When the Rejected Wolf Rules

The Trial Begins

The fortress fell silent.

Four judges sat at the table. Three of them looked at the files. One of them looked at me like I was a disease.

Judge Vane's successor—his name was Aldric—picked up the first page again. His hands trembled.

"This evidence is incomplete," he said.

"It's not incomplete. It's overwhelming."

"It's been obtained illegally."

"Nothing illegal about a vault that belonged to the Court. Maris had every right to open it."

Aldric slammed the page down.

"You're a hybrid. You have no rights here."

I stepped closer. "Then grant me rights. The law says you can."

"The law also says I can deny you."

"On what grounds?"

"On the grounds that you're not a citizen of any recognized pack."

I smiled. "I'm a citizen of Lunaris City. Last time I checked, that's recognized territory."

Aldric's face went red. His jaw tightened.

"That's not—"

"Let me summarize," I said. "You have three options. Option one: grant me standing, and we proceed with the trial. Option two: deny me standing, and I release these files to every pack, every hybrid, every wolf in the world. Option three: kill me now, and my brother releases the files anyway."

Silas stepped forward. "She's not bluffing."

Aldric looked at the other judges. They looked back at him.

"Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "I grant you standing. But this trial will be conducted properly. By the book."

"By the book," I agreed. "That's exactly what I want."

We were given rooms in the fortress.

Kael followed me to mine. His footsteps echoed in the stone corridor.

"That was impressive," he said.

"I've had practice."

"Three years ago, you couldn't look at me without crying."

I stopped walking. Turned to face him.

"Three years ago, I was a different person."

"You're still the same person. Just harder."

"Harder isn't a bad thing."

"I didn't say it was."

He stepped closer. The bond hummed between us.

"I'm proud of you," he said.

My chest tightened. "Don't say that."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want your approval."

"Too late. You have it anyway."

I turned away. Walked into my room.

He didn't follow.

The trial began the next morning.

The chambers were full. Pack elders. Court officials. Witnesses. Hybrids who had sneaked in to watch.

Theron sat in the defendant's chair. His face was calm. His eyes were cold. He looked like a man who had never lost anything in his life.

Judge Aldric presided.

"Alpha Theron Blackthorn," he began. "You are accused of bribery, murder, and conspiracy to commit g******e. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty," Theron said.

His voice was steady. Confident.

I tightened my jaw.

"The prosecution will present its case," Aldric said.

I stood up. Walked to the center of the room.

"The prosecution has evidence," I said. "Documents, testimonies, and witness statements. We intend to prove that Alpha Theron Blackthorn orchestrated the murder of my mother, the attempted assassination of Lena Vance, and the systematic poisoning of hybrids across the territory."

Theron laughed. "This is absurd."

"Silence," Aldric said. "The defendant will speak when spoken to."

Theron's smile faded.

I opened the first file.

For three hours, I presented evidence.

Bribes. Payments. Names of judges. Names of assassins. Dates that lined up perfectly.

Theron's lawyer objected at every turn. Aldric overruled most of them.

Kael sat in the front row. Watching.

When I called my first witness, the room went silent.

Lena walked to the stand.

"I'm Lena Vance," she said. "Former clerk of the Moon Court. I handled the paperwork for the bribes."

"What bribes?" Aldric asked.

"The bribes paid by Alpha Theron Blackthorn to Judge Vane, Judge Maris Draven—who refused them—and Judge Whitmore."

Whitmore's face turned pale.

"And why did you keep the records?" I asked.

"Because I knew the truth would come out one day. I just needed to stay alive until it did."

"Did Alpha Theron threaten you?"

"He tried to kill me. Three times. He killed my family instead."

The room went quiet.

Lena looked at Theron. Her voice cracked.

"He took everything from me. And now I'm taking everything from him."

Theron's lawyer cross-examined Lena for an hour.

She didn't crack. She didn't blink.

"The defendant," the lawyer said, "had no reason to target you personally."

"He had every reason. I had the files. The proof. He couldn't let me live."

"That's speculation."

"It's truth." Lena looked at me. "Ask her. She can smell lies."

The lawyer turned to me. "The prosecution's ability to smell lies is unverified."

"It's verified," I said. "Ask anyone in Lunaris City."

"This is ridiculous."

"This is justice."

Aldric called for a recess.

I found Kael in the hallway.

"You're destroying him," he said.

"Good."

"He's your enemy. But he's still my father."

I looked at him. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No. I want you to finish him."

I touched his arm. "I will."

His hand covered mine. "I know."

The next day, I called Maris to the stand.

She looked old. Frail. But her voice was strong.

"Judge Maris Draven," I said. "Did Alpha Theron Blackthorn offer you a bribe?"

"He did."

