Chapter 51 051

Chapter 51 051
Chapter 51

Thalia's POV

I told him everything.

About the confrontation with Shelly, how she'd provoked me and I'd reacted. About being thrown in the cell and Varian demanding an apology I wouldn't give. About standing there while he pronounced my exile in front of witnesses.

"He said I was to leave with no title, no protection, and no claim to pack territory," I said. "He said I could never return. Those were his exact words."

Arbiter Stone wrote something down. "And did you attempt to argue or negotiate these terms?"

"No," I said. "I accepted them and left."

"Why didn't you request a formal release instead?"

I looked at him, confused. "I didn't know that was an option. Varian said I was exiled. He told me to leave. So I left."

"Did anyone in the pack explain the difference between exile and release to you?"

"No."

Stone made another note. "And since leaving, have you had any contact with Alpha Varian or members of his pack?"

"Not until his wolves showed up in Greystone," I said. "Nobody tried to contact me or bring me back until now, over a month later."

Stone nodded and sat back. "Counselor Marcus, your questions."

The beta stood up and walked toward me. He had the same cold look I remembered from the pack, like he was evaluating me for weaknesses.

"You physically assaulted the Alpha's mate," he said. It wasn't a question.

"I pushed her away from me after she got in my face," I said. "I didn't assault her."

"You put your hands on her in anger."

"I defended myself when she was being aggressive toward me."

Marcus's expression didn't change. "Did you or did you not refuse a direct order from your Alpha to apologize?"

"I refused to lie," I said. "He wanted me to apologize for something that wasn't my fault. I wouldn't do it."

"So you admit to defying your Alpha's authority."

Elena stood up. "Objection. That's a mischaracterization. Refusing to give a false apology is not the same as defying legitimate authority."

Stone held up a hand. "I'll allow the question. Ms. Winters, answer please."

I tried to keep my voice steady. "I didn't think it was defying him to tell the truth. I thought he was being unfair, but I accepted the consequences. I didn't fight the exile."

"Because you knew you were guilty," Marcus said.

"No," I said firmly. "Because I knew arguing wouldn't change anything. He'd already made up his mind."

Marcus walked back to his table and picked up a paper. "According to pack records, you never formally requested release from your pack bonds. Is that correct?"

"I didn't know I needed to," I said again. "Nobody told me there was a difference."

"Ignorance of pack law doesn't exempt you from following it," Marcus said.

Elena stood up again. "Arbiter Stone, the responsibility for ensuring proper procedures falls on the Alpha, not on the pack member being punished. If Alpha Varian wanted to maintain pack bonds while exiling Ms. Winters, he should have made that clear. He didn't. He told her to leave and never return. Any reasonable person would interpret that as a complete severing of the relationship."

"Noted," Stone said. He looked at Marcus. "Do you have additional questions for Ms. Winters?"

"Just one," Marcus said. He looked at me directly. "Do you wish to return to Alpha Varian's pack?"

"No," I said immediately.

"Even if this arbiter determines you're still legally bound to it?"

I hesitated. That was the real question, wasn't it. "I would comply with whatever the arbiter decides. But no, I don't want to go back."

Marcus nodded like that was exactly what he'd wanted to hear. "No further questions."

I went back to my seat. My hands were shaking and I clasped them together in my lap. Elena leaned over and whispered, "You did good."

Next they called Shelly to testify.

She walked up looking small and nervous. When Stone asked her to describe what happened, her voice came out quiet.

"Thalia attacked me," she said. "I was just talking to her and she got violent. She pushed me hard enough that I fell."

"What were you talking about?" Stone asked.

Shelly glanced at Marcus before answering. "I was trying to help her understand her place in the pack. She'd been causing problems, acting like she was better than everyone. I was trying to be kind about it but she lashed out."

I wanted to scream that she was lying but Elena put a hand on my arm, holding me still.

"And after this incident?" Stone asked.

"Alpha Varian was very fair," Shelly said. "He gave her a chance to apologize and make things right. She refused. She was disrespectful to him in front of the whole pack. He had no choice but to exile her."

Stone wrote more notes. When it was Elena's turn to question Shelly, she stood up with a calm expression.

"Ms. Shelly, how long have you been Alpha Varian's mate?"

"Three months," Shelly said.

"And before this incident with Ms. Winters, had you two had any conflicts?"

"No."

"Really?" Elena pulled out a paper. "I have a statement from another pack member who says you'd been targeting Ms. Winters for weeks before the physical confrontation. Making comments about her status, her family, her worth to the pack. Is that true?"

Shelly's face flushed. "I may have said some things, but I was just being honest about pack hierarchy."

"Honest or cruel?" Elena asked.

Marcus stood up. "Objection. Ms. Shelly's motivations aren't relevant to whether the exile was legal."

"They're relevant to whether Ms. Winters's response was justified," Elena countered.

Stone considered this. "I'll allow it. Answer the question, Ms. Shelly."

Shelly looked flustered. "I wasn't being cruel. I was helping her understand how things work."

"By insulting her repeatedly until she finally reacted?" Elena said. "That sounds more like bullying than helping."

"I didn't bully anyone," Shelly said, but her voice wavered.

Elena let that sit for a moment before continuing. "When Alpha Varian exiled Ms. Winters, did you hear him say she could never return?"

"Yes."

"Did he say anything about her still being bound to the pack?"

"No, but—"

"Just yes or no, please."

"No," Shelly said quietly.

"So as far as you understood at the time, the exile meant she was no longer part of the pack?"

Shelly hesitated. "I guess so."

"Thank you," Elena said and sat down.

They called a few more witnesses after that. Marcus brought in two pack members who talked about pack law and tradition and how exiles worked. Elena called Ruth and Miller who talked about how I'd integrated into Greystone and built an independent life.

The whole thing took hours. By the time everyone had testified, I felt wrung out and exhausted.

Finally Stone held up his hand. "I've heard enough testimony for today. I'll need time to review the evidence and relevant precedents. This hearing is adjourned until tomorrow morning at ten, at which time I'll render my decision."

Tomorrow morning. One more night of not knowing.

We filed out of the hearing room. In the hallway, I saw Marcus and Shelly talking quietly. Shelly looked upset about something. Marcus had his hand on her shoulder, probably reassuring her she'd done fine.

"Come on," Ruth said, steering me away. "Let's get something to eat."

We found a small restaurant near the council building. Nobody talked much. What was there to say? Everything depended on what Stone decided, and we wouldn't know until tomorrow.

That night we stayed at an inn near the council building. I shared a room with Ruth. She fell asleep quickly but I lay awake staring at the ceiling.

Tomorrow the arbiter would decide if I was free or if I still belonged to Varian.

Tomorrow I'd find out if standing up for myself had been brave or just stupid.

Tomorrow everything would change, one way or another.

I just had to make it through one more night.