Chapter 12
Undeniable Proof
Alexa
The wedding dress still hangs in the dressing room exactly where it was before. For a moment I stand there and look at it. Despite everything that happened today, the dress is beautiful. A small regret lingers in my chest as I take it in one last time.
Such a pity. Maybe another day. Maybe with the right person.
My feet carry me out of the dressing room. My eyes still feel swollen and sore, but the elders aren’t willing to wait much longer. I already promised them I would come to the ballroom as soon as I changed my clothes.
Now I wear a green shirt and denim pants. I’m no longer a bride. Just an ordinary Lycan girl about to face a trial before a room full of old men and women.
The elders hold authority over the Alpha, the Luna, the Beta, and every other rank when a crisis erupts inside the pack. Funny in a way. Their power sometimes feels even greater than the Alpha’s. Still, those are the rules. They exist to stop anyone from abusing their authority.
As I step into the ballroom, the guards close the doors behind me. The elders clear their throats the moment they see me.
The decorations inside the room couldn’t feel more out of place. Flowers, ribbons, and elegant lights still hang everywhere, meant for a wedding celebration that will never happen. I walk to the center and sit where the elders arranged the seats, between Harlow and Lorraine.
“Alexa Dawson, heir to Robert Dawson,” Mr. Darius begins, his voice booming through the ballroom.
“You’ve been summoned here to explain what happened.
Today was supposed to be a joyful day for the Silver Moon Pack.
Instead we got chaos. And we even have honored guests watching this whole mess. It’s a disgrace.”
He turns and bows his head slightly. “Please forgive us, Alpha Romero, Alpha Alastair.”
“It’s alright, sir,” Alpha Romero replies, lifting a hand calmly. “We came here to support a fellow Alpha. We’ll stay until this matter’s settled.”
“Yeah. Don’t worry about it,” Alpha Alastair adds with a nod.
“Very well.” Mr. Darius clears his throat again before continuing. “Alexa, please speak the truth under the oath of the Moon Goddess. Tell us exactly what happened so we can decide who’s responsible for this madness and who deserves punishment.”
His words make my brow tighten. Punishment? Do they still think about executing someone like we live in ancient times? If that bullet had pierced his heart yesterday, maybe this room would feel a lot more civilized.
I rise to my feet and raise my right hand. “I swear in the name of the Moon Goddess that I will speak only the truth,” I say. “May She guide my words and bring light to the darkness.”
Mr. Darius gestures for me to sit again with a slow wave of his hand. “Proceed.” Everyone falls silent, waiting to hear what truth I would tell.
“I was on my way to call Alpha Gabriel from the men’s dressing room so we could head to the altar,” I begin, swallowing hard.
Well. I was planning to continue the wedding. That part is still true.
“But before I reached the door, I heard a woman’s voice inside the room. It sounded weird, like she was begging for help.” I pause. “Harlow broke the door down. When it opened, I saw Alpha Gabriel choking Lorraine with his bare hands.”
The entire ballroom erupts. Gasps ripple through the elders. Voices rise at once.
Mr. Darius slams his palm against the table three times. “Enough!” he roars. “Settle down!” The noise dies quickly, and silence fills the room again.
“Go on,” he orders.
So I tell them everything. Every moment. Every detail. From the moment we heard Lorraine’s cries to the final second of the duel. When I finish speaking, several elders exchange uneasy looks. Mr. Darius and Mrs. Gertrude stare at me with clear skepticism.
“Alright,” Mr. Darius says. “We’ve all heard the story.
As you know, an Alpha challenge duel must be witnessed by at least two individuals.
Those witnesses must observe the entire event from the moment the challenge is declared until the fight ends.
” His tone makes it obvious he still refuses to accept the outcome.
“Lorraine and Alexa witnessed everything from start to finish. Is that correct?” Mr. Pascoe asks, his deep voice easing the tension in the room. He stares at Lorraine, Harlow, and me, one at a time, as if asking for answers. Each time, he’s met with a firm nod.
“In that case,” Mr. Pascoe continues, “the duel is valid. We also witnessed the result ourselves.” He turns toward the other elders. “Harlow won.”
Several elders slowly nod in agreement.
“What about the wedding?” Mrs. Gertrude asks sharply, her gaze drilling into me. “If Alpha Gabriel loses his title, you can’t become Luna. You understand that, don’t you?”
“I already called off the wedding with Alpha Gabriel,” I answer, looking straight at my stepmother. “He broke the blood pact.”
“What blood pact?” Mrs. Gertrude demands.
“Alpha Gabriel swore he would never harm anyone under my protection,” I say. “If he broke that oath, our marriage would be canceled.” The room explodes into noise once again.
