Chapter 8: Accusations in the Shadows Anna POV

As everyone streamed out of the trial hall, the air was filled with the murmur of voices, their whispered whispers carrying a mixture of judgment and expectation. In order to confer with the council elders and determine Leo's destiny, Oliver had called a timeout. However, I recognized the expression in his eyes—he was relishing the agony, extending the verdict to relish every moment of Leo's pain and the fear that was screaming through me.

With my heart racing, I looked around for Lucas as the crowd poured into the courtyard. Since the start of the trial, the so-called "witness" had been the focus of attention, and his words had been driving a cold blade further and deeper into my chest. Whether he realized it or not, I had to face him and make him recognize the harm he was doing.

At last I saw him at the steps, chatting softly with a few of our fighters. He had a calm, assured stance. Anger made my stomach turn. After what he had done, how could he appear so composed?

I ignored the glares and whispered comments aimed at me as I forced my way through the crowd. They hardly noticed; my attention was on him, on the necessity of facing him. Before I had a chance to consider it, I spoke as soon as I got near him.

"You're mistaken about Leo!" I yelled, raising my voice above my desired volume, drawing the attention of some close bystanders. “You don’t know him at all. You just condemned an innocent man.”

Lucas turned, focusing his sharp gaze on me. He was taken aback, as if he hadn't anticipated being questioned. As he assessed me, a slight frown came over his face.

“And you are…?” he raised an eyebrow coolly. "I don't remember seeing you at the trial, for some reason."

"My name is Anna." Even though his stare made me feel vulnerable, as like he could see every thought I had, I folded my arms and tried to stand my ground. "The closest thing to family that I have is Leo. I was raised by him. Plus, he didn't do the things you're accusing him of."

Something flickered across his face, maybe amusement, perhaps pity. I was unable to tell. However, he remained in his position, unconcerned by my accusations. "I just told them what I saw," he said in a level manner. "Your 'family' was in the middle of the woods, huddled around a dead pup, covered in blood. Tell me, Anna, what I should make of that."

I clinched my fists, trying to maintain a steady voice. “He was trying to help that pup. Nobody, especially a child, would ever be harmed by Leo. You're distorting the facts and making them into something they're not."

Lucas's eyes were sharp as he observed me. "You appear to be quite sure that he is innocent. But certainty isn’t proof, is it?”

My chest blazed with anger. "You have no right to judge someone's destiny based on your perception of what you witnessed. Maybe you didn’t understand what was really happening.”

He narrowed his eyes and cocked his head. "Perhaps. Or perhaps your devotion to a man who is obviously concealing something has blinded you."

"Or perhaps you're mistaken!" I didn't care that my voice was getting louder and attracting more attention from the onlookers. I needed him to get it. “Leo didn’t kill anyone. All his life, he has been devoted to this group. And because of you, he is now being punished for something he did not do."

Lucas continued to look at me, and I noticed a glimmer of uncertainty in his eyes. However, he shook his head and let out a gentle exhale, perhaps rejecting the idea.

He said, his voice lower now, "Listen. I recognize how difficult this is for you. But I’ve given my account to the Alpha. I have no influence over what he decides to do with it."

"You mean you don't care?" I retorted, my words tinged with resentment.

There was a hint of something inscrutable in his eyes as he gazed at me. "No, I didn't say that."

I was about to press further when a sharp bell rang out, signaling that the trial was about to resume. After giving a single, somewhat respectful nod, Lucas turned back to face the hallway. As we returned to the crowd gathered around the door, Maia's hand on my shoulder grounded me.

Leo's face was white but resolute as the guards escorted him back to the front, his hands still bound. He glanced at me and gave me the smallest nod, a tacit hint to keep going. Knowing that he was battling for me as much as for himself gave me a rush of pride.

Oliver stood in the front, his eyes gleaming predatorily as he scanned the audience. He was obviously relishing every moment of having control over Leo's destiny. Around him, the elders sat in a semicircle, their looks grim and unreadable.

Oliver said in a voice that reverberated down the hallway, "We have taken the evidence into consideration. But there is one final question that needs to be addressed before we render a judgment."

He looked at Lucas, who was standing directly behind him with his arms crossed over his chest and appeared composed. Oliver called, his voice tinged with satisfaction, "Lucas. Do you think Leo is guilty of this crime based on what you witnessed?"

Everyone in the crowd grew silent as they turned to face Lucas and awaited his answer. Leo tensed up in front of me, his breath catching, and as the silence drew on, I could feel my own heartbeat quicken.

Like he was weighing something, Lucas's eyes strayed to Leo and then momentarily to me. Despite the fear that had gripped me from the start of the trial, I held my breath as an odd hope rose in my chest.

Then, at last, he said something.

"No," he answered in a firm and unambiguous voice. "Leo is not guilty, in my opinion."

Shocked gasps and whispers filled the hall. Oliver looked at Lucas with a mix of incredulity and rage, his face contorted in hardly disguised rage and his jaw clinched. Leo's expression changed to one of surprise and relief as his eyes expanded and he turned back to face me.

I was astounded, too. I figured Lucas would automatically condemn Leo after what he had said. But here he was, in front of the whole pack, denying Leo's guilt while contradicting both Oliver and himself.

Oliver's harsh, piercing voice broke through the chaos. "Lucas, would you contradict what you said? You, who was there when it happened?"

Lucas remained steadfast and calmly met Oliver's stare. "I'm not claiming that what I witnessed didn't occur. However, I have cause to question whether Leo was the culprit. Things aren't always as easy as they seem."

For the first time since the trial started, I felt a glimpse of hope when a murmur of agreement echoed through the crowd. Maybe, just maybe, Leo would be spared.