Chapter 208 - Testimony of devastation *HARSH CONTENT* (1/2)
”Joslyn Decker, as the Kraken and also raised by sirens, what powers do you possess? What are the signs someone is in fact under the control of the curse?” Marcus asked a devious smile curving his lips.
Jos let out a heavy sigh. ”I'm not sure what the full extent of my powers are, as I'm not usually cognitively present when in that form. As for the curse and sirens, I was taught to use the pull of the curse alongside the sirens' song to lure men in hundreds of years ago.”
”And the signs of the curse, if you will?” Marcus asked.
She frowned moving her attention to Russ on the large screen. ”I've never really experienced its long-term effects, but it is suspected that it would be similar to that of the siren's song.”
”Please elaborate, Ms. Decker.” Marcus coaxed. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click for visiting.
Jos held Russ's gaze through the screen. ”They would be drawn to an individual without reason and crave that person with an increased need until finally driven mad by need.”
”And tell us, isn't jealous fits of rage common along with an uncontrollable s.e.x.u.a.l need?” He shrugged. ”It seems not only has this affected the wolf prince, who isn't even allowed in the same room as you.” He indicated the screen. ”But also Mr. DeMarco and likely his brother as well.” His gaze moved around the courtroom. ”With that being said, and judging by your expression, you suspected as much yourself... wouldn't it be more likely you were responsible for Dante DeMarco's treatment of Rachelle Boosilis and for her continued captivity?” Jos couldn't answer around the suffocating feeling of drowning as she tried to fight back the tears that were silently trailing down her cheeks. Her bottom lip quivered as her gaze moved to Shelly. There was no denying it, everything that had happened to Shelly was her fault one way or the other. With a pleased smile, Marcus turned toward Themis. ”No further questions.”
Just as Prometheus began to stand Shelly shot up from her chair and walked toward the stand. Jos dropped to the ground in front of Shelly, wrapping her arms tightly around the wolf as tears began to flow more freely from her eyes. She stayed like that until large, strong hands pulled her up and away from the wolf. ”Come on, before you get put in contempt of court. We'll ask for a recess or something.” Arei whispered down the both of them. He led Jos back toward the defendant's box but frowned when he realized Shelly hadn't followed. He turned back to the stand as a lovely blonde girl straightened to a standing position, carefully positioning her hair to hide her bare b.r.e.a.s.ts. His mouth dropped open when his eyes landed on the curve of a pregnant belly. ”SHELLY?!” He sent Jos a quick glance, seeing all the confirmation he needed right there in her horrified eyes. ”Shit...” He huffed out under his breath. ”Stay here with Prometheus.” He whispered as he released his hold on her and began unfastening his suit jacket. He walked to the stand and handed it over to Shelly as he averted his gaze.
”Thank you, Arei.” Shelly said as she buttoned the oversized jacket. She sent him a smile with as much confidence as she could muster, amused to see his still stunned expression. ”It's alright, I know what I'm doing.” She whispered as she nodded toward Jos. She turned her attention to Themis. ”I would like to clarify my involvement and treatment by the DeMarcos.” She carefully sat down, nervously running her hand over her protruding belly for the first time. Her eyes scanned the courtroom as she waited for the many murmurs to die down. She watched as Marcus, Lamia, and Prometheus whispered with Themis around the council box.
Themis finally turned toward Shelly as everyone else returned to their seats. ”You may begin, dear.”
Shelly nodded nervously as she held her belly protectively, human emotions flooding her. ”My name is Rachelle Boosilis, daughter of Camila and Alessandro Boosilis; and Dante DeMarco knew that from the second time we met. He admitted that his initial attraction to me was a way to seek revenge on Joslyn for embarrassing him, but that he also sought to finish what his father had started by killing off the last of the Boosilis bloodline... starting with me. He used vampire mind tricks to force me to do things and to stay with him at first. He would not only deprive me of food, water, and sleep to keep me weak and unable to fight against him or his mind tricks; but he would also feed from me multiple times a day referring to my 'v.i.r.g.i.n blood' as a kind of drug.” Her eyes glazed over as she focused her unseeing gaze on a single spot on the wall of the opposite end of the courtroom. ”When I had a long enough lucid moment to try and escape, he began locking me in a metal dog crate and leaving me there for hours without water or any way to go to the bathroom. He quickly became bore of feeding from me while I was under mind control, so he would release me from it and turned it into a sick game of me trying to fight against him as he fed... or he would tie me up and get off on my pleas and cries of pain while he fed.” She swallowed past the building lump in her throat. ”Xavier DeMarco tried to convince him to release me at first, but eventually decided it wouldn't be in their best interest to do so...” She could feel tears begin to build in her eyes. ”I escaped him with the help of my at the time friend... my now husband...” A sob cut off her words. She took a few minutes to gather herself before she continued. ”Dante DeMarco tracked me to where we were staying, invaded my husband's parent's home, and left my husband to die...” She fought back the nausea rising in her throat. ”Left him to watch... as he died, pinned to the bed Dante DeMarco r.a.p.ed me in...” Her tear-filled eyes moved to Jos holding her best friends worried, watery gaze. ”You may think being r.a.p.ed while the love of your life watched, choking slowly on his own blood... that things couldn't get worse... I thought that myself... but it did... so much worse.” Her words came out as broken sentences through the sobs that rumbled through her body. ”The two weeks that followed were the worst of my life. Not only did he continue to **** and feed off me once we were back in the U.S and lock me in that god-forsaken cage, but he would invite other vampires over to feed from me and do as they pleased as well. They would mutilate my body, force large... often sharp objects into my... my v.a.g.i.n.a, and once I passed out from trauma or blood loss, they would give me enough of their blood to heal me enough to wake me up and allow them to continue. To add to the torment of being left in the cage for hours on end, Dante would play the video of the night he'd killed my husband on repeat on the television.” She could barely see Jos through the tears now filling her eyes. ”The day Jos saved me; they had passed me around on a dog leash forcing me to perform s.e.x.u.a.l acts as they fed from me.” Her own words became choked off in her throat as she clutched a trembling hand to her protruding belly. ”I've been r.a.p.ed so many times by so many different people...” Her voice grew louder and shriller with each word. Her lips trembled uncontrollably as she forced herself to continue. ”I can't even be sure who the father of my child is...” Her breaths came out as raspy huffs as hysteria took over and the room around her went dark. She could no longer hear the hushed whispers around her as the now loud ringing in her ears drowned them out. As a last thought before her body went limp from the overwhelming truth of her last words, she tried to contort her body to protect her baby as she fell to the ground.
Jos and Arei both shot up and ran toward the stand, but the loud bang of the gavel stopped them in their tracks. ”Be seated!” She called out. She motioned toward a medic standing at the back of the room. ”Take her to the emergency wing. Have an amniocentesis ran on the girl. If the baby is in fact vampire, expect to move forward with yet another case to add to the complicated mess we already have. The courts are dismissed until the labs can be processed. We will reconvene in the morning to give a ruling involving the Joslyn Decker versus Clan DeMarco.” She hit the gavel on the counter once again to signal the end.
Jos's tear-filled, worried eyes met Arei's, but she couldn't force out words. Arei tried to force a smile or offer some comforting words but couldn't find the will, instead, he pulled her into a tight hug. When the action only made Jos's sobs come out louder, he whispered. ”Sh... We'll stay here in our room until she is released, alright.” He stroked her back as his eyes searched the room. Peg and Andy stepped out from the seating area behind them and approached slowly with their head hung down in grief.
”If you guys want, we can wait there with you.” Peg offered as he clamped a hand over Arei's shoulder and patted Jos's arm.