Chapter 7: The Rite of Judgment

Distraction was my only weapon now.

The eldest elder, a woman with golden hair and eyes like winter ice, spoke first, her voice slicing through the silence. “You stand accused of attacking an alpha heir and causing a fire endangering the Crescent pack and as custom demands, the Rite of Judgment has been called. State your defense.”

I leaned back, my lips curling into a smirk. “Your alpha heir had too many drinks that night and perhaps passed out as a result. There was no attack, just a big misunderstanding.”

Sienna stepped forward, her sneer was enough to draw blood. “A misunderstanding?” she hissed. “Rowan was found unconscious in a storage room with you. And then a fire breaks out the next day after you’re locked up? You’re not innocent. You’re a rogue, sent to bring this pack down.”

The pack members murmured, their hostility wrapping around me like chains.

My wolf growled, but I kept my cool, tilting my head. “That’s quite a story, Sienna. Do you have any proof, or are you just mad I got closer to your ex than you ever could?”

Her face flushed, and she lunged, but Kael’s growl stopped her dead. “Stand down, Sienna,” he snapped, his aura flaring, a storm of alpha power that made my wolf whimper. “Present your evidence or stand down.”

She shot him a look that could melt steel but gestured to a wiry man with a scar across his cheek, the bartender from the Rusty Claw. “This witness saw her with Rowan,” she said. “Tell them.”

The bartender shuffled forward, his eyes darting. “I saw her came in, ordered for a drink and next thing, she was with Rowan, and they left together through the back door.”

I rolled my eyes, leaning forward. “He wanted to have a good time with me. Not exactly a conspiracy. As for him passing out, maybe he should lay off the booze.”

The elders exchanged glances. Sienna’s lips twitched, like she was holding an ace. “Rowan,” she said, turning to him. “Tell them what you remember.”

My stomach knotted as Rowan stood, his golden eyes meeting mine. He looked stronger than he had in the hospital despite the haze in his gaze. The spark between us flickered, not the mate bond I felt with Kael but something else, something dangerous. My wolf perked up, and I cursed her silently. Focus, Nyx.

He cleared his throat and said. “Before I speak, I request a moment with her. Alone.”

The room exploded in protests, Sienna’s voice cutting through. “That’s unacceptable! She’s a threat!”

The golden-haired elder raised a hand, silencing the noise. “The Rite permits such requests, if the accused consents.”

I held Rowan’s gaze, searching for his play. Was he baiting me, or was there a chance to turn this? Refusing would make me look guilty, so I shrugged, tossing my hair. “Sure. Let’s have a little heart-to-heart.”

Kael’s jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with jealousy or disapproval. The elders nodded, and Jace led us to a small antechamber, the door closing with a heavy thud. The room was dim, lit by a single torch, and the air smelled like old wood.

Rowan didn’t hesitate, stepping close, his eyes boring into mine. “I know you did something to me that night,” he said roughly. “I don’t remember it all, but it wasn’t just the liquor. Tell me the truth, Gwen. What are you hiding?”

My pulse raced, my wolf clawing at my insides, urging me to run. But I was cornered, and only the truth—part of it, at least—was my only way out.