8 An Opportunity for Help

POV: DESTINY

I looked toward the judge, and took a brief look of all of my mates. Zoan held my hand strongly. We were in such trouble.

Devin Oliver Olivacea didn't exist anywhere in the system. We didn't even share that he was a real shape shifter, we didn't want anyone saying that we were lying. Yet, in the end, it didn't matter. I had been willed to someone that, on the Wolf Islands, didn't exist.

I held Zoan's hand even tighter. "Please, I beg mercy." I had already asked more than once for Zoan to be spared, but I would keep asking. "I was the one who said to will me off, it was not his fault, it was mine. Someone gave me a false name, and that isn't his fault."

The judge was just writing on a paper, not even listening to me. Why would he? He already casted sentence. I was to be put into a sharing den, and my brother was supposed to be incarcerated. The time alotted for that, was the last of what I could help him with. I had no say anywhere else.

"Destiny, it's okay," he whispered to me. "Incarceration is the easy part. I have the easy part, don't worry about me. Get close to the strongest one you like the most, choose him, and get out as fast as you can."

I understood his worry, a shared den was no way to live. He wanted me coupled and quickly. Safely. Just because ladies were rare, it didn't mean we would be treasured like living beings if something messed up. Instead, when a woman went against the rules, like creating a mate that didn't exist. Then they would be given mates. Several mates.

They would live in the same home, with all those several mates. While the choice on who to choose was up to her, there was nothing protecting her. No cameras. Assassinations had happened before, claims of murder against chosen rumors, it was a disaster!

It wasn't received well, but neither was lying. This was the Wolf Island's version of punishment, while still making sure the females continued on. Often times, good residents of the island, those that would make the best mates, didn't want to follow through. Who wanted to live in a den with a ton of other men on the chance of winning a woman's affection?

My top choices were already bowing out quickly. Anyone rich had signed a contract not to join and not pursue me for marriage anymore. All of my famous dates were long gone. Only the challengers and a couple of the top contenders my family had picked had chosen to stay.

"None of them staying are family men." Zoan was much more worried about me than his own incarceration. "I've killed your future, Destiny, I'm sorry." He held his hand in mine, but wiped his eyes with it as well. "Anyone with the best reputation and fighting skill, go for them. Please. It'll help your chances so much."

Of what? "None are family men." As long as no one agreed to a coupling, I was open. Yes, if I were lucky, maybe one of them would watch me in exchange for love. Maybe they would also get killed. Maybe they would decide once I had their child, that they didn't want me, and I would be sent up again to be coupled again.

Women in shared dens. It wasn't rare to see their children fathered by different fathers.

"Find one. Find a good one," he insisted. "Find one, and be out in nine months. Put it all behind you."

"Decent men don't join these things," I harshly whispered to him.

"That's not true, okay? Not everyone who wants a wife and family can afford to have them. Those men could also be in there. You could find a good one," Zoan insisted. "Just, look, and don't give up."

"My future is sealed, I just want to help you as much as possible," I insisted to him. "Tell the judge all the good you did. Speak up, say something." It's like he blamed it all on himself. Like he wanted the maximum punishment.

I watched as a decent-looking challenger I had never met, went over and signed papers to leave as well. One more chance of coming out well went down. I just didn't know who would possibly-

"That's him, that's the guy!" Zoan pointed straight at Devin.

I pointed at him too, hoping the judge would change something now.

Devin came up with several other people. He looked out of breath, like he had been trying to make it there. "I am so sorry for being late. I had no idea this was happening," he answered to her. "What do I need to do?"

"That's him," Zoan said toward the judge again.

The judge looked toward Devin. "You lied about your official identity and have been responsible for some consequences."

Devin didn't answer. "I'm from the Wolf Islands, I am just from a different sector." He walked toward the judge and gave him some kind of envelope. "Please reverse whatever decisions have been made against them."

I watched the judge's expression. He kept staring at the information Devin gave to him, but he wasn't responding. "There's no way to go back with what has been set forth in motion." He sat the papers down. "This could have dismissed the case, but we now have contracts, permissions, land, and investment in this. I can't just dismiss it anymore. The only thing I have flexibility for is the incarceration time of Zoan."

Nothing changed. The mysterious wolf man who left and came back, couldn't change anything. I knew it, but I didn't want to believe that when I saw Devin again. I wanted to believe that wasn't it. At least Zoan's incarceration would be the lowest they could give.

"You can't do this," Devin protested. "Look, it's my fault this happened. You can see what I gave you. There was no fault on anyone, this needs dismissed."

"This isn't just punishment," the judge told Devin. "Others have outright invested time and money into this. I can't reverse it without some kind of equality to it all."

"Money?" Devin came up closer to the judge. "You do not want to tackle this case because of a money issue? You don't understand who you are dealing with!"

"Devin," one of the men next to him said. "Anything else is too confidential and risky."

"Confidential and risky my butt," oddly an actual woman said, just from right beside them? Maybe Devin was telling the truth when he said he had a sister. "Rules change when others get involved. I want to get involved."

She wanted to get involved? Was she out of her mind?