The cells were cold, damp, and bare, offering only the most basic of comforts. A bed, a toilet, and a basin were all that had been provided, with a single thin blanket serving as my only source of warmth. Space was tight, the cell enclosed by three stone walls and iron bars at the front where the door stood.
Seven days had passed, and at last, today I was to stand trial before the pack for the murder I was accused of. The evidence against me was overwhelming. Winning this case felt nearly impossible. My only sliver of hope lay in Sophie, if she were still alive and able to testify that she had seen me inside my chambers the entire week, then they would have no choice but to consider that I might be innocent of poisoning Leah.
"Get up," came the guard's rough voice from outside the cell.
I knew him, John. I had visited his family many times in the past on behalf of the ranked wolves.
Unsteadily, I rose as he ordered, my body weak from stress and barely any food. I moved to the side.
James entered and shoved me hard against the stone wall, a sharp sting of pain flashing through me. I didn't react. The bruises would only add to the ones I already carried. With my anxiety and starvation, my injuries were healing slower than they should have for a werewolf.
"Will Sophie be at the trial?" I asked as soon as he shoved me out of the cell.
John didn't answer. He stayed completely silent, continuing to push me down the corridor. I couldn't tell if he'd been ordered not to speak to me, or if he simply hated me now, like everyone else seemed to.
As we passed the other cells, I scanned each one through the iron bars, my eyes frantically searching for any sign of Sophie. I needed her to be there. I needed her to clear my name, to save my life.
Then, just as we passed the fifth cell, I caught sight of a man with familiar silver hair.
"Father!" I cried, trying to twist free from John's grip.
"Aria?!" My father's voice echoed back in shock. "What are you doing down here?"
I fought against John's hold, but he was too strong. No matter how hard I struggled, he forced me forward toward the exit.
"John, please!" I pleaded, turning as much as I could to face him. "If I'm going to die today, then let me speak to my father one last time. Please. I swear I didn't hurt anyone, especially not a child. You might not believe me, but if I'm executed for something I didn't do, don't let them take away my final goodbye too."
John's face remained stern, his expression carefully neutral, but I saw the flicker of unease in his eyes. His jaw tightened as he looked down at me.
"Please... John," I whispered. "I was there at your wedding. I held your mate's hand while she gave birth to your child. Just give me five minutes to say goodbye. Please." My voice cracked as tears welled in my eyes. "Please… please… just this one thing. I swear I'll go quietly after."
He hesitated, clearly torn. His gaze shifted away for a moment, then back to mine. Finally, with a reluctant sigh, he gave a stiff nod.
Relief crashed over me like a wave. "Thank you, John. Thank you so much."
I rushed to my father's cell, where he was already at the bars, his face a mix of horror and disbelief.
"I'm sorry I couldn't get you out," I choked. "I wanted to, I really did, but the security… it was impossible."
"Shhh, don't be silly," he said gently. "I never expected you to. I accepted the consequences the moment I made my choice. But, why are you here? Did you say you're on your way to the trial grounds? What's going on?"
I grimaced, dread curling in my stomach at the thought.
"It was Leah's baby," I said quietly. "They think I poisoned her with some kind of herb meant to induce a miscarriage."
"What?!" My father's voice rose in disbelief. "Leah lost the child? But that's insane! Why would they accuse you?"
I let out a bitter laugh. "Isn't it obvious? I'm the scorned mate of the Alpha. Of course everyone was going to blame me. They even searched my room and claimed they found the herb under my bed. I'd never seen it before in my life. I don't even know how it got there."
"Oh, Aria… my baby girl…" His voice cracked as he took in my tear-streaked face. His eyes shimmered with emotion, the most I'd ever seen from him. Not even when Mother died back then, he'd locked himself away, too proud to let anyone see him break.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, tears sliding down my cheeks. "I'm sorry I was such a disappointment to you… to our whole family."
I couldn't bear to look at him. I tilted my face to the ceiling, trying to force the tears back, but they kept falling.
"You've never disappointed me, Aria. Never," he said, his voice soft, fragile, and full of sorrow. "You couldn't."
I blinked at him, stunned. "But you've always looked at me that way. Ever since the day they announced I was infertile… I saw your face. You looked like I had brought disgrace to our name."
"No! Of course not," he said, almost offended by the suggestion. "I was never disappointed in you, Aria. I was disappointed in the Goddess, for giving you nothing but hardship. I was angry that someone so powerful could choose you for one of our highest ranks, only to let you suffer so much. I knew how Aleric treated you… and I did nothing. I should be the one apologizing, not you. I should've taken you away from all of this sooner. I'm so sorry, Aria."
Tears streamed down his face freely. My father, the Beta of the largest pack in the country, always composed, always strong, was crying in front of me. Apologizing for not committing treason sooner. For not helping me escape.
The weight of it broke something in me, and my whole body began to tremble.
