Elara POV
A few hours later, someone shook me awake.
"Elara. Wake up."
Mira's voice. Urgent. Excited.
I opened my eyes. The tremors were gone. My body still ached but I could move without wanting to scream.
"What time is it?" I asked.
"Three hours until sunset." Mira pulled me upright. "We found him. The traitor. We have proof."
My heart jumped. "Who?"
"The ambitious council member. The one who kept pushing for your execution." She helped me stand. "Dorian tracked him to the lower dungeons. He had a shard. Just like the one I found. Covered in Theron's magic."
Hope flared in my chest. Sharp. Desperate.
"Can you prove it?"
"Already did." Dorian appeared in the doorway. He looked exhausted but satisfied. "Caught him red-handed trying to sever another guard's bond. We have witnesses. Evidence. Everything Kaelen needs to clear your name."
I wanted to cry. Wanted to collapse with relief.
But there was no time.
"The council votes at sunset," I said. "That's less than three hours."
"Then we need to move now." Mira grabbed my arm. "Come on. Kaelen's calling an emergency meeting."
We ran through the halls. Wolves stared as we passed. Some looked curious. Others looked afraid.
Of me.
Even if we proved I didn't kill those guards, they'd still fear what I'd become during the trial. Still see me as a threat.
We reached the council chamber. Kaelen was already inside. Arguing with the elders.
"—don't care about your deadline," he snarled. "You'll wait until we have all the facts."
"The facts are simple," Gregor shot back. "She's dangerous. Unstable. Two guards lost their bonds when she was near. That's enough—"
"It wasn't her." Dorian strode into the room. Calm. Confident. He dropped the shard on the table. "This is what severed those bonds. A tool created by Theron. Used by your own council member to frame Elara."
Silence.
All eyes turned to the ambitious council member. He sat at the far end. Perfectly composed. But his eyes gave him away.
Guilty. Trapped.
"That's absurd," he said. Too quickly. "This vampire is clearly lying to protect his master's weapon."
"Then explain why we found you in the dungeons with an identical shard," Mira said. She stepped forward. Drew her dagger. "Explain why three guards witnessed you severing bond threads. Explain why you reek of severance magic."
His composure cracked.
He stood. Fast. His hand moved toward his coat.
Kaelen was faster.
He shifted mid-leap. The man became wolf in seconds. Massive. Silver. Terrifying.
He tackled the traitor before the council member could reach whatever weapon he'd hidden.
They crashed to the floor. The traitor struggled. Tried to fight back.
But Kaelen's jaws closed around his throat. Not killing. Just holding. A warning.
"Shift and fight me properly," Kaelen growled. His voice was half-human, half-wolf. "Or surrender."
The traitor went still. "I surrender."
Kaelen shifted back. Stood. Grabbed the traitor by the collar and hauled him to his feet.
"Why?" Kaelen demanded. "Why betray your own pack?"
The traitor laughed. Bitter. Broken.
"Because we're dying. Can't you see it?" He looked around the room. At the shocked elders. "This pack is finished. You're too weak to lead us, Kaelen. Too soft. Choosing a human over your own people. Theron saw that. He offered me real power. A place in his empire when the wolves fall."
"You sold us out for a promise," Kaelen said quietly.
"I sold us out for survival." The traitor met his eyes. Defiant. "When the Unraveling comes, when reality tears apart, Theron will rebuild. And I'll be there. While you and your pet human burn."
Kaelen hit him. Hard. The traitor's head snapped back. He collapsed unconscious.
The council sat in stunned silence.
Finally, Gregor spoke. "The evidence is clear. He's the one who severed the bonds. Not the girl."
"Then she's cleared," Kaelen said. "The vote is cancelled."
"Not entirely." The sharp-faced woman stood. "She's innocent of murder. But she's still dangerous. We all saw what she became during the trial. The power she wields. The way reality cracks around her."
"That's not a crime," I said. Found my voice. "I didn't ask for this power. Didn't choose to survive the impossible. But I did. And I'm still here. Still fighting. Still trying to help."
"Help?" She turned to me. "How can you help when your mere existence accelerates the Unraveling? When every bond you sever tears reality further apart?"
I didn't have an answer.
Because she was right. Every time I used my power, things got worse. The soul-splinters. The cracks in reality. The Moonfire showing me truths I didn't want to face.
"The council's position," Gregor said slowly, "is that Elara may stay. But under strict guard. She cannot leave the summit. Cannot use her power. Cannot pose a threat to pack stability."
"That's a cage," Kaelen said.
"That's a compromise." Gregor met his eyes. "She lives. You keep your mate. We keep the pack safe. Everyone wins."
"Except me," I whispered.
They all looked at me.
"I'm cleared of murder. But still a prisoner. Still controlled. Still feared." I met their eyes. One by one. "When does it end? When am I free to just... exist?"
No one answered.
Because they didn't have an answer. As long as I was powerful and unpredictable, they'd never truly accept me. Never trust me.
"The vote is closed," Gregor announced. "Elara Thornwood will remain at Moonscar Summit under protective custody. Council adjourned."
They filed out. One by one. Until only Kaelen, Mira, Dorian, and I remained.
"I'm sorry," Kaelen said quietly. "I tried to—"
"I know." I cut him off. "Thank you. For trying."
He looked like he wanted to say more. Wanted to fix this. But he couldn't.
The sun was setting outside. Casting long shadows through the windows.
I'd survived the deadline. Survived being framed. Survived the council's judgment.
But I was still trapped. Still caged. Still waiting for the next threat.
Dorian approached. Handed me something. The prophecy scroll. The one with Theron's signature.
"Keep this hidden," he said quietly. "We still don't know what it means. But it's important. Proof of what he's planning."
I tucked it into my clothes. Against my skin where no one would find it.
"What now?" Mira asked.
"Now we wait," Kaelen said. "And prepare. Because Theron won't wait forever."
They left. Giving me space. Time to process everything.
I stood alone in the council chamber. Staring at the setting sun.
Twenty-one days left. Until the Anchor Law forced me to choose. Until the bomb inside me detonated.
Twenty-one days to find a way out of this mess.
The sun disappeared below the horizon. Night fell.
And in my room, frost formed on the window.
I knew what it meant. Theron was watching. Always watching.
Waiting for his moment to strike.