Chapter 138

••• Victoria’s POV ••• The chamber doors groaned open with the weight of final judgment. I stood beneath the high arch of the werewolf court, shoulders squared, heart steady. The stone floor beneath my boots felt colder than usual. Above us, carved wolves stared down in silence from their thrones of marble. They'd seen centuries of justice handed out. Today would be no different. The first time I came here was to witness Diana's trial. The second time was when the perfume industry was restored. Today, it was about a whole different matter. The room pulsed with authority. A dozen Elders sat at the curved dais, each one cloaked in robes that bore the insignia of ancient bloodlines. Their presence was overwhelming, but I did not bow. I had learned to stand straight under pressure—to meet judgment head-on. Behind me, Damien stood like a wall of silent fire. His presence didn’t overshadow mine—it fortified it. I felt his aura like a steady rhythm against my spine. We had faced many storms.