Chapter 12 Twelve
Back when my brother, Kyle, and I were still pretending to be Omegas in the Shadow Moon Pack, there were only a few who showed us any kindness. Aside from the other Omegas who believed we were like them, the only person who extended even a shred of care—a hand of friendship—was Carter Katz, the youngest son of Alpha Coleman Katz.
Though Carter didn’t say much, he was by far the most reasonable of his siblings, and of most of the students at the pack academy. And he was only fifteen. He never looked down on Omegas and was especially close with Kyle.
Yet now, standing before me with his head locked in the stocks of a guillotine, is none other than Carter Katz.
I rub my teary eyes with the back of my hand, trying to clear the image, but he’s still there. His head remains secured in place, his eyes dim and lifeless. Dried tear tracks mark his cheeks. He looks pitiful. But one question stabs through my mind:
What crime could a fifteen-year-old boy possibly commit to warrant execution by guillotine?
“Alpha Coleman Katz and his family have been found guilty of treason, and today the people of Māui will witness their execution,” King Sven declares calmly while I stagger from the blow of the information. Treason? How is that even possible?
Alpha Coleman and his Luna might have been complete assholes to me and the other Omegas, but I know one thing for certain—he loved his pack. And more than that, he worshipped King Sven. At one point, I was convinced he placed the King and their goddess, Cessi, on the same level of reverence. That was how devoted he was. So hearing this now? It sounds unbelievable.
“Gamma Caspian will recite the crimes and punishment,” King Sven adds before taking his seat again.
His eyes remain on me, but I don't pay him any attention. My eyes instead find the Gamma who’s now stepped beside Carter’s kneeling form. He’s barrel-chested, towering, dark-skinned, with platinum silver hair tied into a man bun. He's holding the flag of the Kingdom of Māui in one hand, and rolls of parchment in the other.
He clears his throat and begins reading.
Each accusation lands like a hammer to the chest.
Alpha Coleman and his wife allegedly tried to conspire with other Alphas across the Kingdom to overthrow King Sven. They falsified pack expenses to embezzle extra bags of denarii. They withheld taxes meant for the palace council and maintenance of the roads.
But none of that is what steals my breath. No, it’s the final charge.
“... Carter Katz, last born of Coleman Katz and Karina Katz, has been found guilty of high treason after aiding the escape of a Fae imposter from the shadow moon pack,” Gamma Caspian reads.
There's a uniform gasp from the crowd as some begin to sing, “Kill the boy. He's a traitor. Kill the Katz. They're snakes in werewolf skin. No mercy for traitors. Don't heed to their pleas. Once a criminal, always a criminal.”
And me? I’m stunned. Completely floored. I knew Carter had a soft spot for my brother—but I never imagined he helped him escape. I don’t even know how to feel. I don't know if I should be happy that my brother has fled the shadow moon pack safely or if I should be sad that Carter is getting so severely punished for helping my brother.
I shake my head to rid it of thoughts as I look up at Carter again. This time, he's staring at me. There’s a faint light in his once-empty eyes—and the ghost of a smile tugs at his lips.
That smile guts me.
Carter doesn’t deserve to die.
No. He doesn't. Not for helping my brother to safety.
Without thinking, I turn and bolt toward King Sven’s platform. The shackles around my ankles weigh me down, but I keep running. I don’t know what I’ll do once I reach him—I just know Carter can’t die. The rest of his family could be butchered like animals for all I care—but not him.
Guards move to intercept me, but King Sven raises a hand, signaling them to stop.
“Have some mercy. You can’t kill him!” I shout, breathless, as I reach the platform where King Sven sits beside Katniss Whitlock. “He’s just a boy!”
“A boy who knows his right from wrong,” King Sven replies coldly, lifting an eyebrow. “The son of an Alpha—well, a former Alpha now. He was raised to understand the laws of this Kingdom. Aiding your brother is high treason. If anything, he deserves to be a victim of my handbook. But I’m sparing him with a quick death by guillotine. Tell me, Little Fae, isn’t that mercy enough?”
