Chapter 65 The Weight of Mercy

Chapter 65 The Weight of Mercy

“She murdered James!”

“This is madness!”

The chamber erupted again, voices crashing into each other from every side of the room.

“You can’t just let her walk away!”

“She killed one of our own!”

“Execution is pack law!”

Lucian stayed silent beside Freda, watching her carefully.

Thomas did too.

Freda waited until the shouting peaked before raising her voice just enough to cut through the noise.

“She will be permanently exiled from every Silverpine territory and beyond under blood curse.”

The chamber quieted so suddenly the sound of rain outside became clear again.

Even Elena’s expression shifted slightly.

“A blood curse?” Reeves repeated carefully.

Freda nodded once.

“She will never cross our borders again. If she does, the curse will mark her as prey to every wolf bound under Silverpine law.”

Uneasy murmurs spread through the council seats.

It was an old punishment.

Older than most wolves in the room.

Rarely spoken about now except in stories.

Permanent.

Merciless in a different way than death.

Elena stared at Freda more carefully now.

For the first time since entering the chamber, uncertainty flickered briefly across her face.

Freda looked toward Thomas briefly before facing the council again. "This punishment will last longer than death."

Thomas lowered his eyes. Then he nodded once.

That decided it.

Reeves exhaled slowly before looking around the chamber.

“The council accepts the judgment.”

No one argued after that.

The decision settled heavily across the room.

Elena looked back at Freda with open disbelief now.

“You spare me?” she asked quietly.

Freda held her gaze steadily.

“No,” she said. “I want you to live with the consequences of what you’ve done. Just like your father.”

Something dark flashed through Elena’s eyes at the mention of Silas.

But she said nothing.



The ritual was performed before noon.

The rain had stopped by the time the guards dragged Elena toward the northern border stones.

Clouds still hung low over the forest, leaving the ground damp beneath everyone’s feet.

Nearly half the pack gathered to witness it.

Wolves stood silently along the edges of the clearing while ancient symbols were carved into the wet earth with silver blades.

Freda stood near the front beside Lucian and Thomas.

Evelyn knelt beside the markings, her calm voice carrying across the clearing as she prepared the oath.

The guards forced Elena onto her knees near the border line.

At first, she looked almost amused.

Then she noticed the symbols glowing faintly beneath the mud.

Her expression hardened instantly.

“You’re actually doing this,” she said sharply.

Nobody answered her.

“"You think this scares me?" she shouted as guards forced her to her knees.

Wind tore through the trees.

Silver flashed across carved symbols as the oath took hold.

Evelyn's voice remained calm. "By blood and boundary, you are severed from Silverpine."

The symbols ignited beneath Elena's feet.

She screamed. Not from pain. From rage.

"You should've killed me!" she shouted toward Freda. "I will come back for this! For all of you!"

Nobody moved.

Elena staggered backward beyond the border line, breathing hard.

Then she looked directly at Freda one last time.

Hatred burned there. Fierce and alive.

"This isn't over."

The wind carried her final words away as she disappeared into the trees.

Then she was gone.



Hours later, the cemetery sat quiet beneath fading evening light.

Rain still clung to the grass around James Reed's stone.

Freda stood alone in front of it.

The carved letters looked too small for everything his death had cost.

Footsteps approached softly behind her.

Thomas stopped beside her without speaking.

For a long time, neither moved.

Then Freda said, "Make sure they write his name somewhere permanent."

Thomas looked at her.

"He saved Liam's life," Freda said softly. "He should be remembered for it."

Thomas nodded once. "I'll handle it myself."

They stood together a moment longer.

Then Thomas left.

Freda stayed.



Three days passed before Thomas knocked on her door.

"Ironmoor sent a formal response," he said.

Freda stepped aside. "What kind?"

"Better than we expected."

They walked toward the council building together. Morning fog clung to the path.

Thomas carried a leather folder. "I followed your mediation framework. Point by point."

"You didn't need my permission for that."

"I needed your structure." He glanced at her. "You built it. I just filled in the blanks."

The council building stood quiet. Most members hadn't arrived yet.

Thomas led her to a small conference room near the back.

Lucian was already there.

He looked up when Freda entered. Something eased in his expression.

"Caden Voss accepted the session," Thomas said, spreading papers across the table. "No conditions. No delays."

Freda sat down slowly. "When?"

"Yesterday morning." Thomas pulled out a second document. "This is the original request Voss sent six months ago."

Lucian frowned. "I never saw that."

"No." Thomas's voice stayed neutral. "The council buried it before it reached you."

Lucian picked up the document. His jaw tightened as he read.

"They asked for shared hunting rights along the eastern ridge," Thomas continued. "Temporary access during their winter shortage. Nothing more."

Lucian set the paper down carefully. "And someone decided I shouldn't know about it."

"Someone decided the council should handle it."

"Clearly that worked well."

Freda watched without interrupting.

Thomas pulled out a third document. "I conducted the formal session this morning. Voss attended personally. So did their second."

"And?"

"We reached an agreement in one sitting."

Lucian blinked. "One sitting?"

"Your mediator's framework doesn't leave room for wasted time." Thomas glanced at Freda. "Voss agreed to shared access for four months out of every year.

Silverpine keeps full rights during peak hunting seasons. Both packs share enforcement along the ridge."

"That's better than anything we discussed before," Lucian said quietly.

"That's because nobody discussed anything before." Thomas slid the signed agreement across the table. "Voss signed an hour ago. I signed on your behalf."

Lucian read the document slowly.

When he finished, he looked at Freda.

"You did this."

"Thomas did this," Freda said.

"I followed your notes." Thomas shrugged. "You did the hard part months ago."

Freda shook her head. "You convinced them to sit down."

"I told them you defeated Silas Thorne in single combat." Thomas smiled thinly. "That helped."

Lucian set the agreement down. "Border tensions?"

"Dissolved." Thomas leaned back. "Ironmoor pulls their scouts back by tomorrow. We do the same. The ridge goes quiet by the weekend."

Freda exhaled.

She hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath.



Later that evening, Lucian found her on the eastern porch.

The fog had burned off completely. Stars were starting to show.

"Thomas gave me something," he said.

Freda turned.

Lucian held out a folded piece of paper. "Voss sent it with the signed agreement."