothing more than a distraction."
Exactly what it was. She thought.
"What do you think about the assassin's accusation?" She asked gently.
"He is lying. Judy has nothing to do with this."
"I want to think so too, but how did he get her broach? Or know the palace layout?"
Jerry's frown deepened. "But why would she want to kill Kyle? Why would she want to hurt me that way?"
"I think she wanted to hurt me too." Mona said softly. "Because of Sharon. Judy isn't happy her best friend was killed, no matter what she says. Killing Kyle would be a way of punishing both of us."
Jerry shook his head as if trying to shake away her suggestions.
"I know you don't want to believe it my love, but denying the truth won't make it go away." She put her hand gently on his arm.
He stood up suddenly. "I will interrogate him myself. If not for this distraction I would have already."
"Leave it for my father." She urged.
"No. If my sister is guilty I want to hear it myself."
He stormed out and went to the dungeon. He met Frank and the Omega on the stone steps leading to the dungeon.
"Alpha, I was just on my way to see you."
"Did he talk?"
"Yes. I have it all on a memory crystal."
"To hell with that! I want to hear this directly from him."
He walked to the dungeon they followed.
The assassin was sitting on the floor. He stood up quickly when they came in.
"Am I getting clemency?" He asked hopefully?
"Tell the Alpha everything you told us." Frank snapped.
The man sighed in annoyance. "The Gamma came to see me a week ago, on a sun moon day."
Jerry frowned. He remembered that day. Judy has said she wanted to go running and refused any guard to accompany her.
"She snuck in, gave me 50 gold pieces," the assassin continued, "and asked me to kill the prince. She promised me 100 more when done and gave me the broach to hold on to until I received it."
"Did she say why she wanted the prince dead?" Jerry asked.
"To rob you of an heir so if you died, she will be the ruler."
Jerry gree cold.
"The alpha isn't planning to die any time soon, unless she plans to make it happen." Frank said meaningfully.
Jerry was silent, then he stepped closer to the assassin.
"If you are lying, I will personally skin you alive!" He warned.
"I am not. You promised mercy in exchange for the truth, so I am telling the truth."
Jerry stormed out followed by Frank.
"This is a serious allegation Alpha, should we bring the Gamma in for questioning?" Frank asked following him into his study.
"No. I don't care what that rouge says. I don't believe him."
"Alpha, everything he is saying points to her guilt. Her disappearance on sun moon, the broach, and her motive. This rouge has information only Judy could know."
"I said I don't believe it!" Jerry snapped, "it is bad enough my wife betrayed me, now you want me to believe my sister is against me too? I won't!"
"Judy is against you?" A horrified Mona asked coming in.
"No. The assassin is lying!" Jerry insisted.
Her father quickly filled her in on what they had just learnt.
"Jerry is right father, Judy isn't Sharon. She would never hurt Jerry." Her father opened his mouth to argue but she interrupted him. "How about we ask Judy for her side of the story?"
The two men looked at her.
"We have heard the assassin's side, let's here her side, she is your sister after all. If she is innocent we can detect it."
"It sounds reasonable." Frank admitted.
"I agree." Jerry called a guard and asked him to bring Judy in. They waited in silence. Then the guard came running back.
"Alpha! The Luna has killed her guards and escaped!" He exclaimed.
All the jaws in the room dropped.
"Do you still think she is innocent?" Frank asked carefully. "Because this doesn't seem like the actions of an innocent person."
"Lock down the palace and find her. Triple the security to the prince's room." Jerry ordered.
"Yes Alpha." Frank said and walked out.
"I will talk to the assassin again." Jerry moved to the door but Mona held him back.
"My love. No. You have had enough trauma for one day. Talk to him later. You need to relax. Please."
He let her gently push him into a chair and massage him.
"I can't believe Judy could do this?"He moaned. "First my wife, now my own sister! I can't trust anyone."
"You can trust me, father, and your son, who now needs the protection of legitimacy more than ever." She hinted.
"You are right. The ceremony will go as planned."
Behind him, she smiled victoriously.
As Beta Frank entered the dungeon, the rouge jumped up scowling angrily.
"About time! I thought you were going to abandon me, which would have been a bad idea." He smirked.
"Lower your voice." Frame said sharply. "So far you have done well."
"I know. Now save the praise and get me out of here!"
"I will. But how do I guarantee your silence?"
"I won't talk okay? You paid me well. Once I am out of here you will never see me again."
Untill the money runs out. Frank thought. But he nodded and pulled out the key.
"Time to send you home." He told the rouge.
The rouges grin became fixed, then faded. He looked down at the huge dagger sticking from his chest.
"Nothing personal, just tying up lose ends." Frank muttered as the rouge collapsed to the floor.
Frank took out a handkerchief he'd stolen from Judy and rubbed it on the knife to leave her scent, then he turned and left the dungeon.