Chapter 144

Chapter 144
Fiona's POV

"I know you've already cleared out everything from Lab Zero overnight! But the bloodstains my uncle and mother left behind can't fool anyone! Neither can the tortured souls of those mixed-blood werewolves you butchered!"

At that moment, the side door of the hall burst open with a violent crash.

Several guards stumbled in, carrying a makeshift stretcher between them. Sprawled across it was Lucian, barely clinging to life—blood still seeping from his chest, his body limp as rotting flesh.

"A savage! She's an intruder who forced her way into the royal court!" the lead guard bellowed, his voice shaking with terror and fury. "She attacked Guard Captain Lefett! That vicious golden beast—she nearly killed him!"

The entire hall erupted into chaos.

"To commit violence at a coronation ceremony—exactly what you'd expect from that cursed bloodline!"

"Even if the woman came seeking justice, she can't fight the madness in her veins!"

"She should be arrested! Golden wolf blood is a powerful remedy for grave injuries—she must pay for what she's done!"

Fendia had already rushed to the stretcher. As she looked at her brother, barely clinging to life, her face turned deathly pale in an instant.

"Fiona! If you have evidence, you should seek proper channels to prove your case and file charges—not murder the person you believe guilty!"

Someone in the crowd immediately chimed in, their tone dripping with righteous condemnation: "If your uncle was truly killed, you need to understand that this is a human criminal matter first and foremost!"

"If it was the work of a werewolf losing control, it should be handled by the Coexistence Security Council! What right do you have to take the law into your own hands and attack a loyal royal guard?!"

I stood rooted in place, my chest heaving violently with each breath.

I'll admit it—the moment I struck, I'd lost control. I hadn't intended to kill him outright, but I hadn't anticipated that he would have no wolf spirit to shield him at all.

I still couldn't gauge the full extent of my own strength, just as I couldn't accurately measure the weakness of others.

Shing—

The sharp, unified rasp of metal scraping against metal rang out as dozens of gleaming halberds were drawn in perfect unison.

The fully armed royal guard closed in like an iron wall, trapping me in the center of their formation.

Cold blades crisscrossed before me, their edges nearly grazing the tip of my nose.

A murderous chill saturated the air, as if the slightest spark could detonate the entire scene.

Roar—!

The wild, raging power of the golden wolf tore through my limbs and veins, and Rita unleashed a shrill, furious battle cry within my consciousness.

She wanted to rip apart these hostile predators before me, to carve a bloody path with fangs and claws.

"No, Rita, don't!" I bit down hard on my tongue, using the sharp pain to force myself back into clarity. I fought desperately to soothe her in my mind, summoning every ounce of willpower to suppress the destructive urge surging through me.

"Leave this to Alexander," I told her silently. "He will give me a fair judgment."

I stood tall amid the ring of blades and spears, my spine rigid.

I didn't look at the guards poised to tear me apart, nor did I acknowledge the voices hurling accusations at me.

I simply raised my head, my gaze cutting through the sea of bodies to fix on the man seated upon the throne atop the dais.

Alexander descended.

Each step he took felt like a weight pressing down on my heart.

Then I saw it—his wolf spirit, that massive snow-white Arctic wolf, bursting forth with a deafening roar!

Its enormous frame radiated a suffocating, primal terror, every strand of its pale fur seeming to condense a century of the Arctic Wolf Clan's glory and bloodshed.

It lifted its head and released an earth-shaking howl before lunging toward Rita in midair.

The next second, the two wolves' necks intertwined.

Not in combat—but in embrace.

The white Arctic wolf lowered its head, gently nuzzling Rita's golden fur with the tip of its nose, releasing a low, tender whimper.

In that instant, my heart clenched violently.

Was this his answer?

That he would stand with me unconditionally—even if I were a monster reviled by thousands, even if I had to become the enemy of the entire world?

The crowd in the hall erupted into complete turmoil.

An aged, commanding voice rang out—Alexander's father, George, had released his wolf spirit.

Another snow-white Arctic wolf positioned itself in front of Alexander, issuing a warning growl.

"Alexander! Don't let this spiral into something irreversible!"

The murmurs around us swelled like a crashing tide—

"If every generation of Arctic Wolf emperors chooses women over power, it will be the tragedy of our rule!"

"But the mate bond between the two wolves is already so obvious!"

"Are we really going to welcome another Luna who could lose control at any moment and turn on her Alpha King? This is absurd!"

My breath caught.

Time seemed to stretch infinitely in that moment.

I watched Alexander walk toward me, my mind flooded with countless images.

I had thought his scent could calm me.

I had thought we were fated mates.

I had thought we could be together forever.

Now, at last, the awakening of our wolf spirits had confirmed it.

He reached me.

He extended his hand and placed it gently on my shoulder. That hand was burning hot—so hot it made my entire body tremble.

Then he lowered his head, pressing his forehead against mine.

I felt his ragged breathing, felt the wild pull and struggle raging within him.

I saw his eyes turn red.

I saw his tears fall without warning, dripping onto my cheek.

That single tear was scalding—hot enough to pierce straight through my soul.

He looked at me, his eyes brimming with anguish and conflict.

And then I heard him speak.

"I, Alexander von Volkov, reject Fiona Sterling as my fated mate."