Chapter 233
DEREK
The city of Solmire was built from stone and steel, but the Alpha Council’s central compound stood like a fortress of polished ivory, untouched by age or nature. Every time I approached it, I felt that subtle twist in my gut–the reminder that no matter how high an Alpha rose, the Council always loomed higher.
I sat alone at a linen–draped table in the council district’s attached restaurant, ignoring the overpriced meal cooling in front of me. The room was full of quiet murmurs and flickering candlelight the low hum of political power disguising itself as civility.
A vibration against the table snapped my attention downward.
A message from Joe lit up my screen.
Council panel list just released. Sending now.
An attachment followed. I opened it.
The names were a blur at first–Alphas from distant regions, packs I barely interacted with. But one name snapped into clarity like a slap to the face:
Jacob Strormvale. Red Ridge.
Of course.
I leaned back in my chair, pushing my drink aside. Jacob. The thorn in my side since we were teenagers at the leadership academy.
The cocky, arrogant golden boy who’d always made sure to beat me at everything by an inch–just enough to flash that smug smile of his and remind me he could. Every class, every sparring match, every Council debate.
Always making sure he was one point ahead.
And now, he’d sit as a judge in Maggie’s trial.
Fantastic.
I rubbed a hand over my face.
To his credit, Jacob wasn’t corrupt. He liked the spotlight too much to compromise his integrity. He had a streak of ego a mile wide, but he also had a spine made of stone.
Still, the idea of him smirking from the high bench while I sat powerless in the gallery… I could already feel my jaw tightening. The next morning, the Council compound buzzed with anticipation. Guards in midnight–blue uniforms lined the entrance. Omega clerks rushed past, balancing tablets and scrolls, muttering last–minute procedural details under their breath.
I was shown to a seat near the front of the observer gallery. Elena wasn’t here yet. Part of me hoped she’d changed her mind about testifying,
But the other part–the part of me that trusted her more than anyone–knew better.
The sound of the council bell rang out, deep and final.
Five Alphas entered through the chamber’s rear doors and took their place behind the crescent–shaped bench. I recognized them all, but my eyes locked instantly on Jacob.,
He hadn’t aged a day, Still tall and annoyingly handsome, his blond–gold hair swept back like some storybook prince. He scanned the gallery as he sat, pausing when he saw me. His brow arched. A grin flickered.
Yep. There it was.
Chapter 233
+25 BONUS
The clerk stood.
“Today begins the trial of Maggie Thorn, accused of conspiracy, trespassing on sovereign pack land, and assault on Alpha–class wolves. The charges stem from her coordination in an attempted kidnapping of Elena Hart, and rogue–led attacks on alliance summits and territories over the last year.”
The charges rang through the chamber, each word cutting like a blade.
Maggie sat at the defense table, hands folded neatly. Her dark hair was pulled back. She looked… calmer than I expected. Resigned, almost. But not afraid.
Her attorney–a hotshot hired from the southern packs with a reputation for getting wolves out of impossible situations–rose when the clerk gestured.
She smoothed her charcoal suit with a slow, deliberate motion, casting a glance at the crowd assembled behind us. Her face was impassive, unreadable, the kind of stoicism that only came from years of walking wolves through blood–soaked trials and leaving with their necks intact.
“The defense pleads not guilty on all counts,” she said, voice crisp enough to slice through the heavy air.
Gasps rippled through the gallery like a living thing, a swell of disbelief and anger.
Chairs scraped against the stone floor. A few voices murmured–sharp, biting words I couldn’t catch. Someone even growled low in their throat before being silenced by a harsh glare from one of the guards stationed at the exits.
Chapter 234
+25 BONUS
Chapter 234
