Chapter 95

••• Victoria's POV ••• I didn’t breathe again until the massive doors of the Council chamber closed behind Alpha Martin. Silence hung in the air like thick fog. The kind that clings to your skin, suffocating and still. Then, a gavel struck. “Order,” one of the elders barked, voice shaking with the effort of reclaiming control. “This trial is not over.” My heartbeat still hadn’t slowed. I clutched the edges of my seat. Damien hadn’t moved from where he stood, his broad frame angled just slightly in front of me, a wall I didn’t know I needed until Martin walked in and stared like I was prey. But I breathed a sigh of relief. At least Diana would still go on trial. At least Alpha Martin hadn't taken her away. The moment the doors shut, Diana shifted. She looked smaller without Martin behind her—less confident, more desperate. Her eyes darted between the council and Damien. And then to me. “They are lying!” she shouted, pointing at me and Damien. “Those photos are fake! You think I’d tortur