Chapter 410
Four hundred and twelve
Alexander POV-
I finally secured the ingredients Kamala needed. Back at the settlement, she wasted no time brewing the herbs into a steaming potion before rubbing salve over my chest.
Her fingers pressed into my skin as heat spread through me, easing the numbness around my heart. The relief was immediate, but I knew it wouldn’t last.
Seven days later, the Regional Council granted me a Truce Hearing within Alpha Kieran’s territory.
Under Council law, a truce meant neither side could draw blood. But the moment I reached the border checkpoint, the truce felt like a sick joke.
A dozen Alpha guards surrounded me at the gates.
“Spread your legs, rogue,” one barked, slamming my shoulder against the timber.
They searched me from head to toe, stripping away my blades and inspecting my boots as if I were a common criminal. I said nothing and swallowed the humiliation even as rage burned through my chest.
The iron doors of the Council chamber slammed shut behind me. Alpha Kieran sat at the center of the raised bench, presiding over the hearing. Pack elders and neighboring Alphas filled the seats around him, including Alpha Cameron, Emma’s uncle.
Every eye was fixed on me with open disgust. They remembered my father and the reputation I’d earned as a young fighter. Most of all, they remembered the night he died.
To them, I was a stain. An exiled rogue who had murdered his father and had now returned to steal his younger brother’s throne.
Alpha Kieran’s voice cut through the silence.
“You have requested a Truce Hearing under Council law. State your claim. But remember where you stand. You are an exiled rogue granted the privilege to speak, not an heir standing on his right p>
I stepped into the center of the hall, refusing to bow.
“I stand here to claim my bloodline right as firstborn,” I said.
Murmurs grew among the Alphas.
“Zachary sits on my father’s seat illegally. I didn’t kill my father. I was framed p>
Shouts erupted from a beady-eyed elder, Thomas. I remembered his name because he was one of the people who had shut down rumors that my father’s marriage to my mother had been rocky, that she’d died from a mysterious illness that left her skin looking burned from within, and that, as if that wasn’t enough, supported my father who had married my mother’s cousin three months later.
“Lies! We saw the blood on your hands, boy! Your father, Edward, was a bosom friend. I saw him lying dead with your dagger beside his heart! You were a monster then, and you’re an outlaw now p>
“Silence!” Kieran commanded, raising a hand.
The hall quieted.
He looked down at me. “Continue, Alexander. But bring substance, not empty denials p>
1/3
Hour hurd and twelve
+15 8gnus
“I won’t pretend to have memories I don’t possess,” I said, meeting his gaze. “I woke that night with blood on my Skin and no memory of what had happened. I was drugged. Something was done to me that caused me to lose consciousness. I know I didn’t murder Alpha Edward. I’m demanding that this Council launch a formal investigation into that night instead of repeating the lies you’ve been fed for fifteen years p>
“A formal investigation p>
“How dare you stand in this hall and speak his name! You hated my mother! You hated me! You fought with our father every day until you finally took his life p>
Zachary’s voice cut through the hall. He was ten years old when our father died. I was fifteen. From Zachary’s perspective, I’d been an angry teenager who hated the world after my mother died and clashed with his mother. then grew up believing I was a monster who’d murdered their father for power.
“Zachary…” I started, but he cut me off.
“Don’t say my name!” he snapped, stepping toward the center. “Give it a rest, Alexander! You’ll never win this! Our father would turn in his grave if he saw his killer standing here claiming his seat! You walked away covered in his blood, and now you come back demanding his crown p>
Looking at his face, memories surfaced. I had no memory of seeing him anywhere near my father’s quarters when I woke on the floor.
“The rogue lord speaks of drugs and missing memories because he has no real defense,” another voice called.
Charlie sat beside Alpha Cameron, daring me with his gaze.
I remembered him from the Alpha Academy. Charlie had been a timid first-year while I was already the top third- year fighter in the region. Now he stood before me, looking down with contempt.
“You were violent then, and you’re violent now,” Charlie said, supporting Zachary. “The Council shouldn’t waste time entertaining the stories of a murderer p>
My blood heated. I looked at Charlie, and my mind flashed to Emma in his arms, the two of them locked in that embrace. He was the Alpha her family wanted for her. The safe choice.
A voice whispered in the back of my mind to let it out, to expose the bond in front of this room and use it as leverage.
Maybe telling Charlie about being the first man to fuck my mate, then smiling smugly at his reaction, would destroy his pride, damage Alpha Cameron’s standing, and throw the hearing into chaos.
The words sat on the tip of my tongue. I looked at Alpha Cameron, then lowered my gaze to the floor.
They were lucky I wasn’t as hot-headed as Lucas.
Besides that, I couldn’t do it. Emma had nothing to do with this, and I wouldn’t drag her into it just to win an argument.
Alpha Kieran raised his hand, silencing the murmurs.
“Alexander. You bring grave accusations against the leadership of your home pack. You claim foul play, that you were drugged and framed. A claim I find utterly ridiculous considering that you had connections with Desmond, a man with a history of meridian. But I’ll look beyond that and ask for living witnesses to back your claims p>
My hands clenched at my sides. I remained silent p>
2/3
four huged and twee
+15 Banus
“I won’t dismiss your petition today, Alexander,” Kieran declared. “The Bloodline Law requires this Council to hear a firstborn’s challenge. But I won’t grant your claim on words and missing memories alone.
“You have four weeks to return before this Council with proof of foul play. If you fail to present credible evidence, by the deadline, your petition will be permanently dismissed. And if further evidence of treason against the Alpha Seat comes to light, I will personally preside over your trial and ensure you face the full penalty of your crime p>
Kieran brought his gavel down. The sound echoed through the hall.
“This hearing is adjourned p>
Two guards stepped beside me and grabbed my arms to escort me out. A chill spread through my chest as I was marched toward the iron doors.
Four weeks to prove a crime I couldn’t even remember committing.
COIN BUNDLE: get more free bonus
D
Comments
Support
Share
Lucia Morh
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.