chapter 5
504 Words
Having spoken, I did not meet anyone's gaze amidst the astonished and uncertain stares around me. Instead, I turned towards the elders' seats, my voice clear and resolute.
"We have all heard the testimony of Warrior Beta Garrick. Yet he stood outside the fray; what he saw and heard may not constitute the full truth."
"I would ask our esteemed Healer, Healer Kael, who was present within the ranks at that time, alongside Beta John. Please tell us all what I actually said to Beta John."
A collective gasp rippled through the hall. Every gaze instantly shifted from me to the venerable old werewolf with snow-white hair.
The crowd, which had been roaring with fury moments before, now fell deathly silent, as if struck dumb by a silencing spell.
Dragging Healer Kael—the most revered figure in the tribe, one who never lied—into this was something no one had anticipated.
Healer Kael slowly opened his eyes. His weathered gaze swept across the assembly, finally settling upon me.
Under the watchful gaze of the assembly, he rose to his feet.
A resonant voice boomed from the front row of the elders' seats.
"I testify that what Beta Garrick has stated is not the whole truth."
Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, Healer Kael strode purposefully onto the stone platform, his gaze unwavering.
"I am Kael, Healer of the Black Moon Clan."
"I stand by every word I utter. That day, it was our Alpha Marcus who, in the name of so-called 'collectivism', used his Alpha's presence to force us to halt. He demanded we sacrifice the lives of the majority to wait for a werewolf whose return was uncertain—all for the sake of retrieving a mere piece of jewellery!"
He pointed a finger at Alpha Marcus.
"Especially you, Alpha Marcus! I heard Beta warn you with my own ears that the rogue numbers were off, that if we didn't leave, we'd all die! Yet you refused to listen!"
Then our Luna, Elena, kept a clear head at the critical moment. She was not wrong! She was upholding the pack's laws, saving lives! Saving the lives of most of us werewolves!"
"I heard her tell Beta John with my own ears: 'We cannot let Alpha Marcus's stubbornness drag those ready to evacuate into danger. Please lead us out immediately!' She was pleading with the Beta to fulfil his duty!"
"If blame must be assigned, it lies with our clan's traditions failing to instil in certain wolves what constitutes an Alpha's duty, what constitutes the clan above all else!"
Healer Kael's words carried weight and authority, each syllable striking the hearts of all present like a heavy hammer.
"As for what Beta Garrick the warrior witnessed," Healer Kael sneered coldly, "he saw nothing more than a resolute face. Unable to hear our conversation, he mistook his own imaginings for reality."
"What? Does he think the werewolves of our tribe are fools, or does he think all werewolves under heaven are fools?"
- Writer
