Chapter 30

Chapter 30

The throne room of the Northern Kingdom was filled to capacity. The white stone pillars were adorned with fresh tapestries, bearing the colors of Kilian’s banner and that of his newly crowned Luna. The air was thick. Not from lack of oxygen, but from tension. Everyone knew something important was about to happen.

The most prominent members of the council were present: the elders, the squadron captains, the alphas of allied packs, and Kara’s father—old Alpha Calian—who stood in the left corner, tense as if something pressed against his chest.

Since the day before, he had heard nothing from his daughter. His bond with her felt weakened, nearly silenced, and though he tried not to panic, his paternal instinct consumed him. He had requested a private audience with the Alpha King, but had been told to wait… and now he was here, waiting for answers.

Kilian entered, flanked by his alphas. His presence was as commanding as ever, but his gaze lacked its usual fire. He looked serious, dominant, with the aura of a leader about to make an irrevocable decision. At his side walked Abigaíl, dressed in a sober yet majestic outfit—the Luna of the Northern Kingdom. Silent, yet alert. Her blue eyes gleamed, ready for whatever came next.

—Thank you for coming on such short notice —Kilian began, taking his place on the throne—. Today we are not gathered for celebration, nor for political matters. We are here for a truth that must come to light… and for justice.

A murmur swept through the hall.

—Yesterday, during the attack that endangered the lives of my people, we captured several deserters. Dishonored wolves, known as the Greys, who once rejected royal command and chose anarchy in exchange for power. In exchange for promises... —he paused, letting the words sink in—. These deserters confessed to being summoned, guided, and encouraged by someone from within the castle.

Many faces turned pale. Others, confused.

—That person not only betrayed all of us… —he continued—. But conspired with them to assassinate me, seize the throne, and subject this kingdom to her will.

Abigaíl lowered her gaze for only a second, feeling the weight of the moment. Then she lifted it again, steady. She knew what was coming.

—Ian. Gabriel. —Kilian’s voice echoed with authority—. Bring her in.

The doors swung wide open.

The sound of firm footsteps echoed against the stone floor. Gabriel walked to the right, Ian to the left, escorting between them a hooded figure, shackled with silver-forged restraints. When they shoved her into the center of the hall and pulled back her hood, several gasps escaped.

Kara. Disheveled. Scratched. The marks of battle still visible on her skin, but no less defiant. Her gaze instantly sought her father. Calian stepped forward, horrified.

—What is this!? What have you done to my daughter!?

—Calian —Kilian said, maintaining a calm tone—. I respect you as an alpha and as a father, but I ask that you listen before you judge.

Gabriel stepped forward with a scroll and began to read:

—“Kara, daughter of Alpha Calian, is formally accused of conspiracy against the Northern Kingdom, attempted assassination of Alpha King Kilian, betrayal of her pack, and direct collaboration with the Greys, to whom she provided routes, logistical support, and promises of dominion once the throne was seized.”

The hall fell into absolute silence. Only the echo of breath remained.

Ian added:

—She was captured at the kingdom’s borders. She attempted to flee after the battle, and though her wolf resisted, she was subdued without lethal force. We found her carrying letters marked with the Grey pact… and a written promise of land in exchange for loyalty.

—How do you plead to these accusations? —Kilian asked, without blinking.

Kara raised her face. Her eyes burned with fury, frustration… and something else—perhaps madness.

—That throne was meant to be mine. MINE! —she shouted, making some step back from the power in her voice—. The pack knows it! The whole kingdom knows it! For years, you waited for your Luna, one who never came. A queen who would lead with strength, with vision! Not some human disguised as a wolf!

Abigaíl remained still… until Kara turned her burning gaze directly at her.

—That woman is a fraud. She’s not even one of us! She doesn’t know our customs, our blood! She cannot be queen!

The silence was broken by a single voice: Abigaíl’s.

—I have nothing to prove —she said firmly, her voice slicing the air like a blade—. Yesterday, the entire kingdom witnessed what its Luna can do… who I am, and what I’m made of. I fought, bled, and defended this throne with more honor than you have in all your years of ambition.

All eyes turned to her.

—You think that because you carry pure blood, you deserve more. That the crown should fall into the hands of the one who shouts louder or strikes harder… but you are wrong. The crown is held by the one who protects, who sacrifices, who leads with soul, not resentment.

Kara let out a sharp, unhinged laugh.

—And you think you were chosen by the goddess? You—a shadow of a woman who wasn’t even born a wolf?!

—I wasn’t chosen by chance —Abigaíl replied, stepping forward—. I was sent for a purpose, even if I didn’t understand it at first. But now I do. I didn’t come just to change the fate of this kingdom... I came to save it from wolves like you.

Kilian rose, his expression hardened.

—Kara, you did not only betray your king… you betrayed your people. You manipulated others to fulfill your desires, put children, families, elders at risk… all out of greed.

Kara’s father tried to intervene, but she stopped him with a scream.

—Don’t defend me! I need no compassion, no forgiveness! I deserved that crown!

—What you deserve —Kilian said in a dark tone— is a fair trial, like any traitor of this realm.

He turned to his alphas.

—Take her away.

Gabriel and Ian took Kara by the arms once more. This time, she did not resist. She simply walked with her head high, as if her pride could still hold her. Before exiting, she turned one last time toward Abigaíl.

—You will regret this. Sooner or later… everyone will see who you really are.

—Or perhaps… they’ll finally see who I truly am —Luciana replied without hesitation.

The doors closed behind Kara, and a grave silence settled over the hall. Kilian sat again, his gaze sweeping over every face present.

—The kingdom has a strong queen. Not human. Not wolf. Something far more powerful: a leader with soul, with courage… and with the strength to unite us once and for all.

Abigaíl needed no more words. Recognition is not measured in shouting, but in respect earned on the battlefield, in truth… and in the heart of the people.

That morning, not only was a betrayal sealed. The bond between the king and his Luna was reaffirmed—between the past… and a new future.