As soon as they touch down, Jeanne is waiting for them.

She had decided to surprise Conrad with a collection car, because she thought it might make it easier for her to sort out her thoughts.

They arrived a little early, and Jeanne was secretly relieved about it.

She had heard some whispers about Atlas and his little creature, and she wanted to inform Conrad about them before she walked anywhere near the trial.

"Hey Con," Jeanne calls, waiting for Conrad to emerge fully from the open door.

Charlotte drops down first, neither of them waiting for steps to be wheeled over to the aeroplane doorway.

"Hey, Jeanne. This is Charlotte," Conrad calls back as they get closer.

Charlotte gives Jeanne a wave, having heard a lot about her during their separate summer internships.

Jeanne knew plenty about Charlotte too, and they briefly hug.

"I thought we were meeting you at the headquarters," Charlotte says warily, adjusting the backpack on her shoulder as she steps back a little from Jeanne.

"Yeah, I decided to come and get you. I didn't want anyone hearing anything I have to say," Jeanne warns them, nibbling her lip as she glances over her shoulder.

Conrad and Charlotte exchange a frown, Conrad letting her hair out of her ponytail.

Do you think there's something weird going on?, Charlotte asks through the mindlink.

I don't know. It seems a little strange, but Jeanne hears everything. It was the same when we both worked here, she somehow knew everyone's business, and she was always paranoid someone would hear her, Conrad frowns.

"He's not only bringing Meg. Most of his pack is coming," Jeanne breathes, and Conrad furrows her brows in confusion.

"How is that allowed? The courtrooms aren't that big," Charlotte points out, raising a brow as they all walk towards the car, a guard following a few meters behind.

"They're probably going to stand outside in an attempt to intimidate Conrad," Jeanne warns Charlotte, and Conrad is completely lost now.

"Intimidate me into doing what? I don't give a shit about him or his pack. I don't want to be his mate anymore," Conrad despairs, climbing into the car as she spirals.

"He's probably just trying to show what a big strong Alpha he is," Charlotte reassures Conrad, unable to stop the scorn that leaks into her voice, sitting beside Conrad.

Jeanne sits facing them, clasping her hands hesitantly as she straightens up, a strand of hair falling out of her perfectly coiffed hair.

"Megan is coming with him," Jeanne says slowly, and Charlotte raises a brow, "We know about her, is there something else?"

Jeanne hesitates, looking over her shoulder at the driver, who has soundproof earphones on, as well as mufflers - provided by her, of course.

"Apparently, she's pregnant with twins. And apparently, it's obvious," she nervously warns them, and Charlotte swears quietly.

"Okay. Again, I really don't care," Conrad drawls.

Jane being numbed means she has no reservations or concerns about seeing Atlas.

The mate bond is largely connected to one's wolf, and if Conrad can't feel hers, Atlas can't scare her in any sort of way.

"Okay. He's your mate, that's all I was worried about," Jeanne murmurs softly, leaning over and patting Conrad's hand.

Charlotte's eyes follow Jeanne's every move, not leaving her any room to strike.

She's slightly concerned about Conrad, and she enlists Harriet to nudge Jane and see how she's feeling.

Harriet doesn't feel Jane at all, and Charlotte sits upright, her eyes widening in horror as she looks at her friend.

"What did you do?" Charlotte blurts out, and Jeanne sits forward in concern.

"I numbed Jane. She's fine. I didn't want her getting in the way," Conrad sighs, and Charlotte covers her mouth with her hand.

Jane had been numbed repeatedly in the last few weeks, and everyone knew that frequent numbing wasn't a good ideal; wolves could lash out and hurt not only others, but themselves, as well.

"Is that a good idea?" Jeanne asks calmly, clasping her hands in her lap.

"It's a better idea than letting Jane into that courtroom. She'll lash out at Meg, and she won't stop until she was dead," Conrad responds, and Charlotte shakes her head.

"What if she wakes up during the trial, Con? She'll be pissed at you then, never mind Meg or Atlas," Charlotte whispers, sucking on her cheeks.

"She won't. I trust the healer; I should have nine more hours of her being knocked out," Conrad shrugs.

"These things can go on for at least ten; you know that," Jeanne points out, and Conrad rolls her eyes.

"It won't. We're breaking the bond, not attending a criminal trial," she reasons, and Jeanne and Conrad share a look, sitting back in their seats.

