The elder stared for a moment before glancing down at his tablet again. "My understanding was that until quite recently, Joseph had been living in the skulk of his late wife, the mother of the child in question."
"Yes, that is true. Joseph and Thomas came home to live in our skulk a couple of months ago."
I seriously doubted Joseph had come home willingly. From everything he'd told me, he wanted to avoid his father as much as possible.
"Is that everything, Alpha Langston?"
"Is it not enough?" the alpha replied. "My son has disrespected me and our skulk. He has disobeyed me and spit on everything our skulk stands for. He chooses to poison my grandson's mind against me rather than allow him to be trained to take his rightful place as my heir."
I locked my legs in place to keep from jumping up and racing across the room to strangle Jojo's father. The rage running through my body was threatening to swamp my control and rip it away.
"We have heard from Alpha Langston," Elder McKay said. "Now it is time to hear from Joseph Langston. Can you explain your actions?"
"I can, your honor," Jojo said as he stood. "A few years ago, my father agreed to a covenant to mate me to my late wife, Myra. I did not agree to it nor did she. We were forced into the marriage by our fathers, but we made the best of it. After my son was born, and Myra died, I continued to live in her skulk. From the day I got married until my father came for me a few weeks ago, I hadn't heard from my father."
"Not even when your son was born?" one of the elders asked.
Jojo shook his head. "No, sir. Not even then."
"Please continue."
"Once back in my father's household, a nanny was hired to care for my son, taking that responsibility from me. I was allowed only limited contact with Thomas. If I argued, I was taken to the basement and beaten by his second in command, but at my father's order."
"You were beaten?"
All eyes in the room went to Alpha Langston when the man jumped to his feet.
"That is preposterous!" he shouted. "I have never laid a hand on you."
I had no idea why Jojo ignored the man's outburst. I would have been all over it. There had been several witnesses to Alpha Langston smacking Jojo, including me.
"One evening, my father called me into his office to inform me that he had agreed to another covenant for me. I refused. Once was enough. After my refusal, my father once again had me taken to the basement and beaten. At some point, I was taken back upstairs to be cleaned up because my betrothed was coming for a visit, a woman I'd never met. I didn't even know her name at the time."
Jojo glanced at one of the elders, a man who'd remained quiet throughout the entire proceedings. "She's your daughter, I believe, Elder Clarence."
"Yes, that is true, but—"
"Under normal circumstances, I would think that was a good enough reason for you to recluse yourself from these proceedings as Elder Sinclair has done, but I do not believe you are a party to my father's shenanigans."
"I am not sure I understand," Elder Clarence said.
"I assume you entered into the covenant believing I was in support of the agreement?"
"Yes, I was."
Jojo gave a small nod. "Is your daughter in support of it?"
"She is."
"Then you have my sympathies because I cannot fulfill the covenant agreement now or in the future."
"May I ask why not?" Elder McKay asked.
"While Myra was pregnant with my son, I met my mate. At the time, he understood that I could not leave my child, and he gave me up. Neither of us had any idea that Myra would die when Tommy was born."
"You've met your mate?" Elder Clarence asked.
"I have."
