The Rogues Who Went Rogue
Chapter 131

Toby visited Gerella twice a day, getting to know her and making sure that she had everything she needed to make the experience less tormenting. She constantly assured him that she was fine, and always looked forward to his visits.

He learned that her mother died giving birth to her, and her father subsequently passed on from the grief and heartbreak. He learned that she liked children and had a favorite - Isla. He also learned that she was fluent in proditor code. What was it used for? Help some of those who left the empire transmit messages to their families or close friends, if both sides were still on good terms even after the separation. The main translator was a proditor who stayed in the Forest of Oderem for a few years before sneaking back into the empire, living in one of the most remote parts under a new alias. His years as a proditor enabled him to read the code, and he made a good fortune out of the translating business when families and friends go to him to have the messages translated.

Evidently, not everyone entered the forest because they were trying to escape the authorities after committing a crime. Some entered as messengers, whose napes also bore the mark but the mark was only visible when they were in the forest. This convenience of communication was only available to vampires seeing that the forest was in their territory. No one thought to dig a tunnel leading to lycan or wolf territory solely for sending messages because until they started working with Klementine, the triplets and the others, no one knew where or how far to dig. Gerella explained that many of the empire's criminals didn't actually stay in the forest. If their napes weren't marked within six hours, they'd have to leave. If they didn't, the forest would either spray foul scents to make them leave, or curse them or their families. They exited from a different part of the forest from where they entered, and would just disappear.

As Toby's thumb stroked Gerella's hand that was on his lap, he asked, "What if the same crook entered?"

She shrugged. "So long as they don't stay the night, the forest wouldn't care if they were inside for a few hours."

"Huh. So it just hates law enforcement."

"It did. But you mentioned that that's not the case anymore, right?"

"Right." Toby murmured simply as he gazed into her blue eyes before her head leaned against his shoulder.

Their mate bond was repaired and strengthened with each visit, and the sparks coursing through their bodies intensified with every touch and interaction between them. Toby never truly understood how even the fiercest creatures would completely melt and crumble upon their mate's touch. But being with Gerella now, taking in her comforting scent, knowing that he was the only one who had the privilege of holding, smelling and touching her so intimately, he understood completely.

He pecked a light kiss on her hair before saying, "Thank you for what you did, Ella, for standing on our side."

Her thumb traced his eyebrows when she said, "You don't have to thank me. I shouldn't have agreed with the plan from the very start." After a moment, she continued, "I'm glad I met you halfway through. I needed to know the other side of the story. Everything became easier to see after that."

He held her closer. "I'm glad I met you at that time too. Things would have been much more complicated if we ended up meeting in Bordure first."

Gerella chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't have killed you."

"I wouldn't have killed you either, Ella. But come on. That may have been the worst setting to find out that we're mates. We deserve something peaceful."

"Good thing we met at the beach then. Peaceful. Private. Romantic. Why were you there alone, if I may ask?"

A gentle wave of melancholy washed over Toby, and he began sharing about his younger days and the friends he had and lost. Gerella then understood why he was so protective of his existing friends. He had already lost so many that her heart ached for him.

She wrapped her arms around his chest and the heaviness in his chest miraculously lightened. He gave into his urge to hold her tightly in return, and when she pecked a kiss on his jawline, he felt like he owned the world.

When it was time for Toby to leave, he pecked the usual kiss on Gerella's lips before leaving the apartment. On his jet, he always replayed his time with Gerella and smiled to himself like an idiot. When it came to the topic of proditor code, his thoughts went to one creature he knew would be interested in the subject.

Toby spoke to Greg about it, and the duke expressed his interest in learning more about the code. He told the minister that he might just reach out to Gerella to get the details of this secret language after the vampire's legal system was done with her and when the rogue world in lycan and wolf territories had been 'properly cleansed.

Greg's followers hunted down and caught Neptune, Klementine and Feva. Elvis and Sivle were just Klementine's less-known helpers, so finding them wasn't as difficult as the top four thought. These traitors didn't suffer from the same fate as the triplets, but the punishment that they were subjected to was an eternity in solitary confinement...after being tortured by Greg Claw first, of course.

Chief Dalloway even asked Greg if the black eyes, limping and deep wounds were already on his victims when he found them, to which the duke replied with a flat 'no' without offering any further explanation. Dalloway nodded in understanding, thanked him and got his people to run the rogues through the usual procedure.

Law enforcement on the vampires' side was busy running through their own procedures as well. After several weeks, a hearing was scheduled. There wasn't much of a fuss since all the administrative hybrids pleaded guilty.

The lightest sentencing was Gerella's, who was to be imprisoned for a mere twelve months, with the guarantee of early release for good behavior. Toby's wolf growled in protest but his human knew that was most likely the lowest sentencing that the judge could give. She wasn't just an accomplice for the most part of the plan. Gerella was one of those who approved suggestions and made decisions, so she was on equal standing as any other administrator.

The second lightest sentencing went to Regina, who was asked to pay a hefty fine of 200,000 monetæ (vampire currency) over the course of fifty years, along with serving 1,000 hours of community service. Regina didn't have any money yet, but once she was mentally and emotionally stable enough to work, the monthly deductions would be made from her salary. Should she default, Michael would be taken by the adoption services in the name of providing the best form of care that a child is entitled to receive. This sounded like a threat to some, but it was merely a precaution to others.

Rudolpho, Zepine and any other creature at Bordure who didn't back down from the plan down to the final battle, were sentenced to 300 years behind bars. Visitations would only be allowed after the one-century mark, provided that they had been on good behavior for those 100 years.

Saxum's sentencing was ten whips a day for eighteen months before he would be terminated by slow decapitation. He was also not granted visitation rights, so even Maddock wouldn't be allowed to see him anymore.

As for the lycans and werewolves who lived in the Forest of Oderem without the empire's approval, they were fined 5,000 monetæ each, to be paid over the course of five years. Although deportation would normally follow, the court decided against it seeing that there were many children to single lycan or werewolf parents. Deporting their parents would cause the children further distress on top of the deaths at Bordure. The court offered the parents a three-month grace period, and in these three months, the families must decide whether to register as a citizen of the empire, or renew their registrations in the kingdom and registering their children there as well. If they failed to comply, separation and deportation would follow.

Most chose to stay in the empire while a handful chose to leave. Hale, as the Minister of Welfare, got an accommodation in the kingdom ready to house these newcomers on a temporary basis. They were informed that they were expected to find a job and learn to sustain themselves and their children after a month of grieving, otherwise, like Regina, their children would be taken by the authorities to provide better care than the one a parent could offer.