The car remains silent as it pulls up in front of the headquarters, and Jeanne gets out first.

The headquarters are heavily guarded, and as soon as Conrad steps out of the car, a guard escorting her in.

The same happens with Charlotte, a guard walking beside her.

Conrad reaches her hand out, and Charlotte takes it, squeezing her gently.

"Are you ready?" Charlotte asks, and Conrad nods with a reassuring smile.

Jeanne stops in front of them, looking around the lobby.

"You're on the second floor in the basement. I can't go down there, but I'll meet you if there's a break in the proceedings," Jeanne promises, pulling Conrad into a quick hug.

Before Conrad can say anything, Jeanne swears softly.

"I was right. His pack are lining the halls. I'm going to send more guards down with you," Jeanne informs them, and nods to some guards, who approach the girls silently.

"They won't hurt me, I know they won't," Conrad shrugs, and Jeanne raises a brow.

"You don't know that. You're probably right, though, I doubt they'll even try to touch you. The penalties wouldn't be worth it," Jeanne sighs, nodding to Charlotte before vanishing.

"Goddess, and I thought my breakup with Xavier was dramatic," Charlotte laughs uneasily.

"I thought this would just be a simple tick the box exercise. I didn't realise you actually have to testify," Charlotte adds as they're herded into an elevator.

One of the guards presses a button, and Conrad shifts to the mindlink.

It never is simple. Even if it's ending a mating, they always drag it out to make sure they're unimpeachable if anything happens as a result of their verdict, Conrad informs her, and Charlotte grimaces.

As the elevator descends, the air gets colder, and Conrad and Charlotte stand closer together.

Conrad is in a navy pantsuit, with a white sleeveless blouse underneath it.

Charlotte is in a pale floral dress that reaches halfway down her calves, a cropped leather jacket on her top half.

Neither of them are particularly ready for the cold.

The guards lead them out.

As soon as they step out, the bustling, noisy hallway goes completely silent, and she can feel eyes following her as soon as she takes a step.

There's a thin walkway between the people lining the hall, and Charlotte determinedly takes the lead, retaking Conrad's hand.

Conrad can't stop the amused smile crawling onto her face, and Charlotte sticks her chin out, marching down the hallway.

Conrad's heels are the only noise in the corridor.

"Adamo and Rosser," a man yells, and Conrad's eyes scan the crowd, finally landing on the man with a schedule in his hand.

Charlotte allows Conrad to move in front of her, the two of them never releasing hands as they stand in front of the man.

She can hear Atlas walking towards them; his footsteps are heavy.

"Rosser," Conrad states calmly, and the man nods, raising an eyebrow at Charlotte.

"Davies. Escorting," Charlotte smiles, letting Conrad lead her inside.

The courtrooms aren't too big.

They're made of a lot of wood and stone, and they're somehow even colder than the hallway, and as they walk towards their box, they can hear people complaining about the chill.

"They don't look half scary," Charlotte mumbles weakly, her eyes widening as they stare at the rows of judges.

"It'll be fine, we're not here for a criminal case," Conrad reassures her friend.

She's more worried about her friend than she is about herself.

Charlotte nods nervously, tapping her thigh as they take their seats, finally releasing each other's hands.

"Oh fuck," Charlotte mutters, and Conrad follows her friend's line of vision.

Her eyes land on Atlas, who's walking a few feet ahead of Meg, who looks a little grey.

Conrad calmly looks away, looking back at the judges.

"Don't look at them," Conrad softly orders, and Charlotte copies her friend, looking back at the judges.

"Are those people part of The Society?" Charlotte asks curiously, and Conrad shakes her head, her eyes roving over the rows of people.

"No. They're judges, in criminal cases their opinions matter, but they're just here for regulation," Conrad informs her, and Charlotte furrows her brows.

She can hear Atlas sitting down and hissing something at Meg, even from where they sit across the courtroom.

"Then where are The Society?" Charlotte questions in confusion.

"They'll be in any second," Conrad smiles, and as soon as it leaves her mouth, the doors at the top of the room open.

"The members of The Society have arrived," a man announces.

"Laurie Hutch," he booms, and a red-headed woman sweeps in, her face stony as she takes her seat.

"Caleb Martinique," he calls, a dark-eyed man gliding in.

