Se connecter"Are you asking this Council to admit that the judgment against Rowena Moonfang was wrong?"Elder Gideon Vale's question cut through the Grand Assembly Hall.Dean stood beneath the ancient Blackwolf crest, his ceremonial robes falling heavily around him."No."The answer surprised the Council.Gideon narrowed his eyes, "Then what are you asking us to do?"Dean's gaze moved toward the iron witness cage. Rowena stood inside it, silent and composed."I'm asking you to examine whether the judgment was ever built on the truth."A murmur passed through the chamber.Gideon leaned forward, "The Broken Moon Trial was lawfully conducted.""According to the records.""According to the evidence presented.""Exactly."Dean turned toward the chief scribe."Begin."The scribe rose from his desk and opened the original trial record. His voice echoed through the hall, "Record of the Broken Moon Trial. Three years ago."He turned the first page."Primary charge: murder."The chamber became still."Rowe
"If you wish to refuse, no one in this room will judge you."Bobby's voice was gentle. It was the kind of tone reserved for someone who had already carried more than their share of burdens.Rowena looked up from the simple wooden chair where she sat, fastening the final clasp on the dark gray cloak provided for the Assembly."Refuse?" she repeated softly.Bobby nodded."The Council has been summoned.""But standing before it..."He hesitated."...after everything they've done to you...""You have that choice."A quiet silence settled between them. Then Rowena smiled. Not so bright, not bitterly. Just enough to soften the exhaustion around her eyes, "They took my choices a long time ago."She stood."But this one..."She straightened the folds of her cloak."...is mine."Outside Blackwolf Moonkeep. Moonhaven had awakened long before sunrise. The roads leading toward the Grand Assembly Hall
"Seal the doors."Dean's voice was calm, it didn't need to be louder. The guards stationed outside the Blackwolf War Chamber exchanged a brief glance before pulling the heavy oak doors shut. With a deep groan, the iron locking bar slid into place.Around the long stone table sat the people Dean trusted most.Castiel.Bobby.Sam Blackwolf.Three senior commanders.The Royal Archivist.And the captain responsible for Moonkeep's internal security.Everyone expected a discussion about rebuilding the fortress after the attack.Instead, Dean remained standing. His hands rested on the edge of the table. His eyes moved from one face to another."The casualty report."The Royal Archivist stood."Forty-seven Blackwolf soldiers confirmed dead."He swallowed."Seventy-three wounded.""Eighteen servants and civilians lost during the assault."Silence settled over the chamber, no one interrupt
"Report!"Dean's voice echoed across the smoke-blackened courtyard.The fighting had ended only minutes earlier. Dawn's pale light crept over Blackwolf Moonkeep, revealing the devastation the darkness had hidden. The eastern gate lay in ruins. Sections of the outer wall still smoldered. Broken wagons, shattered shields, and abandoned weapons littered the fortress grounds.Blackwolf soldiers moved silently among the dead. Some searched for survivors. Others covered fallen comrades with cloaks.Victory had come...But it was expensive.A captain approached Dean and bowed his head."The last of the attackers have either been killed or driven into the forest, my Alpha."Dean nodded once."Our casualties?"The captain hesitated."...Heavy."No numbers.He didn't need them, the faces around him said enough.Castiel emerged from the western corridor, his armor scratched and stained with blood. Most
"Hold that corridor!" Castiel roared. "If they reach the central stairwell, we lose the fortress!"The order cut through the chaos like a blade.Blackwolf soldiers surged forward, locking shields as another wave of masked infiltrators charged through the smoke-filled passage. Steel clashed against steel. A wounded guard cried out as he fell, but another immediately stepped into his place. No one had time to grieve. Not tonight.The New Moon had stolen the edge from every Alpha in the fortress. Castiel could feel it in his own body, his wolf wasn't gone. It was simply... quieter.The instincts he normally trusted now came a heartbeat slower. That heartbeat was costing lives."Commander!"A bloodied scout sprinted toward him."The eastern wall is holding!"Castiel caught his shoulder."Who's commanding it?""Sam Blackwolf."Castiel released him with a nod."Tell him reinforcement from the western bar
"Keep your breathing steady," Rowena whispered. "Fear is loud, even when you don't speak."The young kitchen maid pressed a trembling hand over her mouth and nodded. Behind them, the sounds of battle rolled through Blackwolf Moonkeep.Steel rang against steel. Commands echoed through the corridors. Somewhere above, an Alpha roared, followed by the clash of shields.But down here, the silence was almost worse. Rowena led the frightened maid through a narrow servant passage barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. The stone walls were rough and cold beneath her fingertips. These corridors were older than the fortress above them. Built long before grand halls and council chambers. Places where servants, builders, and messengers once moved unseen.The maid glanced around nervously, "I've worked in Moonkeep for years." Her voice barely rose above a whisper, "I never knew these passages existed."Rowena kept walking, "Most people weren't meant to."They reached a bend where
ROWENA MOONFANG POV"Step out of the Ironfang Prison Keep right now and do not look back."The iron gates made a loud screeching sound as they opened up. I walked past the stone walls very slowly. My old white dress felt too big for me, hanging like an old piece of cloth. It was the same clothes I
DEAN BLACKWOLF POV"Are you still trying to act proud, Rowena? You think your high bloodline makes you special here?"My voice hits her hard. I take her chin in my grip and twist. I want to smash her bone. She gasps. Her eyes get wide and wet."Stop, Dean! You are hurting me!"I squeeze harder. I d
ROWENA MOONFANG POV“I didn’t do it! Why won’t you believe me?” My hands kept shaking while I gripped the wet glass of the pack transport. Rain hammered down, so loud I could barely hear myself think. I caught a glimpse of Dean’s face inside, sharp and terrifying. Mud squelched under my feet. I sh
CASTIEL CROWE POV"You are a very strange girl, do you know that?"Alpha Castiel Crowe covers my mouth with his heavy palm right away. His eyes look very dark. "Be quiet! Most girls scream when they fall. You stay completely silent when you fall, but now you scream just because I am holding you!""







