POV: Raevan
By the time Kaide reaches me, I already know something is wrong.
The bond in my chest burns with panic that isn’t mine. I was in the training yard, drilling recruits when the noise spread like wildfire. By the time I grabbed my cloak, Kaide was barreling through the gates toward me.
“She’s in custody,” he says before he even stops moving. “They say she pushed Azhara.”
My vision flashes white. “What?”
“She didn’t,” he snaps. “I was there after. Vienne saw it. Azhara jumped.”
The ground seems to tilt. For a moment, I can’t breathe.
Then everything in me ignites.
“Where is she?” I demand.
“Council hall—locked down. They plan a public trial by dusk.”
“Not happening.”
I shove past him and storm through the fortress. Wolves scatter at the look on my face. Guards move aside without being told. Every step echoes like thunder.
When I reach the council hall, the elders stand in a cluster, murmuring about punishment and purity. Azhara lies on a bed of cushions, bandaged, weepy, surrounded by sympathizers.
The moment they see me, the room goes silent.
“Where is she?” I say quietly.
Darric clears his throat. “She is being detained for—”
“I didn’t ask why,” I cut in. “I asked where.”
Elder Marra steps forward. “My lord, witnesses—”
“Witnesses lie,” I snarl.
Gasps ripple through the crowd. I don’t care. I look to Azhara. Her eyes fill with crocodile tears.
“She hurt me,” she whispers.
“No,” I say. “You hurt yourself.”
Her breath catches, fear flashing for just a second before she masks it with innocence.
“I would never—”
“Stop,” I growl. “The act is done. You’ve had your sympathy.”
Elders bristle. “Raevan—”
I turn on them. “My word is law. If anyone touches her—anyone accuses her again—you’ll answer to me.”
“Alpha,” Marra hisses, “the people saw—”
“I don’t care what they saw,” I roar. “I know what I trust.”
The hall shakes under my voice. Some wolves bow instinctively. Others stare in shock. Kaide appears in the doorway, breathing hard, eyes on me, and nods slightly. He brought her.
Soraya stands behind him—shaken, tear-streaked, terrified.
I cross the room to her slowly. She flinches as if expecting anger.
Instead, I cup her face gently. “You okay?”
She shakes her head. “They won’t listen.”
“They will now,” I say softly. “Stay behind me.”
Turning back to the elders, I raise my voice. “Listen well. This woman is under my protection. Harm her, and you declare war on your king.”
“You speak madness!” Marra snaps. “You’d throw away alliances for a girl accused—”
“For truth,” I interrupt. “And if you cannot tell the difference between truth and gossip, perhaps you should retire.”
A murmur ripples through the crowd. No one has ever heard me speak to elders that way. But I am beyond politics now.
Azhara whimpers again, weak and calculated. “Raevan, please. Don’t punish them for protecting me.”
I look down at her. “You wanted an audience. You have one. Tell them how you fell.”
Her hand trembles beautifully. “I… tripped.”
“Louder.”
She meets my eyes, and for a moment the mask cracks. But she repeats, “I tripped.”
The crowd murmurs. Confusion spreads. Some wolves look ashamed. Others look angry.
I turn to Kaide. “Get her out of here.”
He nods, guiding Soraya toward the door. I follow a few steps, then look back at the council.
“Let this be the last time you try to bury someone under lies,” I say. “My pack protects its own.”
And then I walk away, leaving silence and fear in my wake.