CHAPTER FOUR

The entire courtroom gave a collective gasp at his declaration.

"An omen of...what do you mean?" Colin, the Beta of the pack asked in confusion.

The Elder stepped forward again and gestured towards my neck, his voice filled with a mixture of awe and dread. "Do you see that mark on her neck? That...that vile thing."

I felt the weight of several eyes bearing down on me. I could feel the mark burning into my skin like a freshly made tattoo.

"It is in the shape of a crescent." The Elder continued. "Those who bear that mark are said to be a dangerous wolf specie."

A murmur swept through the courtroom at his words. He turned around swiftly, eyes bulging in horror. "I know what I'm saying!" He snapped. "That mark...that mark..."

Alpha Noah stood to his feet again. "Elder Jacob, could you please explain what you mean, or do I need to call off this court session already?"

The Elder gave me a look full of contempt, then spat venomously. "Where did you get that mark, girl?"

Confusion washed over me. I raised a hand to touch the dark crescent on my neck, just behind the shell of my ear. "I've um... I've always had this mark since I was born. I really can't remember....well, my mother always said it was a birthmark."

The Elder's voice trembled as he continued, his words weighted with accusations. "Those marked by the Crescent are believed to be blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. They possess extraordinary powers and are known to be stronger than ordinary wolves."

Alpha Noah raised his eyebrows and folded his arms. "We are all familiar with that tale, Elder Jacob. Go straight to the point!"

"But they also bring ruin to packs. Their mere presence in a pack can lead to downfall and destruction. It is said that the punishment for anyone bearing that mark is death, as the Crescent is an omen of death itself."

Fear gripped my heart, the weight of his accusations crushing me. Death sounded much worse than two weeks in the dungeons. "I don't know...It's just a birthmark—"

"Silence, girl!" The Elder screamed at me, veins appearing on his bald head. "You have no right to speak!"

 "But—" I started, but suddenly, Colin, the beta of the pack, stood up, his voice filled with conviction. "I believe we need to take a few moments to consider this before making any rash decision."

"Why?!" The Elder spluttered. "You can all see the mark yourselves, can you not?" He reached out to me, grabbed me by my broken wrist, and pulled me forward, ignoring my screams of pain.

"See!" He bellowed. "She needs to be killed before she kills all of us! She is a virus that must be uprooted!"

Tears of anger and pain flowed down my cheeks, but I knew I was in a hopeless state. These people would believe the words of an Elder over a mere Omega.

"This is nothing more than a tale, a story born from childish folklore. We cannot condemn an innocent girl to death based on rumors and superstition." Colin asserted.

The Elder interjected, his voice tinged with urgency. "But it is more than that! It is a warning, a cautionary tale passed down through generations! Most folklores are based on some truth, are they not?"

Colin held his ground, his voice unwavering. "Yes, but where is the proof? None of this is based on concrete evidence. To kill an innocent girl over a grandma's tale would be unwise and unjust."

The Elder gaped. "Do you want us all to die?!"

Colin shook his head. "I didn't say that—"

"But that's what you insinuated, was it not?" The Elder's eyes were burning with fervent energy now. "Do you want to gamble with the imminent destruction of the entire pack just because of this one....insignificant Omega? Her death would make a difference, and earn us some more decades of survival as a pack. The fate of this pack hangs in the balance!"

Silence descended upon the chamber at his words. I slowly looked up and saw Alpha Noah staring at the Elder with something close to contempt. The gaze was short and fleeting though, and for a moment I wondered if I'd imagined it.

"Your submissions are not absolute, Elder." Beta Colin said. "The alpha still has to make a final decision."

"Let him make it, then." The Elder growled and turned his gaze to Alpha Noah.

The alpha stood to his feet and finally spoke, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "I agree with Beta Colin that we do not need to rush our decision. I will need tonight to consider her fate before giving a verdict. Tomorrow morning, I will announce my decision to the Council."

The Elder's eyes narrowed with warning as he addressed Noah. "Fine, then. But if you fail to come up with a final verdict by tomorrow morning, we will have no choice but to execute her."

The words hung in the air like a sword, ready to give a striking blow. The Elder returned to his seat, and Beta Colin took him too. I was grateful for his intervention, but at the same time, I was scared. It seemed as though half the people in the room agreed with what the Elder had said.

"In the meantime, she would be taken to the dungeons to begin her sentence for stealing." The Alpha announced. "This court sitting is hereby dismissed."

The murmuring grew louder as I was led away from the courtroom by the guards. I could hear their accusatory whispers following me as I walked out. It felt more painful than the throbbing in my wrist, that my kin, my pack, were this quick to turn on me because of a mark on my skin. 

As I sat in the cold confines of my cell several minutes later, I could only hope that Alpha Noah would see reason, that he would find the strength to defy the ancient tales and offer me a chance at redemption. I thought about my mother's fragile fate if I was truly condemned to die, and I vowed to fight for both our lives, no matter the odds stacked against me.