Episode 18: Evidence and Allies
232 Words
The hearing stretched on for hours as elders questioned witnesses and sifted through scrolls of testimony. Harper took the stand first, recounting the cyber breaches and how she traced them back to an IP address linked to Victor’s sister’s company. Marcus described the night rogues attacked Aelin on the road, pointing at a healed scar on his forearm as proof. Each word exposed another thread of treachery.
Aelin sat at Damian’s side, hands clenched in her lap, heart hammering as her life was examined like a piece of evidence. When asked again why she signed the contract, she told them about her father's debt and the man who offered salvation. "I didn't know he was a werewolf," she said softly. "But I know what love feels like now." A few elders exchanged glances, not unkindly.
By late afternoon, murmurs of support began to ripple through the crowd. Even packs who had once been rivals nodded along when Celeste stepped forward, her silver hair gleaming. "The Crescent Moon Pack has always led with honor," she declared, her gaze sweeping the room. "Victor's accusations are rooted in fear, not fact. We stand with our alpha and his mate."
Victor bristled, but the more he argued, the more shrill he sounded. When the eldest elder announced that they would deliberate until morning, Aelin felt a strange sensation—hope, fragile but unmistakable—taking root.
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