“Why would Gabriel break a blood pact and walk away from a wedding he’s been chasing for years? All because he hurt Lorraine?” Mr. Darius says, frowning as he rambles through the questions.
“Calm down! Quiet!” Mrs. Gertrude’s voice shrieks across the ballroom. The sound is sharp enough to make several people flinch. The crowd falls silent again, waiting for someone to speak.
“Lorraine,” Mrs. Gertrude continues, turning to her daughter, “tell the truth in the name of the Moon Goddess. Did Alpha Gabriel harm you in any way? What exactly made him so angry with you?”
Lorraine says nothing. She sits there frozen, struggling to choose between silence and the truth. The hesitation stretches too long.
“Answer me, Lorraine!” Mrs. Gertrude snaps, her voice rising again until it scrapes against everyone’s ears.
“Mrs. Gertrude, there’s no need to yell,” I say, leaning forward. “Lorraine’s still recovering from those bruises around her neck. Her voice is hoarse. Talking right now takes effort.”
Mrs. Gertrude shoots me a glare, but I continue before she can interrupt. “I know why Lorraine was in Alpha Gabriel’s dressing room.” I glance at Lorraine. “She was trying to convince him to call off the wedding.”
The room explodes into noise again. Whispers ripple outward, growing louder by the second. In the Silver Moon Pack, having a mistress is not exactly forbidden. But trying to seduce the groom into canceling his wedding an hour before the ceremony is another story.
“Don’t throw around wild accusations!” Mrs. Gertrude snaps, spinning toward the crowd. “Lorraine would never do something like that! Stop spreading this nonsense!”
She turns back toward the elders, her voice tight with desperation. “Alexa’s lying. Lorraine wasn’t persuading him to cancel anything. She was just offering congratulations.”
“Mrs. Gertrude,” I reply, “who exactly are you trying to fool here? If you don’t believe me, you can ask Lorraine yourself. I’m sure she won’t deny it.” I look directly at Lorraine.
“I can examine her again if proof is needed,” Mrs. Geeny offers from the elders’ table.
“No need.” Lorraine’s voice finally emerges, hoarse and fragile. She slowly shakes her head and pushes herself to stand. “Alexa’s telling the truth.”
The room freezes. Even Mrs. Gertrude goes pale. I didn’t expect Lorraine to admit it either.
“Well now,” Mythril’s voice hums inside my mind. “Looks like she figured out this situation works in her favor. If the wedding’s canceled, she can marry Gabriel herself.” The thought is annoyingly logical.
“I threatened…” Lorraine pauses and swallows with difficulty. “I threatened to expose Alpha Gabriel for cheating during the Alpha trial.”
The ballroom erupts into absolute chaos. Voices collide into a deafening roar. Heads shake in disbelief. The noise fills the room like a swarm of angry bees rather than the howls of wolves. Almost no one believes her.
“Ms. Lorraine,” Mr. Pascoe says slowly, his brows lifting, “if Alpha Gabriel cheated during the Alpha trial, why did you stay silent when you knew about it? You worked in the secretariat office as the Alpha’s assistant.”
“He was still the best candidate for Alpha,” Lorraine answers, her voice barely steady.
Mr. Pascoe’s forehead creases deeper. “Did I hear that right? That decision isn’t yours to make. There’s a reason we determine an Alpha through a series of trials.” His disapproval hangs heavy in the air.
“And now, after the duel challenge, Alpha Gabriel has lost to his opponent in the final Alpha trial.” Mr. Pascoe gestures toward Harlow beside me. “Don’t you see what that means? Harlow should have been Alpha back then.”
“But Harlow didn’t even show up for the last duel,” Mr. Darius cuts in with a mocking snort. “He ran scared. With a spine like that, I don’t care how strong he is. A man like that ain’t fit to be Alpha.”
“I already told you what happened,” Harlow says, his voice low but tense with restrained anger. “I got sick the night before the duel. I asked for a reschedule, but every one of you refused.”
“There’s no point arguing about it now,” Mrs. Geeny says, her rough voice cutting through the room like a blade. “What matters is whether Lorraine’s accusation is true.” The elders fall silent.
“If Alpha Gabriel cheated during the trial, we will uphold the Alpha challenge,” she continues. “If the accusation is false, then we follow Alpha Gabriel’s orders regarding those who accused him.”
“And how exactly are you planning to prove that?” Mrs. Gertrude says with a high, mocking laugh. “That trial happened years ago. What kind of evidence could still exist after all this time?”
“There is one magic ritual that can reveal the truth,” Mrs. Geeny replies.
Mr. Pascoe leans forward. “Is it dangerous? What kind of sacrifice does it require?”