Chapter 11
She had not closed her eyes all night, her thoughts circling back to Kayla, wondering if she was alive, if she was safe, if she had anyone to hand her the bounty of nature she needed to survive.
The thought of Kayla lying helpless gnawed at her chest, and Ana forced herself to whisper that death had not claimed her, not yet.
Just as her mind spiraled deeper, the heavy door creaked open, dragging her back to the cold present. She quickly stood up, her body stiff from the cold, hard floor.
The cell guard who opened the door glanced at her.
“Do you even sleep at all?” he asked.
Ana didn’t answer.
She had been awake the whole night, thinking about Kayla. A wave of guilt sat heavy in her chest.
She had forgotten to remind Max to make sure Kayla took her bounty of nature every hour. This was a task Zayron had personally handed to her before he left, and she had failed to pass on the instructions.
She turned to the guard.
“Can I make a call with your phone?”
The guard shook his head.
“No one is allowed to use phones in the Obsidian Tower. Only the specified device is used here.”
Ana’s brows furrowed.
“Then can I use that device?”
“No.”
She swallowed her frustration.
“Please. It’s really important.”
The guard didn’t budge.
“Step out. The panel is already at the table, waiting for you.”
Ana took a slow breath to steady herself before stepping out.
As she walked through the massive hallways of the Obsidian Tower, her mind spun with everything happening around her.
The healing was still ongoing, and today was the last day. It felt like all the werewolves on the continent had gathered since it was the last day and no one knew when such an opportunity would come again.
Ana kept glancing back as she was led toward the main entrance.
Alpha Denzel was already standing at his usual spot in front of the tower.
Ana had always noticed how seriously he took the continental healing, but today, something clicked. He wasn’t just passionate about it, he was making a fortune from it.
Kayla had made the healing free, yet Alpha Denzel had found a way to turn it into his own business. He had been secretly collecting bribes and switching names on the list, prioritizing those who paid him.
As Ana neared Alpha Denzel, he turned to face her.
Ana walked past him like he wasn’t even there.
But Denzel reached out and grabbed her upper arm.
She immediately shook his hand off and kept walking, refusing to acknowledge him.
Then, suddenly, she stopped.
She lowered her head slightly as an idea began forming in her mind.
“Keep moving,” the cell guard ordered.
Ana ignored him.
She turned and locked eyes with Denzel, who was still standing there, watching her closely.
He tilted his head slightly.
“You will die if you don’t accept my offer.”
Ana took a slow step toward him, her voice low so that no one else could hear.
“If I accept, who will you put in my place?”
Denzel smiled faintly.
“Swear first. Swear with your wolf that you won’t later come out and deny that you agreed to be my chosen Luna.”
After a brief pause, Ana whispered, “I swear.”
Denzel’s smile widened as he ran his palm down her face.
“Good,” he murmured. “Now go to the panel and tell them the truth. I’ll be there to defend you.”
Ana turned to leave, but before she could take another step, Denzel added, “Remember, Laina told you to replace her.”
Ana nodded.
Then, without another word, she walked down the massive hallway.
Ana stepped into the grand hall where the panel awaited.
The panel consisted of five high-ranking wolves, each seated on an elevated platform behind a long wooden table.
At the center sat the Moon Lord with piercing golden eyes that seemed to strip away any attempt at deception.
Beside him were Beta Rowen, Gamma Leona, Elder Desmond, and Head Enforcer Kieran.
The audience, composed of pack leaders, warriors, and omegas, sat in the rows behind, whispering among themselves.
Ana’s heart beat madly, but she refused to show fear.
She straightened her posture, ignoring the cold cuffs biting into her wrists.
She had faced worse before.
A deep voice echoed through the chamber.
“Bring forth the accused.”
The cell guard nudged her forward, and Ana walked with steady steps until she stood in the center of the circular stone floor, facing the panel.
Following formal protocol, she bowed her head slightly and greeted them.
The Grand Alpha tilted his head.
“You may speak when addressed.”
Ana nodded, standing still as the silence in the room thickened.
Gamma Leona, a she-wolf known for her ruthless questioning, leaned forward.
“Ana of the Azure Moon Pack, you stand accused of stealing sacred blood from the Grand Culinary Hall, an act punishable by death. How do you plead?”
“I did not steal it,” Ana said.
A murmur spread through the audience.
Beta Rowen frowned.
“Then tell us, what were you doing in the Grand Culinary Hall when you were not assigned there?”
Ana took a slow breath.
“One of the omegas working in the kitchen was exhausted and asked me to take her place. She gave me her uniform, and I stepped in for her.”
There was a brief pause.
Moon Lord narrowed his eyes.
“Which omega?”
Ana hesitated for half a second.
She remembered Alpha Denzel's last sentence.
“Which Omega?” Moon Lord asked again.
“Laina,” Ana responded.
The panel exchanged glances.
Head Enforcer Kieran folded his arms.
“And did you inform anyone before this so-called swapping took place?”
Ana shook her head.
“No. We told no one.”
Another wave of whispers rolled through the chamber.
Gamma Leona’s lips curled slightly.
“Convenient,” she muttered before speaking louder.
“So we are to believe that an omega conveniently got tired and you, of all people, happened to replace her?”
“I was only helping,” Ana responded.
Beta Rowen slammed his fist on the table, silencing the whispers.
“And yet, despite your ‘help,’ the sacred blood went missing the same night you were present. Quite the coincidence, isn’t it?”
Ana kept her expression blank.
“I had nothing to do with the missing blood.”
“Then explain why you were found near the storage room where the blood was kept?” Moon Lord pressed.
“I was cleaning up.”
Moon Lord’s voice rumbled across the hall.
“Cleaning? Or making sure there were no witnesses?”
Ana met his gaze without flinching.
“I did not steal the blood.”
Gamma Leona scoffed.
“So who stole the blood and destroyed the mind of the strongest warrior this continent has?”
The moment Ana heard that the stolen blood had been used to bring down a powerful Alpha, her chest tightened.
She didn’t need to ask who they were talking about. She knew it was Zayron.
Every question thrown at her became nothing more than background noise.
Her mind had already left the room, racing ahead to a single goal: finding Zayron and bringing him home.
If she could reach him in time, they could use Kayla’s blood mixed with silverleaf to undo whatever had been done to him.
The Head Enforcer stepped forward.
“Ana, we are not fools. If you have an ounce of truth left in you, now is the time to speak it.”
The Moon Lord exhaled, disappointment flashing across his face.
“Then you leave us with no choice.”
Beta Rowen turned to the scribes sitting at the far end of the hall.
“Record her silence as an admission of guilt.”
Moon Lord gave the final words.
“Ana of the Azure Moon Pack, you have failed to provide a reasonable explanation for your actions. Your presence in the Grand Culinary Hall, your lack of proper authorization, and the missing sacred blood all point to one conclusion. You committed treason.”
A heavy silence fell.
Gamma Leona delivered the verdict.
“You will be executed in twenty minutes.”
The decision was final.
The panel had spoken.
A ripple of shock spread through the crowd.
Some gasped.
Others murmured among themselves.
Ana stood still, her mind was still far away.
The heavy doors of the hall swung open, and Alpha Denzel strode in.
“I have come to defend Ana,” he announced. “I know who truly stole the blood.”
The panel of elders barely reacted.
One of them calmly closed the thick ledger in front of him and looked up.
“You’re too late, Alpha Denzel.”
Denzel frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“The verdict has been given,” the elder stated. “She will be executed in nineteen minutes.”
The finality of those words hit Denzel like a blow to the chest.
He stood frozen in place.
For the first time in his life, he felt powerless.