INICIAR SESIÓNAvaline“Quiet!” Chief Elder Adkins yelled.The guards held Jaxon down on his knees while the judges spoke quietly for a few minutes. The proof was too clear for all to see.Chief Elder Adkins stood tall and raised his hand.“Jaxon Whitfield,” the Chief Elder declared, his voice ringing through the room. “For treason, planning attacks, destroying personal property, using poison, abusing Avaline and trying to kill Valerie, this Council finds you guilty on all counts. From this day onwards, you’re banished from the Ozark Mountain Pack. You lose all your titles and rights for life. The Council hereby sentences you to eight years of rigorous imprisonment in the Council dungeons.”A huge wave of relief washed through the room. Jaxon stared at the floor, his body going limp as the guards locked heavy chains around his wrists and dragged him away through the side doors.Before the enforcers could drag Jaxon completely out of the courtroom, I raised my hand and looked up at the high bench.“
AvalineFive days passed by in the blink of an eye. Lucienne, Maximus and the rest of the group tried reaching out to me. But I had so much pending work to take care of that I had no time to connect with them. What was the use now? They weren’t there when I had needed them the most.Rocco kept me updated on the latest developments in Jaxon’s case.As the day of the trial approached, a quiet storm brewed inside my chest. I spent the days gathering my strength, refusing to let fear dictate a single heartbeat. When the morning of the trial arrived, the autumn air was crisp and biting, carrying the sharp scent of pine and distant mountain snow.I accompanied Rocco to the Shifter Council Tribunal at their headquarters in Arkansas, where the trial would start in two hours. The Shifter Council tribunal hall was a cavernous, imposing structure built from dark stone and heavy timber deep within the neutral territory of the high range. Its high-arched ceilings echoed with the footsteps of elder
I had to tell him about Jaxon’s hand in the rogue attack. He had the right to know how Jaxon had tried to frame him. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that attack. I overheard Jaxon and his friends discussing it the night of the Luna Ceremony.”Rocco nodded and frowned. “What did you overhear? We tried to investigate the rogue attack while I was recovering, but the trail went completely cold. The rogue leader, Lupin from the Chugach Mountain Pack in Alaska, died mysteriously in police custody before we could interrogate him. All the evidence died with him."A sudden, sharp memory flashed through my mind. The night of the Luna ceremony: the dark balcony and the voices.I pulled back and stared at Rocco, my breath catching in my throat. "Lupin... Jaxon knew him."Rocco's eyes narrowed instantly, his Beta instincts flaring to life. "What do you mean, Ava?""The night of the Luna ceremony, before everything fell apart," I explained quickly, my words tumbling out in a rush. "I was on the
AvalineThe heavy, dark fog in my mind started to clear. When I first opened my eyes, bright morning sunlight was streaming through a large window. The sharp smell of antiseptic filled my nose. I was lying in a soft bed inside a quiet, private room at Mammoth Springs General Hospital. An IV line was taped to the back of my hand, dripping clear liquid slowly into my vein.My body still felt a little tired and sore, but the scary paralysis from Jaxon’s drug was completely gone. I could move my fingers and wiggle my toes. I was finally in control of my body again.“Avaline?” Rocco’s voice penetrated through my thoughts.I turned my head toward the soft voice to find Rocco sitting in a chair right next to my bed. He looked worn out, with dark circles under his eyes and his hair slightly messy, as if he hadn’t slept a single minute all night. But the moment he saw my eyes open, a wave of deep relief washed over his face.“Rocco...” My voice came out as a weak, scratchy whisper.He immediat
JaxonThe icy walls of the prison pressed against my back as I sat slumped against them in despair. How did everything go downhill? A few hours ago, I was the respected beta of the Ozark Mountain Pack, and now I was an ordinary prisoner, awaiting trial.No one supported me. Not even my best friend and brother Maximus. I had never expected this day would arrive when the only person I had looked up to all my life would leave me stranded.Devastated and close to tears, I thought about Avaline’s desperate attempt at escaping. The tears streamed down my cheeks when I remembered the way she clung to Rocco even in her stupor. Did she hate me so much? Did I lose her forever? I had gone to such great lengths for her. I had even removed Valerie from the picture. No one in this world could love her more than me. How could she love someone else?Footsteps echoed outside my cell, and I waited eagerly for my best friend to rescue me. Since the day I was born, Maximus had always supported me uncondi
AvalineThe car screeched to a halt, and I came out of my stupor. I could hear the chaos around me, but my body was too numb to respond.“Fu*k” I heard Jaxon’s furious roar as he slammed his fists on the steering wheel.I wanted to open the car door and run, but my body wouldn’t respond at all. The drug Jaxon had injected in me made my limbs feel heavy like lead. I could hear, but I couldn’t utter a single word. I could hear Jaxon’s panicked breathing, the loud click of his gun, and the engine humming. But I was completely paralyzed to react. What was going on? What made Jaxon stop?“What the hell!” Jaxon muttered as a loud roar of cars surrounded us. I opened my heavy eyes to a slit, but my vision swam. I could see vague heavy-duty armored vehicles pulling up from every side to block Jaxon’s car. A black armored Rolls-Royce crashed right into Jaxon’s front bumper with a horrible metal crunch.I gasped inwardly, recognizing Alpha Jason’s car. Was I hallucinating? Or were they really h