"How much?"

"Five hundred thousand. For the rejection of Rhea Vennier."

"And what did you do?"

"I refused."

"Why?"

"Because I knew what it meant. The rejection would trigger the curse. The curse would kill her. And eventually, it would kill him too."

"Did you know the curse would spread to other hybrids?"

"I didn't know. But I suspected. Theron had been poisoning hybrids for years. The curse was just a new weapon."

"Objection," Theron's lawyer said. "Speculation."

"Overruled," Aldric said. "The witness may continue."

Maris looked at Theron.

"He killed her mother," she said. "And he would have killed her too. If not for Silas. If not for Rhea's own strength."

"Thank you," I said. "No further questions."

Cross testified next.

She told the Court about the other judges. The ones who took bribes. The ones who protected Theron. The ones who let hybrids die.

"When I found out the extent of the conspiracy," she said, "I wanted to leave. But they had my daughter. They threatened her. They killed her anyway."

"Did you know about the curse?"

"I knew it existed. I didn't know how far it had spread."

"And now?"

"Now I know. Now I'm going to stop it."

On the third day, I called Theron himself.

He took the stand. His face was a mask of calm.

"Alpha Theron," I said. "Did you kill my mother?"

"I did not."

"Did you order her death?"

"I did not."

"Did you pay for her death?"

"Absolutely not."

I leaned forward. "Then why is your name on every page of these files?"

His eyes flickered. "Those files are forged."

"They're not forged. They were authenticated by three judges."

"Three corrupt judges."

"Then why did you send assassins to kill Lena Vance?"

"I sent no assassins."

"Then why did your men attack the cabin where we were hiding?"

"Because you were harboring a fugitive. Lena Vance was a wanted criminal."

"Wanted for what?"

"For stealing Court documents."

"She was the clerk. She had every right to keep those documents."

"It was still theft."

I smiled. "Then why didn't you arrest her? Why try to kill her instead of arresting her?"

"I didn't try to kill her."

"Then what were your men doing?"

"Rescuing my son. Kael was being held against his will."

Kael stood up. "That's a lie. I wasn't being held. I was being protected."

"Kael—" Theron started.

"I'm not your son anymore," Kael said. "You lost that right when you chained me in the basement."

The room went silent.

Theron's mask cracked.

"You ungrateful—"

"Alpha Theron," I cut in. "Please answer the question. Did you order the attack on the cabin?"

Theron looked at me. His eyes burned.

"Someone had to stop you."

"So you did order it?"

"Yes. But you were all liars. You were planning a coup."

"Planning to expose the truth isn't a coup. It's justice."

The trial lasted five days.

I cross-examined everyone. Smelled every lie. Caught every contradiction.

By the end, Theron's defense was in shambles.

"The Court will now deliberate," Aldric said.

"How long?" I asked.

"Twenty-four hours."

"That's too long. He'll escape."

"There are guards everywhere. He's not going anywhere."

I didn't believe him.

That night, I didn't sleep.

Kael found me in the hallway.

"You should rest," he said.

"I can't."

"Then let me stay with you."

"You don't need to."

"I know. But I want to."

I looked at him.

"Why do you still want to be near me?"

"Because you're the only thing that makes sense."

"That doesn't make sense."

"I know."

He sat beside me. His shoulder touched mine.

"Tomorrow," he said, "everything changes."

"Yes."

"Are you scared?"

"No."

"Liar."

I smiled. "Maybe a little."

He put his arm around me. The bond flared.

"I'm here," he said.

"I know."

The next morning, the judges returned.

Aldric stood. The room went silent.

"The Court has reached a verdict."

My heart pounded.

"Alpha Theron Blackthorn, we find you guilty on all counts. Bribery. Murder. Conspiracy to commit genocide."

Theron stood up. "This is—"

"The sentence is life imprisonment. In the deepest cell we have."

Theron's face went pale.

Kael grabbed my hand.

"We did it," he whispered.

"We did it."

Theron was led away.

The room erupted in chaos. Wolves cheering. Hybrids crying. Lena sobbing in relief.

I walked out of the chambers.

Kael followed.

"Rhea."

I turned.

He was on his knees.

"What are you doing?"

"Paying my debt."

"Kael—"

"You said the rejected wolf rules. So rule."

I looked at him. At the man who had broken me. At the man who had saved me.

"Get up," I said.

"I'm not asking for forgiveness. I'm asking for a chance."

"You have one."

He stood.

"One chance," I said. "And you have to earn it."

"I will."

"I know."

He reached for my hand. I let him take it.

The bond hummed.

"What happens now?" he asked.

"Now I rule."

"Together?"

"Together."

He pulled me closer. His lips brushed mine.

For the first time in three years, I didn't pull away.