Chapter 70 The Final Plan
Chapter 70 The Final Plan
The heavy silence inside the Moonlight Pack’s council chamber was broken only by the sharp, rhythmic tapping of Amber’s nails against the polished table.
Her jaw clenched, and her lips pressed into a thin line as she stared at the sealed letter in Aldrake’s hand — the official notice from the Elder Council.
“The second day of the trial…” Aldrake’s voice was low, controlled, but the flicker of irritation in his eyes betrayed him. “…has been postponed.”
Amber shot up from her seat, the chair scraping violently against the marble floor. “Postponed?!” she hissed. “For what reason?!”
“Livia’s health,” Aldrake replied, tossing the parchment onto the table as if the very words disgusted him. “They claim she’s too weak to attend the trial today. They’ve moved it to tomorrow.”
Amber began pacing back and forth, her fury barely contained. “How convenient,” she spat. “Too weak to stand trial but strong enough to play the victim. They’re buying her time — and for what? To twist the story? To gain sympathy?”
“Perhaps,” Aldrake said calmly, folding his arms as he leaned back against his chair. “Or perhaps the Lycan King is plotting something.”
Amber froze mid-step and turned to him, her eyes narrowing. “What do you mean?”
Aldrake sighed deeply, his mind racing. “Think about it, Amber. He knows our accusations hold weight — that we’ve planted enough doubt to make the Council question her. But if they have more time… they could gather counter evidence. They could try to discredit the witnesses.”
Amber’s brow furrowed. “But our witnesses spoke clearly. They all pointed to her. No one will believe otherwise.”
“Don’t underestimate Aldus,” Aldrake warned, his tone darkening. “He’s more cunning than he lets on. And despite what the Council believes, his heart is not as cold as he wants it to appear. He’s protecting her — I can feel it.”
Amber slammed her palm against the table, the echo reverberating through the chamber. “Then we make sure tomorrow is the final nail in her coffin. We don’t give her the chance to rise again.”
Her eyes glimmered with malevolence as she turned toward the towering window overlooking the Moonlight Pack’s training grounds.
“We’ll bring more witnesses. Stronger ones. Ones who will swear by the Moon Goddess herself that Livia betrayed the Silvermoon Pack.”
Aldrake’s lips curved into a slow, calculating smile. “Good. And I’ll have my warriors stationed near the Council hall tomorrow — as a show of strength. If anyone dares to defend her again, we’ll crush their spirit before they speak.”
Amber smirked, but deep within her chest, a shadow of unease stirred. “Do you think the Council suspects us?” she asked quietly.
Aldrake shook his head. “No. They think they’re leading this trial. But they’re not.” He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a sinister whisper. “We are.”
Meanwhile, in the Blood Moon Pack, Aldus stood by the window of his office, watching the first light of dawn stretch across the horizon. The rogues, the lies, the dark magic — everything was converging into one inevitable storm.
But this time, he was ready.
Tomorrow, the truth would no longer hide in the shadows. And when it was finally revealed, the ones who dared to destroy Livia’s name would face a reckoning far beyond their imagination.
Livia lay silently on the bed, still weak but no longer teetering between life and death. Her breaths were shallow but steady, her body sore as if every bone had been crushed and pieced back together.
The bitter taste of magic still clung to the back of her throat — a haunting reminder of the darkness that had tried to consume her.
She was awake now, but she hadn’t moved. Not yet.
The door creaked open softly, followed by the hushed voices of two familiar figures — Ria and Felly. They didn’t notice her open eyes, and perhaps that was for the best.
“Did you hear?” Felly whispered, glancing toward the bed before lowering her voice further. “The Council postponed the trial. His Majesty requested it himself because of her condition.”
“Yes,” Ria replied, setting a tray of warm broth on the side table. “And thank the Goddess they approved it. If they hadn’t, Luna Livia might not even survive another round of accusations today.”
Livia’s brows furrowed slightly. The trial… postponed?
She had no memory of what happened after the courtroom chaos — only fragments of pain, the taste of blood, and the distant sound of Aldus shouting her name. And now, it seemed the world had continued moving without her.
“I also heard something else,” Felly continued, glancing toward the closed door as if someone might overhear. “The King made another request… one that’s to remain a secret.”
