Trial Under the Crescent
741 Words
The pack’s great hall hummed with hostility as I stepped inside, the stolen poison vial clenched tight in my palm. Torches cast flickering shadows on stone walls, the Blackwood crest—wolf’s head baring fangs—looming like a threat. The council sat on raised seats, faces grim, while Ella stood before them, pure-blooded pride oozing from every pore.
Karen leaned against oak doors, arms crossed, his bandaged forearm a stark reminder of the poison that nearly killed him. His obsidian eyes locked on me the second I entered, the fated bond thrumming an unwelcome pulse beneath my skin.
“Lilian of the half-blood,” the council leader boomed, slamming his gavel. “You stand accused of fraud—using forbidden magic to win the hunt. What say you?”
Ella smirked. “Nothing. She’s a cheat, a liar—she doesn’t belong here!”
I ignored her, stepping forward. “I’m not the traitor. Ella colludes with Blackwood rebels—traitors who want to overthrow our Alpha.”
Gasps rippled through the hall. Ella’s face paled. “Lies! She’s framing me to save herself!”
I held up the vial, dark contents glinting. “This poisoned Karen. I found it in a rebel cave—marked with their crest. Ella’s cronies were seen sneaking there—ask the northern patrols.”
The council murmured, eyes darting between us. Ella’s voice turned shrill. “She stole that vial! She’s the traitor! Why else would a half-breed ‘succeed’? Why sneak around after dark?”
The leader’s gaze hardened. “Proof, Lilian? Accusations against a pure-blood are not trivial.”
My heart raced—what if Ella silenced the patrols? Before I could speak, a deep voice cut through.
“I saw her.”
Karen pushed off the door, striding forward. His wolfish aura silenced all noise. “I saw Ella’s cronies in the northern thicket three nights ago. Followed them to the cave—saw the crest, the poison. When I confronted Ella, she lied.”
Ella stumbled back. “You’re lying! Protecting her because of this ‘fated mate’ nonsense!”
His gaze turned deadly. “I don’t protect liars. Or traitors.” He faced the council. “Ella poisoned me to weaken the pack, clear her path to power. She planned to frame Lilian.”
Chaos erupted. Pure-bloods shouted in disbelief, but patrol wolves stepped forward to confirm. Ella screamed, her wolf form flickering at the edges. “You can’t! I’m pure-blood—she’s a mistake!”
Karen grabbed her arm, grip like iron. “Bloodline doesn’t excuse treason. I move to strip her status, exile her immediately.”
The council nodded unanimously. Guards dragged Ella away, her sobs echoing. The hall emptied, leaving only Karen and me. His eyes softened.
“You knew I’d back you.”
“I knew the truth would come out.” I tightened my grip on the vial.
He stepped closer, the bond thrumming louder. “Why didn’t you tell me about the cave? Why sneak alone?”
“Because I don’t trust you.” My voice was flat. “Not after what I’ve seen.”
Grief flickered in his eyes. “What if I told you the truth about last time? Why I did what I did?”
My heart skipped— the curse, the sacrifice. But I shook my head. “Save it. Full moon tomorrow—we’ll talk then.”
He grabbed my wrist, pulling me back. His lips brushed my ear. “Be careful. The curse grows stronger under the full moon. Rebels still hide—they want us both dead.”
I pulled away, skin burning. “I don’t need your protection.”
“I know.” He smiled sadly. “But you’ll have it anyway. Because you’re mine. Fated or not.”
I left the hall, heart racing. Ella exiled, rebels exposed—but Karen’s words lingered. The curse. The truth. The unbreakable bond.
Tomorrow night, the full moon rises.
I’ll get the answers I died for.
Or die trying.
I locked my cabin door, placing the vial on the table. Revenge was closer, but the truth tangled in it—dark, dangerous, like the moon’s shadow.
I was ready.
Hungry, angry, and ready.
- Writer
