Chapter 180: The Mercy

Chapter 180: The Mercy
Sierra's POV

My heart started racing. I looked at Evelyn through the open door. She sat there with her hands in her lap. Her face was still wet from crying. Dr. Mara waited by the door. Her eyes were kind but serious.

"What's happening?" I asked Adrian. He squeezed my hand tight. "We need to go to the main hall now. The whole pack is gathering." Ben nodded. "Word got out about Evelyn and everything she did. They want justice Sierra. They want her punished."

My stomach dropped. I looked back at Evelyn one more time. She wasn't looking at us. She was staring at the floor like she wanted to disappear into it. "Give me five minutes," I told Adrian. He looked worried. "Sierra, we don't have much time. The pack is already angry." 

I pulled my hand free. "Five minutes. Please."

Adrian nodded slowly. He and Ben walked down the hall but I could feel their eyes on me. I stepped back into the room. Dr. Mara followed me in and closed the door. Evelyn looked up. Her eyes were red and scared.

"They know, don't they?" she whispered. I sat down across from her again. "Yes. The pack knows what you did. They're gathering now to decide what happens to you." Evelyn's whole body started shaking. "They're going to exile me again or worse. I know they are. I deserve it."

Dr. Mara moved closer. She put her hand on Evelyn's shoulder. "What happens next isn't just about what you deserve. It's about what's right. What helps everyone heal, including you." 

Evelyn looked at her with tears streaming down her face. "How can I heal from this? How can anyone forgive me?"

I took a deep breath. My mind was racing. I thought about Alexander, Adrian and all the pain Evelyn had caused our family. The lies, manipulation. Working with Marcus to tear us apart but I also thought about the broken girl sitting in front of me. The one who loved someone so much it twisted into something dark and poisonous.

"I need to ask you something," I said quietly. Evelyn looked at me. "If we give you a second chance, would you take it? Would you really get help and change?" 

She nodded so hard I thought her neck might snap. "Yes. Yes I swear. I'll do anything. I'll go anywhere just please don't send me away forever."

Dr. Mara cleared her throat. "There's a facility three territories over. It's for wolves who struggle with mental health. Depression, obsession, trauma. They have therapists and counselors. People who understand what you're going through." 

Evelyn's eyes went wide. "A facility? You mean like a hospital?"

Dr. Mara nodded. "Exactly like that. You'd stay there for six months, maybe longer if you need it. You'd work with professionals. Learn how to manage your feelings. How to build a life that isn't centered around someone else." Evelyn looked at me. "Would I be allowed to come back after?"

My throat felt tight. "That would depend on how much you grow and heal. Evelyn buried her face in her hands. "Everyone's going to hate me." I reached out and lifted her chin and made her look at me. "Then prove them wrong. Show them you can change."

A knock came at the door. Adrian poked his head in. "Sierra. It's time. They're waiting." I stood up. My legs felt shaky. Evelyn grabbed my hand. "Please don't let them kill me please. I'm carrying a baby. An innocent baby who didn't ask for any of this."

I squeezed her hand once then let go. "Come on. We have to face them together." Dr. Mara helped Evelyn stand. We walked out into the hallway. Adrian fell into step beside me. He leaned close and whispered. "Whatever you decide I'm with you. You know that right?"

I nodded. "I know." We walked through the corridors. My heart was pounding so loud I could hear it in my ears. When we reached the main hall the doors were already open. Inside hundreds of pack members stood waiting. Their faces were angry. Their eyes were cold.

Elder Maya stood at the front. She raised her hand and the room went silent. "Bring her forward."

Two guards took Evelyn by the arms. She walked like her legs might give out any second. They brought her to the center of the room. Everyone stared. Some people whispered. Some people looked at her with pure hatred. I walked up beside her. Adrian and Ben stood behind me.

Elder Maya looked at Evelyn. "You stand accused of conspiracy, of working with a traitor to harm our Luna. Of spreading lies and causing chaos in this pack. How do you plead?" 

Evelyn's voice was barely a whisper. "Guilty. I'm guilty of everything."

The room erupted. People shouted. Some called for exile, others called for worse. Elder Maya raised her hand again. 

"Silence. The Luna will speak." Everyone turned to look at me. I could feel the weight of their eyes. The anger, hurt. The need for justice.

I stepped forward. "What Evelyn did was wrong. There's no question about that. She hurt my family. She hurt this pack. She worked with Marcus to tear us apart." I paused. "But she's also pregnant and she's broken and throwing her away won't heal any of us."

Someone shouted from the back. "She doesn't deserve mercy!" Others agreed. The noise grew louder. I raised my voice. 

"Maybe she doesn't but we're not like Marcus. We don't destroy people when they fall. We help them stand back up."

Adrian stepped beside me. He addressed the crowd. "Sierra has the right to decide Evelyn's fate. She's the one who was hurt the most. If she chooses mercy then we honor that choice." Elder Maya nodded. "The Luna speaks with wisdom. What is your decision?"

I looked at Evelyn. She was crying again. Shaking and terrified. I thought about Alexander. About the kind of world I wanted him to grow up in. A world where mistakes meant death? Or a world where healing was possible?

"I choose redemption," I said clearly. "Evelyn will go to the rehabilitation facility. She'll get the help she needs. She'll work to become someone better, someone worthy of being a mother." The room went quiet. People looked shocked. 

Elder Maya raised an eyebrow. "You're certain?"

I nodded. "I am. But there are conditions. She stays at the facility for as long as the doctors say she needs to. She has no contact with Derek until she's ready to tell him the truth herself and she never comes back to this pack unless I personally approve of it."

Evelyn fell to her knees. "Thank you. Thank you Sierra. I won't waste this chance. I swear it." I looked down at her. "Don't thank me yet. Prove it. Prove that people can change."