Chapter 9: Judgment Passed Anna POV

"So, Lucas," Oliver said in a tone laced with bitter laughter as he paced in front of the audience, his cold gaze fixed on the man who had the audacity to disagree with him. "Want to explain this abrupt change of heart?"

Lucas kept a straight face, but I could see that the significance of Oliver's remarks wasn't lost on him. The murmurs of the gathering increased, sending a wave of uncertainty and bewilderment through the assembled wolves. Some of them gave me a sidelong glance, hatred and distrust lingering in their eyes as though Leo's innocence threatened them directly.

To his credit, Lucas did not back down. With a steady, unwavering voice, he calmly responded, "Alpha, I didn't change my statement. I just stated that Leo is not necessarily guilty of the crime itself, even though I saw him close to the body."

Oliver gave me the kind of half-smile that made my stomach turn. "Oh, I see. So maybe, Lucas,” he added, speaking to the audience, “someone slipped a few nice words or maybe even a few coins in your ear. Surely, this outburst of emotion wasn't the result of simple kindness?"

I was taken aback by my own protectiveness and felt a wave of rage on Lucas's behalf. However, Oliver's sarcastic remark undermined the credibility of anyone who tried to argue for Leo's innocence.

Lucas's jaw was fixed, and his eyes narrowed a little. "Alpha, no one approached me, and I don't like the idea of bribery."

Oliver held up his hands in a gesture of feigned innocence. "Of course, this is only a theory. We are all aware of how convincing some of our pack members can be." His eyes landed squarely on me, the charge clear. "Here, Anna has been very outspoken regarding Leo's innocence. Maybe too talkative."

Even though my cheeks burned, I wouldn't take my eyes off of it. Everyone in the crowd appeared to move uneasily, as if a wave were flowing through them, and their gazes shifted between Lucas, Oliver, and myself. In a nonverbal gesture of support, Maia, who was sitting next to me, even squeezed my hand.

Oliver gave a single clap of his hands to refocus the audience. “Regardless of Lucas's convictions, the elders and I have made a choice."

My throat tightened each breath. I looked at the elders in the hopes of catching a glimpse of mercy in their eyes, an indication that they would hear Lucas's skepticism and take into account his moral fiber and unwavering allegiance. But the elders sat stiff and silent, their expressions solemn, resigned.

Aside from one. Elder Amos looked at me, and for a brief instant, I noticed a glimmer of sadness or sympathy in his eyes. The realization that the result would not be what any of us had hoped for sent a chill down my spine.

Oliver's voice echoed in the quiet as he opened his arms. "Leo has been charged with the most horrible of offenses: killing a young pack member. And the proof speaks for itself, despite the fact that some people may question his guilt."

With anxiety so high that it felt like it was pressing down on us from every angle, the crowd fell silent. I noticed faces I recognized from my childhood—wolves who had made fun of me, others who had shown me little interest, and some who had been amiable. And I saw wrath, mistrust, and judgment in every expression. To them, Leo was just another stranger, another someone they could use as a scapegoat for their problems.

Oliver's joy was hardly hidden as he looked around the crowd. "The council has made a decision that guarantees our pack peace and justice for our fallen packmate."

With my heart beating so loudly that I thought the entire hall could hear it, I clutched the edge of my seat. Lucas shifted slightly as he watched Oliver, his lips drawn into a tight line but his expression unreadable. Maia gently but firmly grasped my arm.

Oliver’s voice lowered, a chill running through his words as he said, “Leo, for your actions, you are hereby sentenced…”

My whole body stiffened. I was having trouble breathing. I had the impression that I was perched atop a cliff, waiting for the earth to collapse beneath me.

“…to death by hanging.”

The crowd let out a simultaneous gasp, and then there was a startled hush. Each syllable of the words struck me like a hammer as they reverberated in my head, relentless and harsh. I was unable to process what I had just heard, and I felt as though the earth had been torn out from under me.

"No." Before I could stop it, the word came out of my mouth in a broken, raspy whisper. Despite my blurry eyesight, I made myself concentrate on Leo. Shackled, he stood there with a tough, unflinching expression on his face despite its pallor. He accepted it with a grace that just heightened the ache in my chest; he didn't plead or protest.

Despite having a stone face, Lucas's fists were clinched at his sides, and as he gazed at Leo, a glimmer of sadness darkened his eyes. I saw remorse there for the first time, real, authentic guilt but I wasn't sure if it was because he had not battled harder against Oliver or because he had grasped the consequences of his actions.

"Alpha!" I pushed past Maia and stepped toward Oliver, choking out. "This is impossible! Leo is not guilty, he's..."

“Silence!” Oliver's eyes hardened as he peered down at me, and his words sliced through the air like a whip. "Anna, don't make things worse for yourself. This is the outcome of Leo's activities. Any attempts to interfere will only lead to more consequences for you.”

I started to argue, but Maia stopped me with a strong grasp on my arm and a worried expression on her face. "Anna, please don't," she said in a tremulous voice. “They won’t listen. They have already decided."

My eyes pricked with tears, and my throat constricted. Leo's calm, determined stare met mine as I turned to face him again. He gave me a small shake of his head, as though to tell me to stop fighting and to let it go. But how could I? It was Leo. He had reared me, kept me safe, and supported me when no one else did.

The crowd's bewilderment and uneasiness were evident as they started to grumble once more. Even those who had previously regarded Leo with mistrust appeared surprised, as though they hadn't anticipated such a harsh penalty.

Silencing them, Oliver lifted his hands again. "The penalty will be executed tomorrow morning. Leo will stay in detention until then. I hope that this serves as a reminder to all of us of the value of honor and loyalty in our pack."

A feeling of nausea swept through me. Tomorrow. Tomorrow they were going to take him away from me. My knees went weak at the thought, and I staggered a little, only being held upright by Maia's arm.

Lucas was standing there looking at Oliver with a pale face and eyes that seemed to be in shock at what he had heard. It didn't matter that I could practically sense the tension and fight inside of him. Now, whatever he felt or thought, it was too late. The choice was already made.

I ignored the soldiers who rushed forward to stop me as I pushed past Maia and headed toward Leo as the throng started to thin out. I looked up at him and muttered, "Please," my voice barely heard over the clamor of the crowd. “Tell me there’s a way out of this.”

Leo's expression softened as he gazed down at me, a hint of grief visible in his eyes. "Accepting what we cannot change is the best course of action, Anna." His quiet, soft voice stood in stark contrast to the commotion all around us. "Promise me you'll remain resilient. Whatever occurs, you will continue to fight."

I shook my head, letting the tears fall at last. "This cannot be allowed to happen."

He smiled slightly, a silent strength shining in his eyes. "I understand. But Anna, you must. For the benefit of both of us."

The guards dragged him away from me before I could respond, leaving me standing there with my heart broken as the knowledge dawned on me.

Leo was going to die. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.