Chapter 4

"The engagement is over." Alpha Axel stated with finality.

"Hazel, I've found my mate." His eyes left her and settled on me.

"I, Princess Hazel Green of Greenwoods Pack, challenge this injustice before the Werewolf Judiciary."

Hazel laughed like a maniac, she would not accept it.

"Let's see whether the Werewolf Judiciary will allow..." She paused, letting her gaze crawl over me. "...a thief or worse, a rogue become Luna"

Her lips lifted into a mocking smile.

She turned and walked away, slamming the door behind her.

The Werewolf Judiciary wasn't a name spoken lightly. Whenever an Alpha's authority was questioned, whenever justice demanded impartial eyes, the Judiciary listened.

It’s Executives comprised Ancient Alphas and Elders, Leaders whose wisdom had survived generations. Their judgment was law.

And my chances against Hazel were as broken as the bruises covering my skin.

The water around me had begun to cool before Axel's voice pulled me back.

"I'll leave you to finish your bath."

He disappeared into the bedroom.

Barely a minute after, he returned carrying the largest towel I'd ever seen.

"You can use this when you're done."

His eyes met mine.

"I'll find something for you to wear."

He turned to leave when I spoke.

"Thank you, Alpha.." I said genuinely.

With a small smile, he turned.

"Call me Axel."

I gave a small nod.

He took another step then paused.

Without speaking, he walked back to the bathtub and pointed toward the row of polished handles fixed into the marble wall.

"This controls the hot water."

His finger moved to the next.

"This one's cold."

He pointed to another.

"And this adjusts the pressure."

I was probably too transparent for him to notice my helplessness even in silence.

I watched every movement, nodding after each explanation. Then I saw his fingers reaching the buttons of his shirt, he unbuttoned the first, then the second one.

"What are you doing?" I asked hoping my thoughts were wrong.

"Making things easier." He responded as another button came undone, then continued.

"How about we bathe together?"

My eyes widened, I shook my head so quickly my wet hair slapped against my shoulders.

"I…I.. can manage." I tried hard to shake off the wild thoughts that came running through my head.

He laughed so hard then winked at me, and walked out.

The terrifying Alpha everyone feared had just teased me.

****

I'd been in the palace for just over a week, and this new world seemed different.

The servants smiled at me, the guards bowed their heads. I didn't know whether they were kind or simply afraid to offend the Alpha's mate.

The bruises covering my body were healing fine. Every night, Axel held my arm or shoulder, lowered his head, and ran his tongue gently over the fading wounds.

"It'll help them heal faster," he always said. "Your wolf hasn't awakened yet, so your body needs all the help it can get."

He was right because by morning, the bruises looked lighter.

I hadn't realized how hungry I'd spent my whole life. I ate almost every hour, Axel made sure of it.

He had the chef prepare meals throughout the day, warning her not to let me go hungry. The poor woman worried over every plate she served but I loved everything she cooked.

This morning, Axel and I had returned from my first day at the gym. The car had just stopped at the parking lot.

I gripped the edge of the car door and lowered one foot toward the ground. The seat sat higher than I was used to.

A week ago, I would have misjudged the distance and landed hard on my feet. This time, I found the ground without stumbling.

When I looked up, Axel was watching me. His mouth curved into a proud smile.

He held out his hand. I slipped mine into it, and he closed his fingers around mine.

Then his eyes went distant.

He stood still for a moment, his attention fixed somewhere I couldn't reach. Someone had mindlinked him.

When he looked back at me, the warmth had returned to his eyes.

“That was my lawyer. We've been summoned.”

My fingers grew cold inside his hand.

Sensing my unease, his thumb moved gently across my knuckles enough to reassure me.

“Tomorrow, we'll face Hazel together.”

His lips brushed my forehead before his arms wrapped me.

At that moment, the thought of standing before the court didn't feel so frightening.

