Chapter 220: Justice Unleashed

Damian's POV

From my position beside Lya on the stage, I watched with satisfaction as she began the proceedings against Councilor White. The man—once so arrogant and dismissive of my mate—now sat trembling in his chair. His fear was palpable.

When Kate appeared beside Lya, a soft blue-silver shimmer in her wolf form, White actually wet himself. The stain spread across his expensive trousers, and several people in the audience gasped or snickered.

"Councilor White," Lya began. "You will now tell everyone about your arrangement with Victoria Morrison."

White's eyes darted frantically around the room before settling back on Lya and Kate. "I... I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie to me," Lya said, her voice deceptively soft. "Tell us about the female werewolves Victoria provided to you over the past four years."

The councilor's face drained of color. "She... Victoria would arrange for me to have access to a female werewolf once or twice a year."

"And what did you do with these women?" Lya pressed.

White swallowed hard. "They were used for parties I hosted for friends. 'Fuck the virgin parties,' we called them."

"Initially, I just watched," White continued, his voice trembling. "After my mate died, I... participated more actively."

"And after these parties, what happened to the women?" Lya asked.

"Victoria would allow me to choose. I could either keep one for my personal use or return her to be used by others."

"Tell us about the last female Victoria gave you," Lya commanded.

White's eyes filled with tears. "I became... attached to her. I kept her in a cage at my home for eight months."

"And then?"

"Victoria threatened to help her escape unless I ensured Airina and Sophia would be exonerated and supported Damian being forced to mark and marry Airina."

"Why did Victoria always deal with you by phone?" Lya asked.

"To avoid the possibility of me using an Alpha command on her," White admitted. "Though honestly, I never thought to do that. I liked Victoria. We had similar... values."

"Councilor White," she announced, "you are no longer a member of the Supernatural Council."

White's head snapped up, panic flashing in his eyes. "You can't do that!"

"I just did," Lya replied calmly.

Lya took a deep breath and addressed the crowd. "Separating a werewolf's human from their wolf is like separating two halves of a soul. It's not something to be done lightly. I have decided I will only do this as a last resort and only when three conditions are met: first, the human half has shown little remorse, understanding, or capacity for change; second, the wolf has suffered continuously due to the human's choices; and third, the wolf wishes to be freed from its human counterpart."

She turned back to White. "Your case meets all three of my criteria."

Whispers erupted throughout the chamber as Lya approached White. I tensed, ready to intervene if necessary, though I knew she could handle herself.

"What are you going to do?" White asked, his voice cracking with fear.

"I'm going to release your wolf," Lya said. She placed her hand over his heart and began to recite a short prayer to the Moon Goddess.

White's body convulsed, his back arching as Lya continued her incantation. I could see the strain on her face—this was costing her physically. A bluish light pulsed between her palm and White's chest, growing brighter with each second.

Then, suddenly, it was over. White slumped in his chair, his eyes vacant. Where once I had sensed two entities—man and wolf—I now sensed only one broken human.

Lya stepped back, visibly drained. "It's done," she said. "His wolf has returned to the spirit realm where the Moon Goddess resides." She turned to one of the guards. "The woman he kept captive is being rescued as we speak. As for Councilor White, he will be taken to the council dungeons to await a more formal trial in a few weeks."

The crowd watched in stunned silence as White was led away.

"Next," Lya called, "Councilor Reed."

The process repeated itself with Reed, whose "quirk," as he called it, was his preference for women who could "take rough treatment." His wolf, too, was desperate for release, and Lya quickly made the same decision—removal from the council and separation from his wolf.

Councilor Mason followed, his crime even more disturbing. He preferred underage females. His wolf was perhaps the most eager to be freed, practically begging for release from the human who had corrupted it for so long. Lya granted its wish.

By the time Councilor Owen was called forward, the chamber was deadly quiet. Unlike the others, Owen sat down with confidence, immediately protesting his innocence.

"I've done nothing wrong," he insisted, his voice convincingly earnest.

Noah stepped forward with two recordings. The first was Victoria telling Noah she had recently discovered Owen's fascination with LGBTQ porn and instructing Noah to approach Owen with a deal: Noah would make custom videos for Owen in exchange for Owen helping Victoria.

The second recording was Noah approaching Owen with the deal. Owen admitted he had already spoken with Victoria and would agree if Victoria liked the male she had found for him. Owen approved of Noah's "casting" for the video, and they discussed scheduling.

I watched my parents and Sebastian carefully as the recordings played. My mother's face was filled with shock and shame. My father and Sebastian showed disapproval, but their expressions were harder to read. Airina and Sophia seemed unbothered, even dismissive of the recordings' contents. Victoria looked ready to murder someone, her eyes blood-red with rage.

After the recordings finished, Noah clarified that he had been working with Lya and me all along, and never intended to actually follow through with Victoria and Owen's proposal.

"Councilor Owen," Lya said, "you are removed from the Supernatural Council." She paused. "However, I will not release your wolf. It has not given up on you yet. You will still face trial in a few weeks and likely spend considerable time in the dungeons, but I sense some hope for you. There is still good in your wolf."

With four council seats now vacant, Lya turned to what I knew was her most nerve-wracking task—filling those positions. She had already selected three individuals who had repeatedly proven their commitment to justice even at personal cost, people both Lya and I trusted. Still, she was worried whether the supernatural beings she'd chosen would accept the appointments, with their heavy responsibilities, frequent travel, and often dramatic and dangerous affairs.

To her visible relief, when she announced her proposed replacements, none of them showed any hesitation or reservation. They seemed honored and accepted immediately. One seat would remain vacant for now.

Lya proceeded with the swearing-in ceremony for the new council members, the oath dictated to her by Kate. When she finished, the new Supernatural Council was displayed for all to see:

Lya Morrison

Ezra Taylor

Leo Wood

Jett Hayden

Dr. Isaac Miller

Adrian Martinez

[Vacant]

The werewolves in the ballroom cheered loudly at the changes, while the conservative wolves in the box grew tense and uneasy, knowing they’d soon face uncomfortable scrutiny.