I had the chance to tell the truth—to fight for my innocence. But as my gaze met Owen’s across the crowded room, the silent plea in his eyes reminded me of the promise he made. My heart pounded as I forced the words out.
"Yes, I confess."
Gasps rippled through the room, followed by hushed murmurs. It was as if the entire pack had been waiting for this moment, eager for the confirmation of what they had already believed—that I was nothing more than the disgrace they had always seen me as.
Alpha Marcus lifted a hand, immediately silencing the pack. "Ariana, you have admitted to a serious offense. Before we determine your fate, do you have anything to say for yourself?"
Frantically searching for the right words, I took a shaky breath. "We argued," I said, my voice carefully controlled. "She mocked my bloodline. Called me a cursed omega. She insulted my family… and I lost control." It was the only explanation they would find believable—the uncontrollable outburst of a powerless girl with nothing to lose.
The Alpha studied me, his sharp eyes narrowing. Slowly, he began to circle me. "You expect us to believe that an omega—one abandoned by the Moon Goddess herself—managed to overpower and kill a warrior’s daughter?" He stopped in front of me, his stare burning into mine. "Do you take us for fools, Ariana?"
My throat tightened. He was right—my lie was full of holes. But I had already spoken, and there was no turning back now.
"Yes," I repeated, my voice steady despite the sweat trickling down my back. "I did it."
Alpha Marcus shook his head and gestured to one of the warriors standing nearby. "Bring the body."
The warrior disappeared through a side door, returning moments later with two others carrying a stretcher. They placed it before the pack, and with a solemn nod from the Alpha, the sheet was pulled back.
The sight of Mara’s lifeless body twisted my stomach, not because of the brutality of it, but because I knew who had really wielded the knife that ended her life. My gaze dropped, fixing at a distant point on the wall behind the elders.
Alpha Marcus's voice was heavy with finality. "This is the result of your actions, Ariana."
Before he could continue, a voice suddenly cut through the tension.
"YOU!"
Lucas, Mara’s brother, shoved his way through the crowd. Before anyone could stop him, he lunged at me, his hands locking around my throat.