Chapter 174

Chapter 174
{Ronan’s POV}

‘This lying bastard!’

The air was thick with tension, the kind that could choke even the strongest wolf. My fist was mid-flight, moments away from breaking Bryan’s jaw, when it stopped cold. A grip held me firm, not trembling, not weak. My head snapped to the side, and the sight of him made my blood boil hotter than the fight itself.

Damon.

Of all people.

His calm face was a mockery of the storm raging inside me. “As your beta, I have a duty to keep you under control,” he said evenly, though his eyes flickered with something darker. “You cannot afford to ruin your image here.”

Get off me. Get off me. Get off me. “GET YOUR HAND OFF ME!” I yelled.

His words stoked the fire in my chest. My jaw clenched, and with a violent tug, I ripped my hand free from his hold. “You of all people preach to me?” My voice thundered over the crowd. “Step aside now, Damon. I will hurt you if I have to.”

Damon’s stance didn’t waver. He didn’t so much as blink. He dared to take another step closer, lowering his voice so it carried only between us, though I knew the Elders watched every move. “They are baiting you,” he muttered. “They know Lisa is your weak spot. If you hit Bryan now, they will twist it into weakness, into proof that Lisa blinds you, that she clouds your judgment. Please, I have everything we need to counter here.”

The laugh that broke from me was bitter, void of humor. “And why should I listen to a traitor? Tell me, Damon, why?” I spat his name like it was bile on my tongue.

“You stood there and let them tell lies about my wife. You expect me to stand idle while they drag her through filth? If defending her honor means losing this contest, then so be it. The title means nothing if she is humiliated in front of them all.”

My voice roared across the hall, loud enough that the banners hanging above seemed to quiver. Every eye was on me, but I didn’t care. Let them see the fury in me. Let them see that I would burn kingdoms for her.

Damon held his ground, shoulders squared. “Ronan, listen—”

“No!” I snapped, my chest heaving. “You forfeited the right to speak to me as a brother when you stood beside Lucien. Do not ask me to forgive that while she suffers insult after insult.”

I was ready to strike him next, to tear down this pretense of loyalty he clung to. My body was coiled, ready to lunge, when a smaller frame slipped between us.

“L—Lisa…”

Her eyes locked on mine, trembling yet resolute. “It isn’t worth it,” she whispered.

I stared at her, confused, infuriated, but bound. She lifted a hand, resting it against my chest, grounding me in ways no chain or claw could. “I can defend myself,” she said firmly, glancing at Damon who gave a subtle nod. “Let me speak. If you fight now, you give them victory without even knowing it.”

My wolf howled within me, protesting. Every instinct screamed at me to silence every insult with blood. Yet her touch weakened me more than any blow Lucien could land.

Damon’s voice slid in again, low but insistent. “She is right. Let her talk. And let me handle the rest.”

I cut him a glare sharp enough to strip flesh, my teeth bared. “Do not mistake this for trust. I want no help from you. If I step back now, it is only because she asked it of me, not you.”

My words definitely got to him each time. He couldn't deny it. But he took it all. Did he think this would be some sort of penance for everything?

Lisa’s fingers tightened against my chest, calming my thoughts. With a grunt, I took a step back, but never away from her. I stood directly behind her, my presence looming like a wall as she turned to face the hall.

The crowd murmured, whispers hissing like snakes until Lisa’s voice rose, steadier than I expected. “It’s true… I am human.”

Gasps rippled like waves crashing into stone walls. A chorus of disbelief erupted, but she raised her chin higher. “But everything else is a lie.”

Lena scoffed, trying to cut her off. Her voice was venomous, her smirk smug as if she had already won.

I took a step forward, my growl rolling across the chamber like thunder. “If you speak out of turn again,” I warned, “those will be your last words.”

The silence that followed was absolute. Even the Elders stilled, their gazes darting between us. Lena bit her lip but said nothing more, her pride swallowed.

Lisa’s shoulders shook, but she pressed on, brave in a way that made my chest ache with pride. 

“Yes I am human. But these two… these two are snakes. Bryan was my husband, once upon a time.”

She shook her head, remembering the life she lived all those months ago. “And he cheated on me with her.”

Lisa pointed at Selena. “To get what they wanted… They drugged me, aborting my child. I almost died because of them.”

Following this. She spoke of truth, of honor, of how every challenge she had faced in this world of wolves had only made her stronger. Her words painted pictures of trials she had endured, dangers she had survived, and the undeniable bond between us.

When her voice faltered, I filled the gap. “Even though Lisa is human, she has proven herself stronger than half the female wolves seated here today.”

I snarled. “Especially a cheater like Lena.”

I paused for a moment, then continued. “She has stood in blood, faced betrayal, endured storms none of you would survive, and she remains unbroken. If you want me to reject her, if you demand I abandon my mate, then you might as well crown Lucien now, because I will not do it.”