That night, I lay beside Axel, watching the darkness outside. His breathing rose and fell in a steady rhythm, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw the same thing.

The courtroom.

The people waiting to judge me.

The life I had only just begun to live, hanging on words I couldn't control.

I turned onto my side and pulled the blanket closer. When I looked at the clock, another hour had passed.

By the time dawn came, I had already imagined a hundred ways the day could go wrong.

***

The Royal Court of Justice, Werewolf Judiciary.

The bold silver letters stretched across the entrance of the towering marble building as we entered.

I'd never stood before a courtroom before.

Today, I was here to be judged.

The Court fell into absolute silence as Princess Hazel’s attorney rose to his feet, adjusted the front of his robe, and stepped into the center of the courtroom.

He bowed respectfully toward the panel of Elders before turning to face the judges.

"Your Honors," he began, his voice calm yet commanding, "this case has never been about denying the existence of the mate bond. My client does not dispute that the defendant, Lady Nina, is Alpha Axel's fated mate."

A murmur rippled through the audience before the Chief Judge struck the gavel.

"Order."

The lawyer continued.

"The issue is whether Lady Nina is legally qualified to become the Luna of Blue Crystal Pack."

He allowed his words to settle before going further.

"The defense would have this court believe that the Moon Goddess's blessing alone is sufficient qualification for the highest female position in a pack."

He slowly shook his head.

"That is not what our laws say."

He lifted a thick leather-bound volume from his desk.

"The Werewolf Constitution exists for one reason, to ensure that no Alpha, royal family, or ordinary citizen stands above the law."

He opened the book.

"Section Twenty-One, Article Nine clearly states that any individual found guilty of criminal offenses, or one bearing the legal status of a rogue under the authority of the Werewolf Council, is ineligible to occupy the office of Luna."

The courtroom grew noticeably quieter.

"My Lords, the facts are undisputed."

He turned toward me.

"The defendant entered Blue Crystal Pack unlawfully. She was apprehended during a theft inside the pack's treasury."

Beside me, Axel's jaw tightened. His hand found mine beneath the table and closed around it.

The counsel continued with emphasis on his next words.

"She is a registered rogue."

He closed the book with a firm snap.

"These are not allegations but facts”.

He faced the judges once more as his gaze swept across the room.

"If this court ignores these statutes simply because fate has tied two individuals together, then every future criminal may invoke the mate bond as a shield against accountability."

He spoke like he knew, yet he knew nothing about me.

Let him call me a rogue. Let him read his statutes like scripture. I had survived worse rooms, and I was going to survive this one.

Gesturing towards Princess Hazel, his voice hardened.

"The office of Luna is not merely ceremonial. A Luna becomes the moral compass of the pack. Such a position demands a woman whose reputation is beyond question."

Hazel sat perfectly still, the faintest smile touching her lips, as though the lawyer were reciting a verse she had written.

"When fate presents a mate who is legally disqualified from assuming the office of Luna, the Constitution directs that the next most suitable and legally qualified candidate be selected."

The counsel pointed respectfully toward Hazel.

"That candidate is before you today. Her Highness, Princess Hazel Green."

He folded his hands behind his back.

"This case is not a contest between a princess and a rogue. It is a question of whether the Constitution of our people still holds authority. If the answer is yes, then there can be only one lawful judgment."

"On behalf of my client, I respectfully request that this honorable court uphold the Constitution, declare Lady Nina legally ineligible to become Luna of Blue Crystal Pack, and recognize Her Highness Princess Hazel Green as the rightful and lawful Luna."

The Chief Judge exchanged a low word with an Elder beside him, their faces looked calm. Then the gavel struck.

"This court is adjourned. We will reconvene in one week's time."

The session ended without our counsel saying a word. I'd heard he was the best

lawyer in Blue Crystal Pack, the one Axel trusted above all others.

He looked like a calm storm. I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

But I could tell what I was thinking.

I would not lose this.