Chapter 8
ree days later, the judgment bell of the Moon Temple tolled. Everyone surrendered their weapons, suppressed their auras, and walked into the judgment hall with bowed heads.
Kane sat in the defendant’s seat, his face dark as storm clouds gathering. I stood beside the High Priestess in my robes. From start to finish, I didn’t look at him once.
The High Priestess raised her moon staff. “The trial now begins.” She swept her gaze across the hall. “Evelyn formally charges Selena Clark, Beta of Blackwood Pack, with abuse of authority, deliberate humiliation of the former Luna, and causing the death of her unborn pup.”
Guards stepped forward and laid out all the evidence. The Moonspring application stained with my blood was placed before everyone. I looked at that old form and felt nothing of the tearing pain from before. That blood had once been mine, had once belonged to the pup who never made it into this world. Now, they were just evidence.
The judgment hall fell into dead silence.
“I was only following the rules.” Selena broke the quiet, turning urgently to Kane. “The Alpha agreed to it. Besides, the Luna’s application was incomplete.”
She’d barely finished when Kane shot to his feet.
“Enough.”
He stared at Selena, and for the first time, there was undisguised fury in his eyes.
“I told you to follow procedure. Did I tell you to keep her out of the Moonspring entirely? You didn’t see the emergency stamp? The healer gave three orders, and you still dragged it out to the last second?”
Selena’s lips trembled. Tears spilled down her face.
“Alpha, I did it for you-”
“Shut up.”
Kane walked down from the defendant’s seat and stood before Selena. Without giving her another chance to explain, he reached out and ripped the Beta badge from her chest in front of everyone.
“From this moment on, Selena is no longer Beta of Blackwood.” His voice cut like a blade. “She abused her authority and caused harm. She is immediately exiled from Blackwood, never to set foot on pack territory again.”
Selena let out a shrill scream and collapsed to the ground.
Gasps echoed through the hall.
The High Priestess’s eyes darkened. She slammed her staff against the floor.
“This is the Moon Temple’s judgment hall, not Blackwood’s council chamber.” She fixed her gaze on Kane. “You have no authority to pass sentence here.”
Hope flickered in Selena’s eyes.
The High Priestess looked down at her. “Selena, the charges against you stand. Your Beta position is revoked. You will be handed back to the Blackwood Pack for disposal.”
“I’ve already disposed of it.” Kane returned to the defendant’s seat. “She is exiled from Blackwood effective immediately.”
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Selena crumpled completely. She’d once strutted before me on Kane’s favor. Now she couldn’t even lift her head.
High Priestess waved her hand. Two guards dragged Selena out.
“As for you.” The High Priestess turned to Kane. “You failed in your oversight. You will surrender the Moonspring and your private treasury as compensation.”
Kane heard the ruling and actually laughed. He didn’t hesitate. “Take it all.”
As if those resources, enough to cripple Blackwood, meant nothing at all.
“Take whatever you want.” Kane lifted his eyes and fixed them on me. “I just want Evelyn back.”
Silence filled the hall.
I listened to his voice and heard it for what it was. A joke that had come too late.
“Kane,” I said, looking at him. “This is a ruling. It’s not a negotiation.”
Kane’s throat bobbed. His voice softened, almost desperate.
“I’ve already punished Selena. Evelyn, come back with me. From now on, I’ll-
“There’s no ‘from now on.””
I cut him off. My voice was soft, but clear enough for everyone to hear.
“As a priestess of the Moon Temple, I order this. Unless I summon you, you are forbidden from appearing before me.”
Kane stared at me, and for the first time, real panic flickered in his eyes.
“What else do you want? Just say the word, and I’ll give you anything!”
I lifted the hem of my robes and stepped down from the altar. As I passed him, I didn’t even grant him a glance from the corner of my eye.
His hoarse voice called out behind me, barely restrained. But I didn’t stop.
This time, I would never look back.
