Chapter 20: The Price of a Broken Bond

The air in the Howling Court was thick enough to taste, a potent brew of shock, intrigue, and the simmering aggression of dominant Alphas. Emilia’s words had landed not like a plea, but like a declaration of war, meticulously aimed at the very heart of their laws. She stood before the ancient King Gareth and the assembled packs, no longer a fugitive, but an accuser of formidable poise. “You speak grave accusations, Emilia of no pack,” Gareth’s voice, though aged, held the rumble of absolute authority. It was a test. By not acknowledging her former title, he challenged her current standing. “The misappropriation of pack resources is a serious crime. But the corruption of the mate bond…” His steely gaze swept the silent crowd. “…is a poison that weakens the entire wolf-kind. Where is your proof?” This was the moment. Emilia’s fingers, hidden in the folds of her garment, brushed against the cool metal of the data drive. 「This is not betrayal,」 she told herself, h