“What a party.” Asher stepped closer with a smirk. I eyed him in shock. He didn’t look like a person who just got kidnapped and
tortured with silver.
I forced a sneer, “And we have you to thank for that.”
His face hardened. “Our parents wanted me to look after you, to build a bond with you, but you rejected every attempt I made. You shut me out again and again. And now, I’m done trying.”
He exhaled sharply, like he was trying to push the weight of it all off his shoulders. “You’ve hurt too many people I care about.
You’ve gone too far.”
A hollow chuckle escaped me. “You think I don’t know that?”
His eyes darkened.
“But I’ll say one thing. I’m sorry about your daughter, about
what I did to her,” I admitted, the words tasting bitter in my
mouth. “She didn’t deserve to be caught in the crossfire.” Just like my parents didn’t deserve to get tortured.
Chapter117
Alex’s expression didn’t change. “It means nothing
And I knew he meant it. There was no forgiveness waiting for me here. Only disappointment, only disgust. Maybe a part of me had hoped for a different reaction, but seeing it so plainly on his face made something tighten in my chest
“Are you here to say goodbye, then?” I asked,
He shook his head. “I thought I might see regret in your eys, but I was wrong. You don’t regret anything. Not the people you hurt, not the lives you destroyed. Even now, standing on the edge of your own downfall, you feel nothing”
I smirked, but the expression felt forced. “I regret one thing”
He raised a brow.
“That you’re still alive,” I said with a cackle. “But besides that
I’m fine.”
For a second, he just stared at me, then his lips pressed into a thin line. “Then there’s nothing left to say!
He turned, walking away without another word.
Violet’s POV
Chapter117
The night before the trial stretched endlessly. Asher and I sat side by side, but we hadn’t exchanged a single sentence in
hours. It wasn’t necessary. I knew exactly what he was thinking–because I was thinking the same thing.
How does one decide the fate of their own blood? And once the
decision is made, how do you carry that weight for the rest of your life?
Leadership required making impossible choices, ones that haunted at your soul long after they were made. Some you regretted forever, but you still had to live with them. I prayed that this wouldn’t be one of those choices.
These people–the ones sitting in chains, awaiting their judgment–had done everything they could to ruin our lives.
And yet, here we were, struggling over what should have been a simple decision. The irony was bitter on my tongue.
I finally broke the silence.
“Do you think. they might get a different sentence?” My voice
was quieter than I intended. I heard my own hesitation.
Asher exhaled, his fingers curling against his knee. “I don’t
know,” he admitted, his voice weary. “But I hope we’re not the
ones who have to decide.”
Eight jurors, each from different packs, would be the ones to deliver the final verdict. But if they failed to reach a decision–if the votes were split–then the ultimate ruling would fall to the King and Queen.
To us.
“I hope you’re right,” I muttered, rubbing my temples. My body ached from sleepless nights. And I had a bad feeling–maybe our hope would be failed.
Asher ran a hand through his hair, his jaw tightening. “One
more thing. Don’t breathe a word about Alpha Xavier. I’ll take
care of him.”
I nodded. “I trust you.” I didn’t know much about Alpha Javier
beyond the clipped conversation we’d had over the phone, and
honestly, I didn’t want to know more. Alex had earned the right
to handle things his way.
He sighed, rolling his shoulders back as if trying to shake off the
burden clinging to them.
“Let’s just end this.”
I knew what he meant. The past had stolen too much from us already. It was time to stop looking backward.
Seeing him stand–steady, unshaken, alive–made me relieve. He had been inches from death not long ago. Now, he walked
beside me, his strength coming back, his aura strong as ever. That alone felt like a miracle.
The path to the throne room felt endless, each step dragging us closer to a moment neither of us was prepared for. The moment we crossed through the doors, a hush fell over the room.
The throne room was packed, alphas and lunas from all over gathered, their hushed murmurs echoing against the high ceilings. The jury sat in a half–circle at the center with solemn expressions. They were waiting for us.
Chapter118
