Chapter 71 The Verdict
They took Marcus away on a stretcher, Mora working to stabilise him while guards surrounded them with weapons drawn. Young Sera watched until they disappeared around a corner, then looked down at her shaking hands.
Blood. Her father’s blood. Still warm on her skin.
“Come,” Maya said gently, appearing at young Sera’s side despite having nearly been killed moments ago. “Let me clean you up before we return to the conference hall.”
“You almost died. I should be taking care of you.”
“You saved my life. Now let me help you. That is how this works. We take care of each other.”
Maya led young Sera to a nearby washroom while the warriors began clearing the scene. Kai started to follow but Maya shook her head. “Give her a moment. She needs to process this without an audience.”
In the washroom, Maya wet a cloth and began cleaning the blood from young Sera’s hands with gentle, methodical movements. The water in the sink turned pink, then red, then pink again as Maya worked.
“I stabbed my father,” young Sera said, her voice hollow. “I actually stabbed him.”
“You defended someone who could not defend herself. You did exactly what a Luna Queen should do.”
“It does not feel like something to be proud of. It feels horrible.”
“Good. That means you are not a monster. Monsters enjoy violence. Leaders do what is necessary and feel the weight of it afterwards. You are allowed to feel horrible about this. You are allowed to grieve what this moment cost you.”
Young Sera looked at Maya through the mirror. “He was going to kill you. I saw his claws aimed at your throat. I just moved. Did not think. Just moved.”
“And I am alive because you did. That matters more than how it feels.”
The door opened and Lyra entered without knocking. She looked at young Sera with an almost tender expression. “The council is reconvening. They want to continue with Victor’s trial. But you do not have to be there. You can rest. Let Kael handle this part.”
“No,” young Sera said, drying her hands. “I need to be there. Need to see this through. If I hide now, everyone will think I am too weak to handle leadership. Will think stabbing my father broke me.”
“Did it break you?” Lyra asked directly.
Young Sera considered the question honestly. She felt shattered. Felt like pieces of herself were scattered across the floor of that hallway where her father had fallen. But she was still standing and still breathing. Still capable of putting one foot in front of the other.
“No,” young Sera said finally. “It hurt me. Changed me. Made me someone who has killed another wolf, or tried to. But it did not break me. I am still here.”
Lyra nodded with satisfaction. “Then let us return and finish what we started.”
The three of them walked back to the conference hall together. The building’s power had been restored. Bodies had been removed. But evidence of the violence remained. Bloodstains on the floor. Claw marks on walls. The smell of fear and death lingered in the air.
When they entered the conference hall, every Alpha turned to look at young Sera. Some with respect. Some with horror. Some with calculation, were already wondering how to use what had just happened to their political advantage.
Victor Kane watched her intently, his expression unreadable.
Young Sera walked to her seat beside Kael with her head high and her shoulders back. She had blood on her clothes still. Had not changed because there was no time and because hiding the evidence felt dishonest.
Let them see. Let them know what she had done. Let them judge her for it if they want.
She sat down and met Victor’s gaze directly. “Ready to finish this?”
Something flickered in Victor’s eyes. Surprise maybe. Or reassessment. He had expected her to be broken by what happened with her father. Instead, she was here, blood-stained and steady, refusing to back down.
Richard Stone cleared his throat. “Before we continue with the formal verdict, I believe we need to address what just occurred. Alpha Marcus Blackwood attempted to kill an omega under this council’s protection. Luna Queen Sera defended that omega by wounding Marcus severely. Under normal circumstances, harming another Alpha carries serious consequences. However, the council recognises this was clear self-defence and defence of another. No charges will be brought against Luna Queen Sera for her actions.”
Relief flooded through young Sera. She had not even considered that she might face charges for stabbing her father. But of course in werewolf law, violence against an Alpha was serious, regardless of circumstances.
“Furthermore,” Richard continued, “Marcus Blackwood will face additional charges of attempted murder, escape, and killing two guards during his rampage. When he recovers, he will stand trial for these crimes along with his previous offences. The council expects these trials to result in permanent imprisonment or execution.”
Young Sera felt nothing at those words. Should have felt something. Relief or sadness or vindication. But there was just emptiness where emotions should be.
Her father would likely die for his crimes. And she could not bring herself to care.
“Now,” Richard said, turning his attention back to Victor. “We return to the matter of Victor Kane’s alleged crimes. The evidence has been examined. The witnesses have testified. Victor, you have heard all of this. Do you wish to present a defence beyond claiming fabrication?”
Victor stood slowly, his composure returning now that the chaos had settled. “I have one defence. The only defence that matters. I did what was necessary to protect werewolf society from a dangerous leader.”