“Take your anger out on me. Not him,” I beg, lowering my head. The crowd has gone quiet, watching us. “His only crime was being too kind. He doesn’t deserve death for it.” My voice breaks as I add, trembling, “Please, King Sven.”
Pride be damned.
Silence. A long, drawn-out silence from King Sven, and my hands grow clammy. Tears drip freely down my face now. Inwardly, I pray—plead—to my goddess, Elysia. Just let him live.
Rather, what I hear is, “Bring out the rest of the Katz family and read their punishment so the execution may commence. Give me a show,” From none other than King Sven himself, followed by a cheer from the crowd.
My head snaps up. My chest tightens painfully. I fall to my knees, begging, sobbing—but he doesn’t acknowledge me. Katniss snickers beside him.
“Stop crying, little Fae. You don't want to watch the show in a blur now do you?” King Sven asks just as he waves some of his guards over. There's a sadistic glint dancing in his eyes. His lips curl into a faint, cruel smile as he picks up his goblet again. “Hold her up and let her watch the execution. I want her to see how the existence of her and her brother is enough to cause pain and sometimes death to others.”
Two guards seize my arms and haul me upright. I don’t resist. What’s the point? I feel utterly useless. I couldn't even save my brother, and the one person that did that for me is now going to be decapitated all because of it.
Coleman Katz and the rest of his family are brought up to the platform by some palace guards.
Gamma Caspian steps forward once more, his boots echoing ominously on the wooden platform as he unrolls a second parchment. The crowd falls silent again, the atmosphere dense with tension for what's to come.
“In accordance with the Kingdom of Māui Royal Decree on Treason,” he announces, voice loud and echoing. “Alpha Coleman Katz and his family shall be executed for their crimes against the throne and the people.”
A wail breaks from Collins as two guards grab him by the arms. Eliana doesn’t react—her body remains still, her head bowed like a broken puppet. Karina Katz begins to mutter under her breath like someone who has lost their mind, her eyes wide and unfocused as she shakes her head in denial.
Coleman doesn't plead. He just stares at the floor in resignation.
“Eliana Katz’s case has been reviewed by the council after an appeal. We’ve decided she will serve sixty years as a slave to the Kingdom,” Caspian announces.
I hardly register the words as I await Carter's fate. Eliana’s sentence means nothing to me.
“All traitors, besides Eliana Katz, will be beheaded by royal order,” he continues, “starting with the youngest.”
My breath catches.
“No!” I scream, struggling against the guards holding me. “Not him! He’s just a child!”
But no one moves to stop it.
A guard walks up behind Carter, placing a firm hand on the back of his neck to brace him. The executioner, clad in black with a mask on his face, strengthens his grip on the handle of the guillotine’s release.
Carter’s eyes meet mine once more.
There’s no fear in them now.
Only peace.
And that damn, gentle smile.
“Carter…” I whisper, my voice breaking, “Thank you, and I'm… sorry.”
He blinks slowly. One tear slips down his cheek.
The blade is raised.
“Don’t do this!” I scream again, louder this time, desperation cracking every word. “Please! King Sven, I’ll do anything! Just—just don’t kill him!”
But King Sven doesn’t flinch. He leans back on his seat, swirling the wine in his goblet, completely unmoved. Katniss leans toward him, whispering something in his ear that makes him chuckle.
“Execute him,” King Sven commands without even looking.
The crowd roars in approval.
“No! No—!”
The blade falls.
A sickening thunk slices through the air.
Gasps ring out— a small number horrified, the majority thrilled.
My scream rips from my chest so violently it steals the breath from my lungs. My knees give out again, but the guards keep me upright. I try to look away, but one of them grips my jaw and widens my eyes and forces me to look.
I see Carter’s head roll to the floor like a ball as his lifeless body slump forward.
Blood pools at the base of the guillotine.
The crowd cheers. Louder.
My vision blurs as hot tears flood my eyes, falling fast and hard, soaking into my dress. I don’t feel the weight of the shackles anymore. I don’t feel anything but the cold, unrelenting emptiness of helplessness.
Carter Katz is dead.
Because he saved my brother.
Because he believed in kindness.
Because he believed in humanity.
And now, the rest of his family waits their turn.