LOGINNicole’s POV “I have to leave.” Mason didn’t respond. He just kept flipping through paperwork like I wasn’t standing right there, losing my damn sanity. “I’m talking to you, Mason.” Silence greeted me. He didn’t react, not even a twitch. I clenched my jaw, feeling the frustration coil tight in my chest. It’s been four days since that strange bastard dumped me back here—four days of being locked inside a pack that wasn’t mine, with no word, no updates, no movement. Just waiting. Rotting. I was done. My fingers brushed the doorknob. “You don’t understand.” His voice cut through the room like a blade. “If you go out there, Nicole, you’ll be taken back. Magnus risked too much for you to just stroll back into Serena’s arms.” I froze. Of course. Of course that’s the part he cared about. I turned, glaring at him. “That’s all you care about then,” I muttered. “Magnus.” He snapped. “What the hell, Nicole—” “I have too much at stake,” I bit out, anger spilling into my words. “
Talia's POV I groaned lowly. My head throbbed. My body felt heavy—too heavy to move. Where was I? As if summoned, the memories came crashing—hard and painful. Cassian. The trial. My loss of control. I jerked upright, glancing around. I was on a bed—my bed. This place, these walls—it was familiar, familiar in a way that tugged at my heart. I was in my room. My childhood room. How— The door creaked open, snapping my attention to it. I hoped for Cassian, expected my mother, but I didn't expect— "Alpha Black." He didn't smile, didn't react. He simply walked in, his presence filling the space with that familiar air of authority he carried. My mother trailed behind him. She didn't look put together as she always did, her hair wasn't in its regular ponytail, her skin wasn't as radiant as it usually was, she didn't have makeup on. She looked... normal, real. Her green eyes locked onto me. I didn't see the usual contempt or disappointment in them. For the first time,
Talia’s POV “Prepare the execution.” The words rang in my head, loud and painful, a reminder of my reality. I failed. I fell right into their trap. Here I was, on my knees, practically begging for someone to see me, to remember me. While these power hungry bastards judged me, erased my entire existence. Something inside me finally went quiet. I stopped holding back. I blamed the exhaustion, blamed the hopelessness but deep down, I knew the truth. This was me. An evidence of raw, unrestrained rage. My entire body trembled. Power burst right out of me. I could hear sounds, could see movements, the shouting, the screaming, the accusations—none of it reached me anymore. The arena blurred at the edges, faces melting into darkness, voices growing into a distant hum. So this was it. No more fighting with words. No more pleading. No more hoping someone would remember who I was. They had already decided. They decided before the trial even started. My palms h
Talia’s POV “No,” I whispered, my eyes widening as the weight of their words crashed into me. “You can’t do that.” The arena was death still, silent—my heavy breathing the only sound. “Oh?” Elder Vérin smirked, leaning back in his seat as though this were entertainment. “And who, exactly, is going to stop us?” “It’s against Pack law,” I said, forcing my voice to steady even as my chest burned. “You don’t have the authority to sentence a Luna to death. Only the Alpha does.” A ripple moved through the crowd. Uncertainty. Doubt. Good. Whatever spell Kira had on them was evidently wavering. “You overstep,” I continued, lifting my chin. “Even if you claim I’m an imposter, you cannot execute a pack member without Alpha consent. Exile, yes. Confinement, yes. But death?” I shook my head. “That power does not belong to you.” For a brief moment, I thought I’d struck something real. Then Elara laughed. The sound was soft, amused. “How admirable,” she said. “Quoting law as
“There is no mark on your neck.” The words struck harder than any blow. I glared at them, my vision turning, the world shrinking to the bastards before me. “What have you done?!” I growled, my wolf pushing forward, her presence slipping through the cracks in my control. “What have I done?” Elara asked mildly, glancing around the council in feigned confusion. “I merely pointed out the most obvious flaw in your fabrication.” My stomach dropped. I swallowed hard. My skin burned, heat crawling beneath it, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure the entire arena could hear it. My mark was gone. Cassian was gone. I dragged in a breath—then another—forcing the tears back. I would not give them that. I would not break. Not here. Not in front of them. “You are an imposter,” Vérin declared coldly. “A lying woman who infiltrated this pack, falsely claiming to be the Alpha’s mate.” My head shook on its own, my body trembling despite my efforts. “That’s a lie,” I whispered. The words fe
I had to survive this trial no matter what. Mrs Alanna said they were hoping for exile or execution. I couldn’t let that happen. “Proceed with the trial then.” I ordered, my voice deathly calm. “Since you won’t provide my mate, then get to it.” The guards beside me stiffened, one of the elders—lady Vérin I think—growled lowly, insulted by my order. Good. I wasn’t going to go down without a fight or dignity. “Natalia, daughter of the late Beta,” Vérin began. “You stand accused of impersonating the Luna.”My wolf stirred at the mention of my father, but I didn’t give them the reaction they hoped for. The air was heavy, thick with anticipation and something uglier—hunger.“Impersonating?” I arched a brow. “That’s new.” The game plan was simple. Control my wolf and my powers, argue my case, get to Cassian. “You claim a bond you do not rightfully hold,” Jarek added smoothly. “You influence the Alpha in ways that have endangered the pack.”I let out a quiet breath, steadying my wolf







