Chapter 90 Luca
“She should be executed before the next full moon.”
The words hit the council chamber like a hammer and every wolf’s head snapped toward the speaker even the fire seemed to dim in shock for a heartbeat.
Rafe was leaning against the far wall, jaw ticking but calm, like he wasn’t expecting to be dragged into this mess. I, on the other hand, had been expecting it. I’d spent weeks watching the council argue over her fate, and now it was happening. Right here in front of my father.
At the head of the table, Alpha Dorian Hale leaned back in his chair expression unreadable. Silver streaked his dark hair, but his gaze remained focused sweeping over the room with that quiet authority that made the entire chamber hold its breath.
I stayed seated, my hands resting lightly on the edge of my chair. Garrick slammed a fist on the table. He was a stout fellow with broad shoulders and ginger coloured hair.
“We all know the law!” he barked. “Humans who interfere with the pack, draw blood from our wolves, there is only one punishment which is execution. And she has earned it.”
Some of the younger wolves thumped their fists against the table in agreement. I didn’t blame them. Sienna had proven herself lethal. Twice. I remembered the last fight—the sharp sting of her blade across my ribs and the way she had driven me back against the trees. My wolf itched for revenge.
Rafe straightened, stepping away from the wall. “We’re talking about a human who’s trying to survive. She’s dangerous, yes but she’s not reckless with the pack’s secrets.”
I wanted to snarl. Survival? The girl had drawn blood from me. She’d attacked my people and is a hunter, now Rafe was defending her. I clenched my fists under the table cause a future Alpha doesn’t display silly emotions.
Garrick’s eyes snapped toward Rafe. “Survival? That’s what you call it? She’s attacked pack members! She’s caused injuries! Do you think blood has no weight here?”
“She’s human,” Rafe said evenly. “Humans fight differently. She’s reacting out of instinct and killing her won’t erase the past, it’ll just make us the monsters we claim not to be.”
A low rumble moved through the room. Some wolves whispered agreement. Others thumped the table in irritation. Everyone was thinking the same thing: Sienna had to die.
Bram leaned forward, rubbing his jaw slowly. “Fear has kept this pack alive,” he said. “The girl has drawn blood and interfered in our affairs. One wrong move and the pack suffers. That is the price of mercy.”
“Then control her,” Rafe snapped. “Restrict her movements and let her prove she’s not a threat anymore. Killing her solves nothing. It just teaches the pack to bow to fear instead of reason.”
I forced myself to breathe slowly. My wolf snarled restless beneath my skin but I stayed calm.
Garrick barked a laugh loud enough to cut through the murmurs. “Control a human? You’ve clearly never tried.”
“Maybe not,” Rafe said, meeting his glare without flinching. “But at least I’m arguing for a solution instead of a corpse.”
Some younger wolves along the walls shifted in surprise. They hadn’t expected anyone to challenge Garrick like this. I studied my hands. The scar across my forearm burned faintly under my skin, a reminder of Sienna’s skill and her willingness to hurt me. My wolf wanted to hunt and demand justice for every cut and bruise she had left behind.
My father’s gaze finally flicked toward me. I met it without flinching. After all, I did inform about Sienna being the hunter.
Rafe continued, undeterred. “She hasn’t run to humans, hasn’t exposed us, and betrayed the pack intentionally. That counts for something. And if we allow the pack to kill her, what message does that send? That fear outweighs reason? That instinct always wins?”
I felt my jaw tighten. Sienna had hurt me. Hurt my people and he was making her sound like some misguided child. I could feel the tension coiling in my chest. My wolf wanted to leap across this table and silence Rafe before he could sway anyone else.
My father leaned forward slightly and silence descended immediately.
“You are arguing for mercy,” he said, voice calm, carrying easily across the stone chamber.
“Yes, Alpha,” Rafe said without hesitation. “I believe she deserves a chance to prove she isn’t a threat.”
There was another long pause then my father’s gaze moved toward me. I stayed still and controlled. Finally, Alpha Hale leaned back. “The council has heard the arguments and no execution will take place tonight.”
A ripple of surprise ran through the chamber. Younger wolves exhaled quietly and some elders frowned muttering under their breath.
“Until the next council gathering,” my father continued, “the human will remain under observation and no wolf may harm her without my direct order.”
Rafe let out a quiet breath of relief leaning back slightly. He had won a temporary reprieve for Sienna but the room was far from settled. The council then dissolved into smaller conversations, wolves standing and arguing quietly among themselves. I remained seated, my eyes on the hearth thinking about the next time I might cross paths with Sienna.
The next reminder that humans could hurt wolves even ones like me and I wondered how long it would take before someone in the council decided the risk was too great.
Before they made her pay and also what would happen to me if that day came. Because one way or another, Sienna was still alive. The hunter who had hurt me, challenged us, and threatened everything we stood for was still walking the world, and she wasn’t done yet.
The pack’s future, my father’s authority, and Rafe’s mercy, would all be tested the moment the council’s patience ran out.
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
Why do you think Rafe’s defending Sienna? The council has made a decision or have they? Sienna has drawn blood. She has proven she can hurt wolves and yet she still lives. Will the pack ever see her as more than a threat? Will Luca’s wolf thirsting for retribution, can he stay silent while the hunter he has every reason to hate walks free?
Secrets, scars, and grudges run deep in the Hale pack. How long before instinct, fear, and loyalty collide, and someone finally pays?
I’d love to hear your thoughts, my lovelies❤️.