Chapter 17: The judgment and punishment part:2-2

He sat down, and a bitter smile crept to my lips. I locked eyes with my mate—he stared at me, confusion etched on his face. “Are you okay, Sofia?” he asked, voice soft but edged with worry.

I met his gaze, cold and distant, and said, “I’m fine. I’d like to leave here now, if you don’t mind.” He looked surprised but nodded.

The courtroom was in chaos, elder Phillips stood and announced, “The prisoners should be escorted to the Sacred ground for the ritual to bind their wolves immediately.” As they were led away, I stood from my chair, and headed out Damian called, but I ignored him. I didn’t want to talk to him. He grabbed me, and I yanked my hand free. “Leave me alone, Damian. I don’t want to talk to you,” I said sharply.

“You need to calm down. Why are you angry? You finally got the justice you deserved,” he tried to soothe me.

I laughed bitterly. “Justice? Tell me, Damian, if I wasn’t your mate would you have even cared what happens to me?

He said quickly, “Of course I’ve always cared, with or without you being my mate. I’ve always protected you the best I could. Things were complicated—you wouldn’t understand.”

“What’s there to understand?” I snapped. “You were my best friend. I looked up to you. But after my grandmother died, when I needed you, you turned your back on me. You treated me like trash, blamed me for her death, blamed me for being born weak. All of you blamed me for her death. All I did was go to school, come back, and find my grandmother lifeless. I was a kid. I knew nothing. Josh and Mark stood by me, supported me. But you? You turned your back on me. Now because of some mate bond— you think it changes anything? It changes nothing, Damian. It doesn’t heal the emotional wounds you left me with.”

My voice trembled with pain and anger. “Tell me, does all this justice really heal the pain I feel? My mother doesn’t even care about me, still defending the daughter who almost killed her second daughter, and my father looks at me with so much hate.

Now the Alphas, your father wants to take action now? He could have done something before all this—he’s the Alpha of this pack and knew what was going on but did nothing. So why does everyone suddenly care now? Why does everyone want to give Sofia the justice she deserves?

He said, “Sofia, you need to calm down. Your eyes are changing, let’s go back to the pack house please, let’s talk there okay.

“I don’t care,” I shouted, eyes blazing. “I’m not going back to the pack house, I’m going to my grandmother’s house. I’m eighteen now, and the agreement says once I’m eighteen, I can move into my grandmother’s house. So, Damian, I don’t need you.”

He tried to hold me, but I pulled away. “No,” I said firmly. Then I turned to Josh. “Please, can you drive me to my grandmother’s house? That’s where I want to leave.”

Damian looked at me with so much hurt in his eyes, but I didn’t care. The hurt, the pain—it’s all too much. I can’t bear it anymore.

I’m done. I don’t care anymore. No one’s ever going to hurt me again, step on me, or treat me like I’m worthless. and I won’t take crap from anyone in this pack anymore. My mother and father can go to hell for all I care—I don’t give a damn about anyone. I’m done letting people hurt me. I don’t even care about this mate bond or any of that bizarre nonsense.

Then my wolf agreed with me, saying, “Yes, we need to start training and practicing our powers. So it’s fine, Sofia, I’m here for you. We’re in this together. No one is ever going to hurt us again—not even our parents or mate.”