chapter 108
Tori's POV:
I could feel Megan's glare burning into my back as we walked away.
"That was amazing," Morgan whispered once we were safely around the corner.
Her eyes were wide with admiration. "I can't believe you just put Megan Howard in her place like that!"
I shrugged, trying to appear calmer than I felt. "Always backing down would just encourage her."
We continued our shopping, my phone vibrating.
Lucas's name flashed across the screen, sending an involuntary flutter through my chest.
I answered immediately.
"Hi," I said, my voice softer than intended.
"Little wolf." His deep voice rumbled through the phone, warming me from the inside out. "How's the shopping going?"
"Good. I think I've found something suitable for your mother." I adjusted the diamond necklace, watching how it caught the light. "Morgan's been helping me."
"Don't exhaust yourself," he said, concern evident in his tone.
The genuine care in his voice made something in my chest ache pleasantly.
"I should go," he continued after a brief pause. "Call me when you're finished?"
I realized he was waiting for me to end the conversation—not rushing me off the phone but giving me the choice. It was a small gesture, but one that showed respect for my time and agency.
Another warm wave washed through me.
"I will," I promised, smiling despite myself. "See you tonight."
Morgan was waiting with a knowing grin that made me instantly suspicious.
"What?" I asked, removing the necklace and carefully placing it back in its velvet box.
"Nothing," she sang, following me to the counter. "Just that you're practically glowing. Let me guess—Lucas Alpha called?"
Heat crept up my neck. "He was just checking in."
Morgan sighed dramatically. "I also want an Alpha just like him. Strong, powerful, but gentle enough to make his Luna smile like that."
"I'm not his Luna," I corrected automatically, though the denial felt increasingly hollow with each passing day."Not yet, at least."
After purchasing the gifts, we stopped for coffee.
Morgan was enthusiastically describing the last Grayson family dinner when I noticed a slender woman hovering nearby, her nervous gaze fixed on me.
My pulse quickened as I recognized her—Sophia Morris, Noah's sister.
She approached our table hesitantly.
"Tori? Could I speak with you for a moment?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, her eyes darting around anxiously.
Morgan raised an eyebrow, looking between us with curiosity.
"It's important," Sophia added, wringing her hands.
"I'll be right back," I told Morgan, who nodded but watched us carefully as we moved to a quiet corner of the café area, still within her sight but out of earshot.
Sophia's shoulders hunched as if carrying a tremendous weight.
She had the same amber eyes as her brother, but where his had been cruel, hers were guarded and tired.
"I can't stay long," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "My mother has spies everywhere."
From her purse, she withdrew a small encrypted storage device and pressed it into my palm.
"This contains an audio recording I made accidentally four years ago. It's Fiona Price and my brother Noah, plotting to lure you to our estate." Her fingers trembled slightly. "Fiona set you up. She told Noah you wanted him to claim you, that you'd been fantasizing about him."
My throat tightened. "Why are you giving me this now? Why not four years ago when I was on trial?"
Sophia's expression turned haunted. "I tried," she whispered. "I had the evidence ready to give to the Pack Council, but my mother found out."
Her voice became eerily calm, as if she was talking about someone else's life. "She was... furious."
"She nearly killed me," Sophia continued. "When I woke up from the coma, you'd already been sentenced, and the original recording my mother had destroyed."
She nodded toward the device in my hand.
"This is a copy I secretly made. My mother had powerful connections in enforcement. I was afraid if I gave it to the wrong person, she'd have it destroyed too. So I hid it."
"Now that our family's power has diminished, you can use this recording to petition the Council for a new hearing." Sophia looked at me, her smile crumbling as tears slid down her face.
"This time, they won't be able to twist the truth."
"Thank you," I managed to say, clutching the device.
I stared at the small device, still processing everything.
"I'm sorry," she continued, her voice breaking. "I was a coward. I knew what Noah planned, but I was too afraid to warn you directly. When I learned he'd invited you to our estate, I... I finally told your brother Ryan about it."
Her shoulders shook slightly. "I'm sorry. If I'd warned you sooner, you wouldn't have been tricked by Noah, and Ryan wouldn't have died trying to save you. It's my fault. All of it."
Sophia's eyes, so like her brother's yet so different, brimmed with years of guilt and regret.
She squeezed my arm once, then hurried away, disappearing into the crowd before I could respond.
I stood frozen, the weight of the device in my hand feeling impossibly heavy.
My brother had gone to Morris Manor deliberately to save me, not by chance.
As I walked back to Morgan, my mind was swimming.
That night when I woke on the floor, Ryan was already dying, his last words simply "don't cry." He never woke again.
I'd always wondered how he knew to find me there.
Now I knew.
---
Hours later, I stood on the moonlit terrace of Lucas's private residence, the cool night air caressing my skin.
I wore a simple pale blue dress that flowed around my ankles, my hair loose around my shoulders.
Lost in thought, I didn't hear Lucas approach until his warm scent—pine and winter frost—enveloped me.
His arms wrapped around my waist from behind, and I instinctively leaned into his embrace.
"What has my little wolf looking so far away tonight?" he murmured against my hair, his voice a deep rumble that vibrated through my body.
I turned in his arms, looking up into those impossibly blue eyes.
Something in my chest eased at the sight of him, and I found myself reaching up to touch his face, tracing the strong line of his jaw.
Lucas guided me to the wicker chair on the terrace, sitting down and pulling me onto his lap. His arms encircled me protectively as one hand began to stroke soothing patterns on my back.
"Your heart is racing," he observed, his lips brushing my temple. "Tell me what's troubling you."
I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal.
"Sometimes," I began carefully, "I wonder if the past is better left buried. If digging up old wounds only creates new ones."
Lucas's hand stilled on my back. "Is this about what happened at the ceremony? Tori, no one believes—"
"No," I interrupted. "Not exactly. It's just..." I took a deep breath and met his gaze.
"Today I received new evidence about what happened five years ago. Evidence that proves Fiona set me up."
Lucas's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you want to do with it?"
"I want to appeal my case," I said quietly but firmly. "Clear my name officially."