The Frostholm Pack was in an uproar. It seemed not long ago that they had to deal with the turmoil caused by Vione’s removal from the Luna post and the scandal of her affair. Now the pack was shocked again by even more sensational news-the possibility of a planned coup by the Munest family.
The pack was restless. Indeed, the accusations of Vione’s affair hid a greater mystery than meets the eye. The most frightening possibility, as Mireya had pointed out, was that the man had actually targeted Vione in order to exploit the Frostholm Pack’s weaknesses.
The execution of the plan did not go smoothly, however, as Vione’s affair was discovered. Usher had decided to break their mating bond, and Vione returned to the Munest household.
Now the only option was to take advantage of the situation. The cunning man attacked Addy and Hilary’s psyche, shaken by Vione’s unfortunate fate. He offered to work together to overthrow Usher’s power.
Addy and Hilary, grieving for Vione, thought this was the right way to retaliate against Usher. They accepted the man’s offer and began to formulate a plan. Unfortunately, their plan was discovered sooner than expected. As a result, the entire Munest family was captured.
This was a brief summary of the charges read in the High Court. The pack gathered and Ayla, as the Sacred Elder, led the trial.
Ayla took a deep breath. For a moment she looked at Usher, who sat on the throne. Then her gaze shifted to Vione, Addy, and Hilary, who sat together in the defendants’ chairs. Meanwhile, the crowd was filling the courtroom until it was truly packed.
If Ayla could be honest, her heart would tell her that the charges were not true. As a werewolf blessed with a heightened intuition and sensitivity beyond others, she dared to risk her life to say that the Munest family was completely innocent.
Unfortunately, Ayla now stood before the pack as the leader of the trial. She had to judge everything based on evidence. Unfortunately, that was something the Munest family lacked.
“I swear, Alpha. We have no intention of staging a coup.”
Addy’s self-defense caused an uproar. The pack mocked him. The situation nearly got out of hand, forcing the guards to intervene.
Addy ignored them all. With his hands cuffed to the table, he leaned forward slightly, driven by the desire to convince everyone present.
“The loyalty of the Munest family to you and the pack is beyond doubt, Alpha. We are loyal to the death.”
Usher glared at Addy sharply. “Then can you explain to all of us who this man is that you met so often in the woods? For I also dare to swear. That man is the one who visited Vione’s room in The Palace.”
Addy froze. He swallowed the lump in his throat and replied, “We don’t know, Alpha.”
“You say you don’t know?”
“Exactly, Alpha. We have no idea who he is. He always comes in a hoodie and a mask. He never told us his name.”
Usher squinted. “Then why did he visit you?”
“He told our family to leave immediately.”
There was an uproar again. Speculation increased. All guesses led to one conclusion.
“In other words, he wanted your family to leave so as not to be affected by the battle?”
Addy could not answer. His body went completely stiff. “A-Alpha.”
“So, it can be concluded that the only person who knows the identity of this man is you, Vione. Do you still insist on protecting him?”
Vione winced. “Alpha, I swear. I have absolutely no knowledge of any of this. The man who came to my room is you. I am not lying.”
“Liar!” Usher shouted, slamming the armrest of his throne. His anger erupted, instantly silencing the pack. “How dare you betray your Alpha again and again, Vione! How cunningly you tried to protect him?”
“I do not lie to you, Alpha. I am willing to undergo The Sacred Ceremony to prove my honesty. I have never deceived you. I have never betrayed you.”
“Enough!”
Usher raised a hand, and Vione was forced to swallow all her words of defense.
“I don’t want to hear any more of your lies, Vione. Even if you insist, I can easily produce the footage from the surveillance cameras around my room. You will see that I am always in my room at the same time.”
Vione stumbled. “Th-that can’t be.”
“Show the footage.”
Two different videos played alternately. They were taken from surveillance cameras in different locations-one in the hallway of Usher’s room and the other in the hallway of Vione’s room.
In both videos, it was clear that Usher entered his room at almost the same time as the man entered Vione’s room.
“Are you going to deny it now, Vione?”
Usher’s high voice made Vione blink weakly. She looked at Usher, completely defenseless. She was powerless in the face of such irrefutable evidence. But sadly, she persisted in her own conviction.
“It was you who came to my room. I never cheated.”
The public ridiculed Vione. Now she was seen not as the former Luna, but as a morally compromised wolf.
Vione closed her eyes. Heat surged and her tears fell slowly. She covered her ears. She did not want to hear the mockery of the humans. But their voices were more piercing than the sharpest blade in the world.
“All the evidence has been gathered. Vione is accused of bringing an Alpha from another pack into The Palace, and that is an unforgivable act. The safety of the Alpha and the Frostholm pack is endangered by her actions,” Ayla said with a heavy heart. Then she forced herself to continue. “However, considering her dedication as a Luna, the High Court grants leniency. Therefore, Vione Celestia Munest, you are sentenced to underground imprisonment.”
Vione’s body went limp in an instant. Being imprisoned underground was a disaster for werewolves. They would be trapped forever until death took them, never to see the full moon again.
Vione tried to steel herself. She tried to stay strong, but she was truly exhausted. This feeling intensified when Ayla announced the sentence for Addy and Hilary.
“Meanwhile, Addy and Hilary committed more serious crimes. Both of them repeatedly met with this man. The High Court cannot take any chances. The safety of the Alpha and the Frostholm Pack is our top priority. Therefore, to prevent the possibility of a coup and the leakage of Pack information, given the Munest family’s close relationship with The Palace, the High Court has decided to impose the death penalty on Addy Roberto Munest and Hilary Russell.”
*