Gasps rippled through the room. Victor had just admitted his guilt.
“Kael Thorne was becoming too powerful,” Victor continued, his voice taking on the tone of someone delivering a rehearsed speech. “He was centralising authority. Building alliances that would let him control multiple territories. He was positioning himself as High Alpha over all packs, something our society has rejected for centuries. I saw the threat. Saw what he was becoming. And I acted to stop it.”
“By murdering his mate?” Kael’s voice was deadly quiet. “By killing an innocent woman who had done nothing except love me?”
“Isabelle was not innocent. She was enabling your consolidation of power. Supporting your ambitions. She had to be removed to weaken you enough that other Alphas could resist your influence.”
“That is not your decision to make,” Maria Santos said sharply. “You do not get to murder Luna Queens because you disagree with their politics.”
“Someone had to act. Someone had to stop him before he became unstoppable. I took that responsibility. And I would do it again.”
The room erupted into shouting. Alphas arguing. Some support Victor’s twisted logic. Most condemn it as murder disguised as political necessity.
Young Sera stood, her voice cutting through the noise. “You are a coward.”
The room fell silent. Everyone turned to look at her.
“You are a coward,” young Sera repeated. “You saw Kael building something better than what you had. Saw him protecting omegas and creating alliances based on mutual benefit instead of dominance. And instead of competing honestly, instead of building something better yourself, you murdered his mate. You tried to destroy him from the inside because you could not face him directly. That is not a political necessity. That is cowardice.”
“You know nothing about politics,” Victor sneered. “You are a child who—”
“I know that my grandmother built the Northern Kingdom through honest leadership and protection of the vulnerable. I know that Kael continued that work after she died. I know that everything you claim to fear about his power is actually just you being afraid that packs who protect their omegas will be stronger than packs who abuse them. You are afraid your model of leadership is becoming obsolete. So you kill and manipulate and lie to maintain relevance. That is not a political strategy. That is desperation.”
Victor’s face darkened with rage. “You dare lecture me about leadership? You, who just stabbed your own father? You, who has been Luna Queen for all of three hours?”
“Yes. I dare. Because in three hours as Luna Queen, I have defended the vulnerable, told the truth, and faced threats directly instead of hiding behind assassins. That is more honest leadership than you have shown in your entire time as Alpha.”
The Alphas around the table were watching this exchange with rapt attention. Young Sera versus Victor Kane. New leadership versus old. Protection versus domination. The entire philosophical divide in werewolf society is playing out in one confrontation.
“The question before this council is simple,” Kael said, standing beside young Sera. “Do we condone assassination as a political strategy? Do we accept that powerful Alphas can murder those they disagree with and claim it was necessary? Because if we accept Victor’s defence, we accept that any of us could be killed by someone who decides we are becoming too powerful. We accept that our mates, our families, our pack members are all legitimate targets for anyone who disagrees with our politics.”
“Kael is right,” Katherine Williams said. “Victor’s defence is not actually a defence. It is an admission of guilt combined with a justification we cannot accept without destroying the foundation of pack law. We have rules about challenge and combat. If Victor truly believed Kael was dangerous, he should have challenged him directly. Faced him in formal combat. Won or lost on merit. Instead, he murdered an innocent woman. That is not a political necessity. That is simply murder.”
David Chen nodded. “I agree. Victor’s admission of guilt simplifies this. The evidence supports what he just confessed to. The only question remaining is punishment.”
Richard Stone looked around the table at the gathered Alphas. “Then we vote. All in favour of finding Victor Kane guilty of murdering Luna Queen Isabelle, conspiracy, and crimes against pack law, stand now.”
One by one, every Alpha stood. Even those who had initially supported Victor. Even those who looked uncomfortable with the decision. The evidence and Victor’s own admission made any other verdict impossible.
Victor Kane stood alone in a room full of people who had just condemned him.
“The verdict is unanimous,” Richard declared. “Victor Kane, you are found guilty of all charges. The punishment for murdering a Luna Queen is death. However, you have the right to request trial by combat instead of execution. Do you wish to invoke that right?”
Trial by combat. The ancient werewolf tradition where condemned wolves could fight for their freedom. If they won, they were released regardless of guilt. If they lost, they died in combat instead of by execution.
It was a brutal tradition. But it gave condemned wolves a chance, however small, to survive.
Victor’s eyes swept the room, calculating. Then settled on young Sera.
“I invoke trial by combat,” Victor said clearly. “And I choose my opponent. I challenge Luna Queen Sera to single combat. If I win, I go free and she dies. If she wins, I die and the Northern Kingdom keeps its precious young Luna. Let the gods decide who is worthy.”
The room exploded into chaos.
