Chapter 67 Unveiled Verdict
~Alaric's POV~
Morning light spilled through the broken rafters and shattered windows of the ruined estate.
Dust motes drifted lazily in the beams, glinting like fractured stars.
I stood amid overturned tables and scattered glass, the wreckage of last night's chaos stretching around me.
In my fist, I held the note Tazira had left.
The words still hit harder than any blow. Her flight wasn't just rebellion, it was a mother's escape and my daughter was gone with her.
My rage went hot, then cold. I shoved the grief aside; dwelling on it would do nothing but action would.
I pulled my phone out and opened the pack feed. Within seconds, screens across Dravenmere lit up: faces appearing in squares, warriors in barracks, elders in council rooms, and scouts perched on rooftops.
The murmurs died down as they realized I was broadcasting.
"Pack, truth rises today," I said, voice steady despite the storm inside me. "My brother's sealed letter in his grave confirms it: Elowen holds no blame for what happened. Poison came from another hand, born from envy and deceit. I maltreated an innocent woman and built my rage on lies. Please, spread this broadcast."
Faces shifted from confusion to shock to grim understanding. Some bowed their heads, others exhaled, tension drained from shoulders that had held old grudges for years.
For a long moment, no one spoke, then voices rose softly through the feed.
"So it was never her?"
"All this time…"
"Years wasted on innocent blood and bitterness."
Then I lifted my chin.
"I suspend my leadership until this storm settles. My focus turns to two trails: the relics, and my daughter. Tazira left in the night, and she took our child. Anyone who still trusts me, hunt with me and we restore justice first."
The feed cut, leaving the estate in hollow silence. Before I could take a breath, the phone buzzed again with Sylion's ID flashed.
I answered, "You saw the broadcast?"
"I did," he said, voice low and edged with reluctant respect. "Bold move but very risky too. Packs don't forget easily."
"They don't, but lies rot foundations faster than truth."
A brief pause, then Sylion exhaled. "Relic hunts link to this? Or separate wars?"
"Linked," I said, glancing back toward the ruins. "The trails run north and If we combine forces, we don't waste resources."
"I can spare scouts," he replied. "But I don't bow, Alaric. Cooperation, not allegiance."
"That's all I'm asking."
"Fine," he gave a faint sound, almost a chuckle. "I'll meet you at the northern pass in two nights. Bring your temper, not your army."
"Understood."
Then the line clicked dead. I pocketed the phone and looked at the note one more time, thumb brushing the ink as Tazira's words burned into me.
Then I stepped out of the ruins, leadership spirit lifted, and the burden of fatherhood doubled, making the hunt beginning...
★★★
~Elowen's POV~
The Velmira council chamber buzzed with quiet argument as news rippled across the capital.
Screens lining the walls displayed Alaric's live broadcast: his image clear, his confession ringing like a bell in a cathedral. The moment his final words faded, the room erupted in whispers.
"No blame? After so many years? She's innocent, truly?"
Elder Rhalan leaned in, brows drawn. "If his words hold true, we have spent a decade vilifying the wrong Luna."
"Not Luna," Elder Neris corrected sharply. "War widow and now exonerated. This changes alliances."
I sat at the head of the chamber, spine straight, hands folded over my knee. I expected to feel vindication, or triumph, or fury... but instead, I felt something quieter.
Hate's fire dimmed, leaving room for a strange gratitude I did not ask for.
"He speaks the truth," I uttered. "The past was built on poison and that ends today. Our next move is a joint summit with the Alphas. Since the relic chain affects us all, no more lone paths or secret hunts."
Elder Taviel narrowed her eyes. "A summit is wise, but dangerous. What terms do you propose?"
"Public apology from Alaric first," I replied. "Words restore nothing without weight. If he wants unity, he acknowledges the harm he caused, publicly."
Silence settled for a beat as the table considered it. Then one by one, the elders nodded.
"Agreed."
"Packs will heal under you, Elowen."
As the chamber emptied, the crack inside me remained... not anger, but like an old wound finally exposed to air. When the last elder left, my phone buzzed with a message from Sylion.
I answered, expecting logistics. Instead, his voice came through in a whisper, "I'm at your gate, bring no guard. It's easier that way."
"Is something wrong?"
"No, just urgent."
Curiosity outweighed caution. I slipped out through the side entrance and followed the walkway to the outer gate.
Sylion waited beside his dark jeep, map tube in one hand, scarf whipping in the wind.
"Heard Alaric's call," he said as I approached. "The world tilts when warriors admit they were wrong. I figured you'd need support, even if you won't ask for it."
He popped open the map tube and unfurled a vellum sheet across the hood of the jeep. Lines traced old trade routes, riverbeds, and mountain veins.
"What am I looking at?" I asked.
"Relic hint," he said, tapping a section marked with faded glyphs. "Tied to your bloodline because mine sings weak. If we hunt together, we will find it faster."
"My line?" I blinked, taken off guard but his gaze held mine.
"You know the old stories, the relic calls to your kind. The council won't say it, but everyone knows it's why Drazien chased you the way he did."
Wind rustled between us, lifting the edges of the map and I straightened. "Then we go together."
Then Sylion gave a single nod...
★★★
~Valerian's POV~
The night before the general summit dripped with storm clouds. Thunder grumbled over distant peaks, and the air hummed with the gate's faint thrum.
I watched from the veil at the portal's edge, cloak shifting around me like smoke.
In my arms, Tazira's girl slept under a hush charm, small body curled against my chest. Her lashes fluttered, breaths soft and even. She had not cried since I took her, too much charm for tears.
"Time," I murmured, more to myself than to her.
The portal split open with a low roar, and I stepped through. Sparks coiled around my boots as I entered the summit chamber.
Every Alpha turned sharply, chairs scraping stone. Elowen stood at the center, new authority wrapped around her like armor.
Her face drained of color as she saw the child. "Valerian?"
I dipped my head in a mocking greeting. "Good evening, talks pause now."
Gasps rippled around the chamber. Alaric surged half out of his seat, eyes fixed on the little girl in my arms.
I continued, "This child... Tazira's spawn, Luna's light... holds one key. But the boy?" I tilted my head, letting silence sharpen the threat. "The boy is my heir's vessel because he has hybrid blood, and a relic's true heart."
Elowen stepped forward, fury blazing. "Let her go now! And the boy belongs to no one."
"Belongs?" I repeated with a low laugh. "Yield your son, or she pays the toll."
Following my last words about Elowen's son, horrified silence fell. Alaric's jaw clenched, the Elders froze, guards fumbled for weapons and Elowen's expression turned sour from knowledge.
To save the child, she would have to expose the truth she buried all these while... And that was exactly what I wanted!