Chapter 199
I smiled enigmatically but didn’t answer.
Some truths weren’t meant to be shared. *Because in a previous life, they did the same to me.”
As the week progressed, the Werewolf Council’s trial loomed closer.
Before the proceedings began, I visited Linda in her holding cell.
She looked disheveled, her hair tangled and her eyes sunken with exhaustion.
The mask of innocence she once wore had shattered, leaving only hatred and bitterness behind.
Through the thick glass, her eyes blazed with fury as she spat, “Why do you keep targeting me? What did I ever do to you?”
I laughed dryly, the sound void of humor.
“Targeting you? I only retaliated when you forced my hand. But you’ve never been able to see your own wrongdoing, have you?”
Her face contorted with rage, and I leaned closer to the glass, my voice icy.
“In case you didn’t know, Ryan actually did me a favor. He handed over all the evidence of your
crimes.”
Linda’s mouth opened slightly, her confusion evident, but I wasn’t finished.
“And as for his promises to you–about forgiving you, making you Stardust’s Luna–it was all a lie. He used you to get to Arman, nothing more. He never loved you, Linda. Not from the beginning and certainly not now.”
Her exp
expression crumbled, the weight of my words crushing her last shred of hope.
Without another glance, I turned and left her staring blankly after me.
Just when you thought you had everything, you watched it all burn to ash. That’s what happened to me in my previous life. This time, it’s your turn.”
The day of the Council’s trial dawned bright and clear.
The Alpha’s Substiture Fauer. A Heart Claim A Soul Rebern
199
The courthouse steps were crowded with onlookers and reporters, their murmurs filling the air like static. Inside, the atmosphere was tense, the room buzzing with anticipation.
The sound of the Elder Judge’s gavel echoed through the chamber, silencing the crowd as the proceedings began.
Outside, a flock of white pigeons took flight, their wings beating against the clear sky.
One by one, the witnesses came forward, recounting the many ways Linda had tormented them.
The incidents piled up–bullying, arson, impersonation of a university student.
The weight of her actions sparked outrage online, where public opinion turned sharply against her.
Linda sat rigidly, her once confident demeanor shattered.
She looked smaller somehow, as if the magnitude of her downfall had physically diminished her.
Arman, however, was absent.
Overdosed by Linda’s poisonous potions, he was reportedly too weak to attend.
Ryan sat silently in the defendant’s seat, his gaze locked on me in the audience.
His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were dark, filled with a strange mix of possession and malice.
The chill in the air wasn’t just from the frigid council chamber; it was a chill that settled deep in my chest.
My hand trembled slightly until Lirian’s warm grasp steadied me.
His fingers wrapped around mine with the kind of reassurance that needed no words.
“You’ve got this,” he whispered, his voice low and steady, and in his eyes, I found the strength I desperately needed.
I met Ryan’s piercing gaze from across the room.
His intensity was unrelenting, but I refused to flinch. Instead, I gave him a smile–soft, warm, and filled with finality.
“It was the kind of smile that said, “You hold no power over me anymore. The effect was immediate;
Ryan stiffened as if the smile scorched him, and he turned away abruptly.
The Alpha’s Solistuute
Heart Claimed. A Soul Reborn
The Elder Judge’s voice boomed, drawing everyone’s attention back to the center of the room.
Ryan Pelinda, Linda Borrell, and Arman Sterling,” he began, his tone grave, “the Council finds you guilty of treachery, corruption, and endangerment of the Pack. Linda Borrell and Arman Sterling are sentenced to permanent expulsion. Ryan Pelinda, deemed a severe threat, is sentenced to life imprisonment.”
The gavel struck, echoing like thunder.
The weight of the judgment hung in the air, thick and suffocating.
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the chamber, but I remained silent, watching as the enforcers moved forward to escort the condemned.
When it was all over, one of the council staff approached me hesitantly.
“Sophia, Ryan has requested to see you. It’s his only request.”
I froze.
My first instinct was to refuse.
I owed him nothing–nothing at all. But the way the staff lingered, almost pleading, made me pause.
I turned to Lirian, silently seeking his opinion.
He squeezed my hand, his eyes calm and understanding.
“It’s your decision,” he said. “I’ll be here,”
Taking a deep breath, I nodded. “I’ll see him, but only for a moment.”
The room where Ryan waited was stark and cold.
Lirian remained outside, his steady presence a comfort even at a distance.
Inside, Ryan sat shackled to a steel chair.
His face was pale, his hair disheveled, but his eyes still burned with that same intensity.