Ria’s eyes widened. “You mean the witnesses?”
Felly nodded. “He asked the Elder Council to summon people from other packs — those who attended the unity celebration. He noticed that all the witnesses who testified against the Luna came from the Moonlight Pack. If others speak, it might expose the lies.”
Livia’s heart skipped a beat. Other witnesses? People who were there?
Hope — fragile and hesitant — stirred inside her chest. Could the truth finally see the light?
“Amber and Alpha Aldrake won’t expect that,” Ria added with a soft scoff. “They’ll walk into the next trial thinking they still have control. But they’re going to be blindsided when the truth comes from mouths they didn’t bribe or threaten.”
Felly sighed. “I just hope it’s enough. They’ve already done so much damage to Luna’s name.”
The two women continued speaking, their voices fading into a blur as Livia stared blankly at the ceiling. A part of her wanted to cry — from exhaustion, from gratitude, from the aching relief that someone still believed in her. But above all else, another emotion began to burn within her chest.
Resolve.
If the next trial was going to determine everything — her name, her dignity, her bond — then she would not cower behind a sickbed.
Slowly, she turned her gaze toward the window, where sunlight spilled over the horizon like a silent promise.
“I won’t let them win,” she whispered under her breath, so soft that even she barely heard it.
The battle wasn’t over. And this time, she would fight not just to clear her name… but to reclaim the life they tried to destroy.
The soft click of the door echoed through the room after Ria and Felly left, their whispers still lingering in Livia’s ears. They had been talking about the trial — how the Elder Council had agreed to postpone the trial and continue tomorrow, to give her more time to recover.
She should have felt relieved. One day meant more time to rest, to regain her strength. But instead, the news brought a hollow ache in her chest. The idea of waiting — of spending one more nights under the weight of everyone’s accusations — felt heavier than she had expected.
Livia let out a trembling sigh and stared up at the ceiling. The room was silent again, except for the faint rustle of leaves outside and the rhythmic beep of the heart monitor beside her bed.
She closed her eyes and allowed the silence to sink deeper — deeper until she was no longer listening to the sounds around her, but to the steady beat of her own heart.
It’s been a while, she thought, biting her lip. She hasn’t spoken to her wolf for so long…
“Lilly,” she whispered softly, her voice barely above a breath. “Are you there?”
For a moment, there was nothing but silence — and then a familiar warmth bloomed in her chest, like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.
“I’m here…” The voice was gentle, melodic — the voice of her wolf, calm and reassuring. “I’ve always been here, Livia.”
Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, pressing a hand over her heart. “I shut you out. I was scared… scared of everything that was happening. Scared of losing everything.”
“You haven’t lost me,” Lilly murmured, her voice echoing deep within Livia’s soul. “No matter how much pain they throw at us, no matter how many lies they speak — I will never leave you.”
A shaky laugh escaped her lips. “Are you… are you okay? After everything? The poison, the trial, the pain — I was terrified that I’d lost you too.”
A wave of warmth surged through her, and she felt Lilly’s spirit press closer, almost as if she were embracing her from within.
“I’m weaker than before, but I’m still standing,” Lilly answered honestly. “We both are. And that’s what matters. But, Livia…”
Her tone softened — not weak, but wise.
“We need to heal. Not just our bodies — our hearts. You need to stop blaming yourself for things you didn’t do. You need to remember who you are.”
Livia’s breath hitched. “And who am I, Lilly?”
There was a pause — and then a low, powerful growl echoed in her chest.
“You are the Luna of Moonlight Pack. My human. My other half. The woman who was born to lead, not to kneel. And when that trial resumes, they will see the truth.”
Her tears spilled freely now, but this time they weren’t born from fear. They were from something deeper — a fierce, aching strength that had been buried for too long.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her hand tightening over her heart. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”
“Never,” Lilly replied gently. “Because if you fall, I fall too. And I refuse to let us break.”
The bond between them pulsed stronger, like two hearts beating in perfect rhythm. The fear that had once wrapped around Livia’s chest loosened just a little. She wasn’t alone. She never had been.
As she lay back against the pillows, eyes drifting shut, she made a silent promise to herself — and to Lilly.
When the trial resumed, she wouldn’t face it with trembling hands and tearful eyes. She would stand — proud, unyielding, and ready to fight for the truth.