The courtroom, which had been difficult to keep order from the beginning, became increasingly uncontrollable. Hysterical screams erupted everywhere. Some people were shocked, while others did not hesitate to express their anger.
The situation was truly chaotic. The guards quickly intervened, but there wasn’t much they could do. Garth’s death sparked the crowd’s anger.
On the other hand, Usher remained stunned. He stood still with blank eyes. All the commotion and cursing seemed to have no effect on his hearing.
Usher slowly lifted his hand for a moment. He rubbed his face, then saw the blood stains on his fingers-Garth’s blood.
“Garth,” Usher whispered as he blinked once. Then he saw Garth’s motionless body on the floor. “Garth.”
Usher tried to move forward. An unseen force pushed him towards Garth’s body. Then he knelt down and reached out. He touched Garth’s body as he called out again. “Garth.”
But Garth didn’t answer. This time Garth ignored Usher’s call. Even when he called again, Garth remained lifeless.
Usher froze. Coldness crept in and began to run through his entire body. He shook his head as panic washed over him, squeezing his heart as if it were being crushed.
“Garth, wake up.”
Waves of fear washed over Usher. His consciousness was hit by the painful reality. His lungs tightened and his head throbbed violently. His body screamed in agony as his gaze met Garth’s eyes. There was no spark of life there.
Sweat splattered, creating moisture. Usher shivered in a growing pallor that began to dominate his face. He kept shaking his head to deny what was staring him in the face. He grabbed Garth’s clothes and shook Garth’s body repeatedly. He tried to wake Garth, but it was all in vain. Garth was dead.
“Garth!”
Panic and fear tore through Usher’s mind. Everything was spinning around him, making him nauseous. He gasped for breath and almost collapsed. His body weakened, and all his strength seemed to vanish.
“Usher!”
Usher’s hand was grabbed by someone and pulled. Reluctantly, he forced himself to stand up. He turned and saw Mireya with a confused look on her face.
“Mi-Mireya,” Usher whispered hoarsely. He swallowed the lump of saliva that tasted bitter everywhere. Exhaustion weighed on him, and darkness slowly crept into his vision. His eyes grew heavy and it became harder and harder for him to maintain consciousness. “Mireya, Garth-”
“Garth deserved to die,” Mireya quickly interrupted, cupping Usher’s face with both hands. She stared at Usher without blinking. “He was useless. He no longer obeyed your orders, Usher.”
Usher was silent for a moment. Then the throbbing returned to his head. He winced and shook his head. “Garth. No, he-”
“Forget Garth. He’s dead, and now you have to control the situation. Look! The crowd is rebelling. They no longer respect you as Alpha!”
Usher scanned the chaos around him and saw the truth in Mireya’s words. The crowd was in rebellion, most of them trying to break through the line of guards. They raged and tried to enter the courthouse area.
The clash between the crowd and the guards was unstoppable. The crowd became increasingly agitated. Some were pushing and shoving, while others were trying to climb over the barricades. Meanwhile, shouts, screams, and the sound of bodies colliding echoed, creating a tense riot.
“Don’t let this escalate, Usher. You need to take action immediately or it will only get worse,” Mireya continued without breaking eye contact. “You know what to do. Show them that your authority cannot be questioned. Remind them that you are the Alpha!”
Usher’s empty eyes met Mireya’s. Then he nodded. “You are right, I must show them that I am the Alpha. Every decision and action of mine must be obeyed by them.”
Mireya smiled. “Good.”
As Mireya’s hand released his face, Usher moved toward the chaos while Mireya stood silently with her hands clasped, her smile widening.
“Capture all those who rebel! Those who rebel mean they no longer recognize me as their Alpha!”
Usher’s sudden cry stopped the chaos. Without exception, everyone turned to Usher. They stared at him with expressions of varying emotions.
“You cannot do this to Beta Garth, Alpha. You should not judge him!”
A protest led to another round of yelling and screaming. Usher glared angrily. His eyes reddened as he shouted at them again.
“You are unpardonable! Arrest those who rebel!”
Berg was torn. He was trapped between Usher’s orders and a conscience that couldn’t bear to see the crowd treated so ruthlessly. He tried to find a middle ground, but suddenly a group of unfamiliar guards appeared. They beat and pushed the crowd mercilessly, showing no mercy.
The tension continued to escalate. The presence of the unknown guards increased the friction. Berg tried to calm the situation, but at the same time, Ayla’s scream was heard.
Ayla was pushed. Her body slammed into the table, nearly toppling over, and at that moment, Usher’s command was heard.
“You! Arrest Ayla! She’s the one who caused the chaos in the crowd! She cursed my son!”
The guards moved toward Ayla amidst the erupting protests. Cora stepped forward and shielded Ayla.
“Ayla is the Sacred Elder of the Frostholm Pack. No one is to touch her!”
Usher growled. “You dare to defy your Alpha, Cora?”
“Alpha,” Cora said with a hardened expression. Tears welled in her eyes, but she stopped herself from crying. “You shouldn’t do this, Alpha.”
“Very well, Cora. It seems you dare to defy me as well.” Usher raised his hand and the next command came from his mouth. “Capture all who defy! Capture without exception!”
The riot escalated into increasingly violent physical confrontations. Fighting was inevitable. Berg, torn, finally chose to protect the pack.
Ayla’s scream echoed once more. A guard managed to grab her wrist. Cora tried to save her, but another guard blocked her.
The guard raised a security baton and swung it at Ayla, who instinctively closed her eyes. However, the baton was knocked away as Jemma suddenly leapt in her wolf form.
Jemma stood in front of Ayla, protecting her. She growled, ready for anything. Her eyes scanned all the guards. Her fangs and claws were ready to strike at anyone who tried to harm Ayla.
*