Chapter 4

That night, I'd just finished packing when I got two messages from the doctor.

“The Werewolf Court is holding a hearing tomorrow. Gabriel has submitted evidence against you. You can't leave now.”

“Alpha Audrey wants to see you. She's sent a car to pick you up.”

Before long, the car pulled up outside, and it took me straight to Audrey.

Audrey didn't waste any time. She set Marcus's phone down in front of me.

“His belongings were only returned yesterday. When my people went through them, they found two unsent voice messages.”

They were timestamped right before the ambush.

“Sera came to see me last night and told me about the new route. She said you sent her. I was too busy to report it to you then.”

“Why would you send an Omega to deliver that message? Besides, this route doesn't match the one we agreed on. Check it and get back to me ASAP.”

So the night before the ambush, Sera had entered the intelligence room, learned the new route, and altered it without authorization before passing it on to Marcus, sending him to his death.

Audrey looked at me.

“Looks like Gabriel doesn't know about this. Keep the evidence safe.”

I nodded and saved the messages.

I was about to thank Audrey when officers from the Werewolf Court arrived. They handcuffed me.

“Ms. Reed, your hearing in the leak case is tomorrow. Under the rules, we have to take you into custody.

“If you believe you've been falsely accused, you can make your case before the judge.”

The next day, the courtroom was packed with wolves from both packs.

Black Moon sat on the left and Bloodclaw on the right. A narrow aisle between them led straight to the judge's bench.

I'd barely stepped into the aisle when someone in the front row stood up. It was a young woman dressed in mourning, her belly slightly rounded.

She looked at me, her eyes red-rimmed. “My husband died that night.”

She clutched her belly. “When he left, I told him the baby and I would be waiting for him to come home.”

I tried to explain. “I'm so sorry about your husband. But I'm not the one who got him killed.”

A Bloodclaw wolf beside her stood up too. “Look at her, still playing innocent!

“Every bit of evidence the Beta found points to her! Someone like her deserves to die!”

Things spiraled out of control. Bloodclaw warriors rushed forward from the back rows, surrounding me and trying to shove me around.

And with the collar around my neck suppressing my Alpha aura, I couldn't even defend myself.

The judge's guards tried to block them, but there were too many. Someone came around from the side, grabbed me by the hair, and forced me down.

My knees struck the stone floor so hard they went numb.

Someone stomped on the wound in my left leg. I felt it tear open under the bandage, and something warm ran down my pant leg.

A loud crash came from behind the judge's bench.

James overturned the stone slab in front of him, sending fragments flying across the floor. He shot to his feet, knocking over his chair.

His gaze swept across the crowded room and landed on my face.

Across the hall, Audrey rose at the same moment. Without a word, she unleashed her Alpha aura.

Everyone who'd been pushing and shoving froze. Some dropped to their knees.

Audrey withdrew her aura and said coldly, “Anyone who touches her again will be a rogue by tonight.”

The hall went silent.

James stepped out from behind the bench and stopped in front of the long table. He didn't return to his seat until he'd watched them bring me before Judge Harlow.

Only when I stood before the judge did I look up. Gabriel was sitting on the Bloodclaw side. He hadn't stood up once.

Audrey turned to the judge. “If we're going to have a trial, let's see the evidence.”

Before Judge Harlow could respond, I spoke up. “I have evidence.”

I handed over the phone.

“There are two unsent voice messages on Marcus's phone. They're timestamped right before the ambush.”

The judge played them for the court.

“Sera came to see me last night and told me about the new route. She said you sent her. I was too busy to report it to you then.”

“Why would you send an Omega to deliver that message? Besides, this route doesn't match the one we agreed on. Check it and get back to me ASAP.”

Gasps rippled through the Bloodclaw gallery, and every eye turned to Sera.

Sera went white.

“N-no, I'm not the leak. Bloodclaw's warriors are my family too. Why would I want to hurt them?”

I ignored her and turned to Gabriel.

“Gabriel, you said I'm the leak. Do you have any proof?”

Gabriel looked up at me, said nothing, and turned back to comfort Sera, who was crying.

One of the investigators hurried in and whispered something in the judge's ear.

Judge Harlow frowned and brought down his gavel.

“There isn't enough evidence to convict. Nia Reed is hereby released pending further investigation.”

By the time they took the collar off, it had rubbed my skin raw. I used the long table to pull myself to my feet. The wound in my left leg was still bleeding.

I didn't look at Gabriel. I knew he'd find a way to get Sera off the hook. This was far from over.

When I walked out of the hall, it was already dark.

A black car was parked at the bottom of the steps. The window rolled down, revealing a man Audrey had sent to collect me.

“Ms. Reed, your mother wants to see you.”

Once again, I found myself standing before Audrey. She looked at me, calm and certain.

“You have my blood in your veins. I'll get to the bottom of this and clear your name.

“Once this is over, if you're willing to stay with our pack, I'll give you new training grounds and set you up with a whole new life.”

I looked down and didn't answer right away.

I'd grown up in Black Moon. The training grounds were what my foster father had left me.

My biological father, James, hadn't spoken up for me that day, but he'd always looked out for me while I was growing up in Black Moon.

Finally, I answered, “Mother, I'll think about it.”

Audrey looked at me for a while and didn't push.

“Whether you stay in Bloodclaw or not, I'll take care of this for you, no strings attached.”

She walked to the door and said without turning around, “Nia, I'm not trying to make up for what Bloodclaw did to you. I'm just doing what a mother should do.”

A few days later, Audrey texted me herself.

“Nia, my investigators have news. Come see me.”