Chapter 109: The Weight of Victory Anna POV

The trumpet's call echoed through the broken remains of Nightshade, a sound that once sent fear rippling through the pack but now carried a different weight. A summons. A reckoning. 

I stood in the heart of the pack's gathering grounds, where months ago, I had watched Leo be condemned to death. My fingers tightened into fists at my sides as I forced myself to take in every detail... the stone platform, the lofty arches, the wooden beams above that had once felt oppressive. The torches flickered, casting long shadows against the walls, just like they had that night. 

Only this time, it wasn't Leo standing before the pack. 

It was Oliver. 

He was on his knees in the center of the hall, bound, his body battered and broken. Blood matted his dark hair, his once-imposing body slumped forward in exhaustion. The very warriors who had formerly battled under him stood around the perimeter of the hall, their gazes flitting between me and the fallen Alpha. 

A quiet spread over the room as more pack members entered, their movements cautious, uncertain. They were seeing me differently now. No longer an omega. No longer a weak, disposable thing. But I wasn't here for their admiration. 

I was here seeking justice. 

Lucas stood behind me, his presence steady and anchoring, yet his countenance was unreadable. Maia stood a few steps behind us, her shoulder still bandaged in fresh bandages from the wounds she had incurred in the struggle. 

A voice pierced the silence. 

"We gather here to decide the fate of Oliver, former Alpha of Nightshade," an elder said, his voice weary but resolute. He was one of the few who had lived under Oliver's authority, a man who had long since lost the fire of leadership. "This hall, once a place of unjust verdicts, now seeks to correct those wrongs." 

A murmur went through the gathering.

With my heart pounding in my chest, I took a step forward. "The lives he took cannot be restored by righting those wrongs," My hands shook, but my voice remained calm. "It won't bring Leo back."

The hall became more and more silent. Many people had forgotten about Leo's execution, acting as though it had been the collective will rather than the will of a single despot. However, I remembered. I would always remember. 

Oliver raised his head and gave a raspy laugh. Despite his damaged state, a sneer distorted his bruised face. "So, is this it?" Even with his scratchy voice, he exuded the same cockiness. "You're the victor, tiny omega. Do you feel strong now?"

My chest twisted with something sharp. Little omega. As if I were still under him, he said that. As if I were constantly beneath him.

With his hands clenched at his sides, Lucas stiffened next to me. I sensed his rage and the almost uncontrollable urge to confront Oliver and silence him. However, this was not Lucas's battle.

It was mine. 

I inhaled deeply and looked directly into Oliver's eyes. "I don't have to feel strong," I said. "All I have to do is watch you get what you deserve." 

With a sneer, he looked at the assembled pack. "What do you suppose they'll do?" He spoke in a venomous voice. "For years, they followed me. They enforced my laws. Do you honestly believe that they will develop a conscience all of a sudden?"

A wave of uneasiness swept across the audience. Oliver was trying to direct my anger at the pack by reminding me that they had allowed Leo to die and me to suffer, and I knew what he was doing. The worst part was that he was correct. 

I had hated this pack for years. I had been running from them for years. 

However, I wasn't here to ruin Nightshade's remnants. I was here to ensure that Oliver's regime did not cause any more suffering.

I looked out into the crowd. "You allowed him to rule through fear," I said with a firmer voice now. "You allowed him to steal your freedom, your dignity, and your loved ones. I know that some of you were in a similar situation to mine. And I know that some of you chose to support him." I allowed that to linger in the air, the weight of my words bearing down on the silent pack members. "This is your chance to choose the future you want. Will you continue to live in his shadow? Or would you prefer to be free of him?"

There was a quiet murmur in the hall. While some eyes were filled with tentative hope, others were downcast with shame.

Then Lucas moved closer and spoke firmly. "This isn't just about revenge," he said as he looked across the pack. "It's about taking back control of your own lives. No more fear. No more submission. You choose what happens next."

The weight of the decision hung in the air. I glanced at Oliver as I waited for the pack's decision. 

Voices rose, one after the other. 

"He should be held accountable for his actions." 

"He doesn't deserve to live." 

"Let him face the same fate as those he condemned."

The tide had turned against him. 

Oliver gave a halting chuckle. "You think killing me will make a difference?" he spat. "Do you believe that Nightshade will ever be more than a broken pack?" 

I gave him a long look before turning away. "I will not kill you."

There was silence in the hall. Even Lucas gave me a startled glance. 

I turned to face the pack. "You let him rule, and you decide how to deal with him. Choosing the justice you believe in is the first step toward being better." 

After exchanging uncertain looks, one of the elders finally spoke. "Then we cast our votes." 

The decision was made quickly. 

Oliver Blackwood was to lose his claim to the pack, his status, and his title. He would be banished, left to survive alone in the wilderness. For a man whose power was built on absolute control, it was a fate worse than death. 

I felt no satisfaction at the pack's verdict. No resolution. 

My chest didn't feel any lighter. 

Lucas's hand touched me, and even though I felt cold, his touch was warm. "You made the right choice," he whispered.

I wasn't sure if I believed that was true. 

I felt nothing but the hollow ache of the past as the pack cheered and called me their savior. 

Because I remembered, no matter how much they celebrated me now. 

I remembered how they stood silent the night Leo was taken. 

And I could never forgive them. 

Lucas remained silent. The cheers of the pack echoed around us as he simply drew me into his arms and held me there.

And I started crying for the first time since the battle ended.