My hands were still cuffed behind me, but I leaned forward, pressing my forehead against the cold iron bars to be closer to him. Awkwardly, but gently, he reached through as best he could and rested his forehead against mine, wrapping his arms around me through the narrow space. There, for the first time in years, we cried together.
A minute passed before John cleared his throat behind us.
"It's time to go," he said softly, the discomfort in his voice unmistakable.
I knew how strange, how painful, this moment must have been for him. Not long ago, he had served under us both, had looked up to us with pride. And now, here we were, reduced to broken sobs and silent goodbyes through cell bars.
I nodded and reluctantly stepped away from the bars. It was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do.
Did it comfort me to know that my father didn't hate me if I were to die today? Or would it have been easier if I believed no one cared at all?
It had only been Sophie before… and now my father. Two people who loved me. Two people who would likely die because they tried to protect me.
Loving me had become a death sentence.
"I love you, Aria," my father said one final time before James reached for me. "I love you so much. I always have. Please don't forget that."
"I love you too, Papa," I choked out, my voice cracking with emotion.
John guided me toward the door. This time, I didn't resist. My feet carried me forward on their own, each step heavier than the last. My eyes stung with the tears I'd already shed, and the world blurred at the edges, but I managed to stay upright.
I had promised John I wouldn't fight him, and I owed him that much for giving me those precious few minutes with my father. I would walk the rest of the way in silence, without protest.
Outside, the night air was cool against my skin. It didn't take long to reach the forest path leading to the trial grounds.
The clearing wasn't far, just a few minutes of walking, surrounded by the hush of trees and shadows. The trial grounds were sacred, encircled by massive, ancient stones covered in moss, placed generations ago by our ancestors.
All trials were held beneath the night sky, with the full moon glowing high above, so the Goddess herself could witness the proceedings.
And tonight, she would be watching me.
When we arrived, it became immediately clear, the entire pack had gathered. So many had come that even the outskirts of the sacred circle were crowded with people. They stood shoulder to shoulder, faces lit by moonlight, expressions twisted with malice. As John and I made our way through the throng, the crowd parted reluctantly, some spitting at the ground near my feet, others whispering curses loud enough for me to hear.
Once inside the circle, we began the slow ascent toward the center. The clearing was set on a slight rise, the ground gradually elevating until it leveled out at the top, a design meant so all could see what unfolded at the heart of the trial.
There, I saw the key figures.
Alex stood behind a stone podium, dressed sharply as ever. He radiated the authority expected of a leader, his posture composed, his gaze cold and commanding.
But as I looked at him now, something inside me felt strange.
Not too long ago, just seeing him would have made my stomach flutter, my pulse quicken with nervous anticipation. But now? There was nothing but fear.
Fear that he would be the one to end my life.
Fear that, even after everything, he would find one last way to hurt me.
Even with the mate bond severed, he still held power over me, the power to kill.
To his right, seated in the chair traditionally reserved for the Luna, was Leah.
Of course she would be here.
A part of me wanted to feel anger at seeing her in that seat. That place had once been mine. But strangely, I felt… nothing. No bitterness, no jealousy. I didn't want the title. I never had. All I saw was a woman playing a role she could never truly fill.
Leah was no Luna, not in spirit, not in strength, not in heart.
And one day, they would see that.
But by then, it might be too late.
The Elders were seated in a solemn semi-circle behind Alex and Leah, their expressions unreadable as they watched the proceedings unfold. To their left, I noticed Brad… and beside him, my cousin, Alan.
I wasn't surprised to see him. The pack couldn't function without a Beta, and with my father imprisoned and no direct heirs left, they would have turned to his brother's children. Alan had been preparing for this role for years. It made sense that he'd finally stepped into it.
He resembled me in some ways, though his hair leaned more golden-blonde than silver, and his eyes were a clear, icy blue, not violet. We'd never been particularly close, but that wasn't unique to him. I'd never really had the chance to grow close to anyone.
From the moment I was born, the pack had already decided my future for me.
My gaze drifted forward and landed on the large oak stump before the podium. My stomach turned.
I knew exactly what it was. Everyone did.
The execution block.
I had seen it used only a few times in my life, but that was more than enough. The image of blood staining the wood, the heavy swing of the ceremonial broadsword, those memories haunted my nightmares.
And now, I sat just before it, knees folded beneath me on the frozen ground. The thin white dress they'd put me in did nothing to stop the cold. My old clothes had been stripped away shortly after I was imprisoned.
I was shivering, whether from fear or temperature, I wasn't sure anymore.
"It looks like everyone is here now," Alex said, his voice carrying easily across the crowd. He scanned the sea of faces, his gaze steady and commanding, until it finally landed on me.
"We are gathered here today to bear witness to the trial of Aria Crystal," he announced, "former Luna of the Winter Pack."