Chapter 53 53. The artifact
Tabitha’s POV
“The Diamond Mountain has been in the Aldair family for more than a century. It ties the Crystal Ridge pack to the very history of Kaelara Island. Clarence Aldair, the first Alpha and founder of our pack, gifted this to his wife, Lucille, the first Luna. From that day on, it has been passed down to every Luna in our pack. Tarnishing it is not just an offense to the Aldair family. It is an insult to our pack and to the island itself.” His voice thunders throughout the whole room, almost making me jump. “Whoever did this has committed a grave crime. And in the name of Emery Aldair, the current Alpha of Crystal Ridge pack, I swear to punish the person responsible for this.”
The crowd hums in agreement, their piercing stares stab on my skin like invisible freaking daggers. If looks could kill, I’d be six feet below the ground now.
“Alright, hold your horses!” Reed cuts in, eyeing the crowd around us like they are some kind of nuisance. “A few hair strands don’t prove a damn thing. Anyone here could have gotten their hands on them. You think waving them around makes Tabitha guilty? Sounds more like a setup to me.”
“Bold words, young Aldair,” Alfred says, his voice sounding almost sarcastic. “But they reek of desperation more than reason. Do you truly suggest that the elders of this pack would stoop so low as to fabricate evidence? That is an insult to the very council that upholds our laws. The strands belong to the girl, and the scent confirms it. No amount of reckless shouting will change that truth.”
Fury burns in my gut, rising bitter in my mouth before I can stop it. “That’s not true! Didn’t you hear what I said earlier? I didn’t sneak into the artifact room, I didn’t touch that damned thing, I didn’t even step anywhere near it so how could you possibly stand there and say—”
Evren’s hand presses firmly on my shoulder, silencing me mid-sentence. For a moment my chest tightens, half-expecting him to scold me for raising my voice to the elders. But instead of berating me, he moves forward, placing himself between me and the elders.
“You want to claim that the council speaks of the truth but then you rely on scraps you call evidence that would not hold in any fair judgment,” Evren says, his voice calm but cutting like a blade of ice. “Hair can be stolen. Scent can be transferred. If you would condemn someone on evidence so thin, then it is not Tabitha who insults the council’s honor—it is the council itself. Do not mistake her silence for weakness or my brother’s outburst for recklessness. His words are sharper than most here would care to admit, and on this occasion, they strike closer to the truth than your accusations ever will.”
Alfred’s nostrils flare. “Watch your tongue, boy. You stand a breath away from calling this council corrupt. Do you think your father’s name will shield you from the weight of those words?”
“I am not shielded by my father’s name. And I don’t need it. I am speaking as a son of this pack who refuses to watch it rot under false certainty,” Evren fires back. I can actually see the mask of coldness cracking to give way to the subtle anger brewing in his eyes.
“Yeah. This whole shit show you’re presenting is smoke and mirrors dressed up as evidence. Anyone can see that,” Jace backs him up.
I glance at Yennifer whose expression instantly turns sour the moment Jace claps at her father. Eli also shakes his head disapprovingly as if disappointed at how the Alpha’s sons are acting.
“This has gone too far.” Ava lets out an exasperated sigh. “Can’t you see? She’s clouding your judgment! I know she’s your stepsister, but it should not be enough reason to ignore the facts that are laid in front of you. Any other hearing and you would have upheld the evidence without hesitation, yet here you are wasting time defending her against the very council that keeps this pack in order.”
“But this is not any other hearing, is it? You’re right. We’re going on around about this whole damn thing because she’s ours. She’s family. And you don’t fucking mess with the Aldairs unless you want to get the whole smoke from all of us,” Reed declares in such a firm voice I can hear him gritting his teeth. “Besides, evidence is supposed to be convincing. But yours are not. So far, all you have done since we got here is bore me.”
“And I thought Tabitha already made it clear that she never left her room the afternoon that the artifact was damaged,” Jace snaps back, shoulders squaring. “And there are witnesses who can prove it.” His eyes search the crowd until they settle on a face. “Kent. Step forward.”
A boy I don’t recognize stiffens where he stands before hesitantly making his way to the front. His steps are awkward, like every eye in the hall weighs on him.
“Tell them when you last saw Tabitha that day,” Jace orders.
The boy named Kent clears his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. “I… saw her at the Sharpe Hotel’s restaurant around noon. She was having a late breakfast. After that, I saw her walk back to her suite. I didn’t notice her anywhere else after that.”
“See?” Jace says, lifting his chin at the council. “She wasn’t sneaking around the artifact.”
Ava lets out a sardonic laugh. “How reassuring. The little pup who just got his wolf thinks his memory is enough to tip the scales. Should we all pack up and go home now that a boy barely out of his first shift has spoken?”
Kent’s ears flush red, his head bowing under the humiliation.
Renston lifts a hand, hushing Ava. “Let’s be more diplomatic about this. Kent, were you near Tabitha’s suite the entire afternoon?”
Kent shakes his head. “N-No, sir. I… went to the butterfly garden for a while.”
“Then how can you be certain she didn’t leave her room during the time you were gone?” Renston presses.
Kent opens his mouth to speak but no words come out. He looks embarrassed and unable to answer the question.
Alfred scoffs.
“He cannot. His testimony is paper-thin, and it proves nothing. A boy’s half-memory cannot outweigh evidence we can see and smell. Our case stands firmer than his words ever could.”
What? What even is the purpose of this hearing if we are not going to be heard? It’s useless if all these hotshot elders are just going to ignore our pleas and even the witness!
Renston exhales slowly, looking toward the brothers. “I’m afraid they have a point. This testimony alone doesn’t hold. Right now, the evidence ties Tabitha to the artifact, and nothing here proves otherwise. If you want to absolve her, you’ll need something stronger. Something solid to present today.”
“I think I’ve got what you need.”
The double doors slam open, echoing through the chamber. Luca strides inside with a smirk tugging at his lips. His hands are shoved into his pockets like he owns the room.
“Sorry,” he says, his tone infuriatingly casual. “I’m late.”