"Eliza Martinique," he shouts, and a woman who looks exactly like the first man strolls in, her silk robes sweeping along the stone floor.

"Oh, they're twins," Charlotte hisses in realisation.

People turn to stare at her, and Charlotte's cheeks turn red with embarrassment.

"Sophia Ryan," the man declares, and a tall woman with braids down to her hips appears.

"Alexander Lyons," brings forth a grey-haired man in a tweed suit.

"Carlos Amaretti," draws out a tan man with curly hair to his shoulders, a smirk on his face.

Conrad knows that man well. She briefly dated him, and that smirk rarely leaves his lips, the haughty look falling into a deep frown when he lays eyes on Conrad, who mimics his smirk.

"Jessa Andrews," is announced, and a blonde woman who looks bored walks in, her bright red eyes darting around the room.

"Treasure Adams," and a tall man stomps in, his combat boots looking similar to a pair Charlotte owns, something she mindlinks Conrad about excitedly.

"Nicola McCann," causes a shorter woman to appear, dressed in a tan jumpsuit with thick glasses on her face.

"Charles and Kathleen Collins," is called as a couple walk out, their arms linked.

Conrad is bored now, and when some of the members have sat down so far and laid eyes on her, confused or annoyed expressions landed on their face.

"Martin McMatthews," a man in red appears.

"Sheila Germaine," a lady in deep purple drapes makes her entrance.

"Alfred Jones," the man shouts, sweat breaking out on his brow as all of his efforts are forced into projecting his voice.

An older man walks out with the aid of a walking stick, and Kathleen raises an eyebrow.

How is he still on the board? He's ancient; I could even beat him, Charlotte complains.

"Maria Constantine," the man finishes, and a woman with a dark buzzcut struts into the room, taking her seat.

"We're here today to discuss the mating of Alpha Atlas Adamo and Beta Conrad Rosser," the man explains to the board before he vanishes into the back room.

"How do you plead?" One of the women asks, and Conrad rises.

"For a bond breaking," she announces, and some mutters spread across the room in confusion and surprise.

Atlas stays silent, and Conrad scowls at this.

"Anything to disclose?" The woman sighs, and Conrad again rises.

"I know more than half of this panel. I have worked for The Society before," she shortly states, sitting back down.

Charlotte takes her hand nervously, shaking with anxiety.

Conrad glances over at her friend with concern.

"My chosen mate is currently pregnant with twins," Atlas finally speaks up after a nudge from Meg.

"And how far along is she? In exact measurements," one of the men asks, leaning forward.

The judges seem uneasy, but the members of the Society are all calm.

"Two months and three days," Atlas declares, and Conrad swallows, squeezing Charlotte's hand.

"So her pregnancy eclipsed your mating entirely?" Carlos asks frostily, his eyes boring into Atlas.

I knew he never got over you, Charlotte snorts.

It's been three years; I can guarantee you that he's shagged circles around himself, Conrad laughs.

Why does he look like he wants to literally eat Atlas then? Answer me that, Charlotte points out with a grin.

Conrad doesn't respond, deciding to focus on the questions and responses.

"Yes. She was just around over a month pregnant when myself and Beta Rosser met," Atlas responds.

"And how did you two meet? I direct this question to the Beta," the oldest man asks, and Conrad bites her lip, rising from her seat again.

Her legs are getting sore from the amount she's standing up and down.

"We met when he came to my pack for a meeting," Conrad states, and the man raises an eyebrow, "And?"

"And I agreed to go to his pack under the condition that he would not attack my pack," Conrad reluctantly adds.

Some eyebrows get raised by judges, but nobody on the board seems surprised.

Atlas was known to be aggressive and something of a warlord, especially to them. He had been accused of some minor war crimes and of breaking sworn treaties a couple of times, causing him to be fined at multiple intervals.

The last year or two, he had kept a lower profile, staying out of the way.

"Do you both consent to the dissolution of this mating, swearing it was a mistake on the Goddesses part as well as your own?" One of the women asks, and both Conrad and Atlas rise slowly.

"Yes," Conrad declares firmly, Charlotte squeezing her hand tightly.

"No," Atlas booms.

Over 4000 words today!

Some family and university issues caused some complications with my writing schedule, but hopefully two updates in one day make up for it!

Hope you're all doing well xx

- Aoife :) xx