“That is not allowed!” Lyra shouted over the noise. “Combat challenges must be between equals. You are a full Alpha with decades of combat experience. She is an eighteen-year-old omega who has trained for two weeks. This is not trial by combat. This is execution disguised as law.”
“Pack law says the condemned can choose any opponent who holds a rank equivalent to or higher than a Luna or Alpha. Young Sera is Luna Queen. She qualifies. Unless you are admitting she is not actually legitimate in her position?”
It was a trap. A brilliant, vicious trap. If they refused the combat challenge, they admitted that young Sera was not really Luna Queen. If they accepted, they sent an untrained girl to fight a deadly Alpha warrior.
“I accept,” young Sera said before anyone could stop her.
“No,” Kael said immediately. “Absolutely not. I will fight him instead.”
“You cannot. He chose me specifically. Pack law says if the chosen opponent refuses, the condemned goes free. We cannot let him walk away.”
“Then we change the law. Right now. We vote to forbid combat challenges against opponents with massive experience disparities.”
“We cannot change the pack law in the middle of applying it,” Richard said reluctantly. “That would be worse than letting Victor go free. It would undermine the entire legal system.”
Young Sera looked at Kael, at Lyra, at Garrett. At all the people who had taught her and protected her and believed in her.
“I have to do this,” she said quietly. “Not because I want to. Not because I think I can win. But because refusing means everything we fought for today was meaningless. Means Victor walks free. Means Isabelle’s murder goes unpunished. I cannot let that happen.”
“You will die,” Lyra said bluntly. “Victor is one of the most dangerous combat Alphas alive. You have two weeks of basic training. This is suicide.”
“Maybe. But it is my choice. My decision as Luna Queen. And I choose to fight.”
Kael grabbed young Sera’s shoulders, forcing her to look at him. “I cannot lose you. Not like this. Not after everything.”
“You will not lose me. Because I am going to win.”
“How? How do you possibly think you can win this fight?”
Young Sera had no answer. No strategy. No clever plan. Just desperate hope and the memory of her grandmother’s voice.
Strength is not about never falling. It is about getting back up after you fall.
She had fallen many times. Been beaten down by her father for eighteen years. Been broken by grief when her grandmother disappeared. Been terrified by every challenge that had come her way.
But she always got back up.
She would get back up from this too. Even if it killed her.
“The combat will take place in one hour,” Richard declared. “Both parties will prepare. The council will witness. And the gods will decide who is worthy of survival.”
The Warriors began clearing the conference hall, creating space for the combat arena. Young Sera walked out with her pack surrounding her, everyone silent and grim.
One hour to prepare for a fight she could not win.
One hour to decide if she wanted to change her mind and let Victor walk free.
One hour to say goodbye to everyone she loved, just in case.
Kai grabbed her hand as they walked. “We will find a way. There has to be some strategy. Some weakness we can exploit.”
“Victor has been fighting for forty years,” Lyra said flatly. “He has no weaknesses young Sera can exploit with two weeks of training. This is impossible.”
“Then we make the impossible happen,” Garrett said firmly. “We have one hour. We use every second. We teach her everything we can. We give her every advantage possible. And we pray it is enough.”
They reached the private room and closed the door behind them. Maya was crying silently. Kai looked devastated. Even Lyra, fierce and controlled Lyra, had fear written across her features.
Only Kael looked calm. Terrifyingly calm.
“There is one way you can win,” Kael said quietly. “One strategy that might work. But it requires you to do something that will change you forever. Something that cannot be undone.”
“Tell me,” young Sera said.
“You let my wolf help you during the fight. You open our mate bond completely. Let my power flow through you. Let my combat instincts guide your movements. You become a weapon I wield through our connection.”
“That is forbidden,” Lyra said immediately. “Outside assistance during trial by combat is forbidden. If anyone detects what you are doing, young Sera forfeits and dies.”
“They will not detect it if we do it carefully. The bond is internal. Invisible to observers. As long as young Sera appears to be fighting on her own, no one will know.”
Young Sera understood what Kael was offering. And what it would cost. Opening their bond completely meant letting him inside her mind. Inside her soul. Meant losing the boundaries between them and becoming something merged and shared.
It meant giving up part of herself to survive.
“Will it work?” young Sera asked.
“Maybe. Probably not. But it gives you better odds than trying to fight him with just your own skill.”
Young Sera looked at the people gathered around her. Her pack. Her family. The people who had already given her so much.
She thought about her grandmother. About the woman who had given up her entire existence to protect young Sera’s right to choose.
And young Sera made her choice.
“Teach me how to open the bond. I am going to fight Victor Kane. And I am going to win.”
Even if it meant becoming someone new in the process.