Chapter 4

On the day of the trial, the plaza outside the Council building was swamped with fervent protestors and media broadcast vans.

For today, I had my stylist shave the sides of my head even shorter. A custom-tailored, all-black suit, cut to fit my shoulders without a single crease.

Diamond cufflinks at my wrists. My leather shoes were polished to a mirror shine.

My reflection showed a sharp jawline and eyes as cold as ice. Perfect.

The moment the car door opened, camera flashes hit me like bullets.

"Death to the rapist!"

"Raven Blackstone, today is your last day!"

"Justice for our Omegas!"

A rotten egg splattered against my car door. I stepped over the mess without a change of expression. Aiden followed half a step behind me.

"All signal channels have been secured. The broadcast will cover thirty-six Packs. The estimated online audience was expected to break records."

When I pushed open the doors to the Council's great hall, the chamber was already packed. The spectator seats were filled from the first floor all the way up to the third-floor gallery.

Selena was already seated at the plaintiff's table, dressed in a simple, light gray dress. No makeup, her hair messily draped over her shoulders. The moment her eyes met mine, they immediately reddened. She shrank into herself, looking as if she might shatter at any moment.

But in the split second she lowered her head to hide her face, I saw the corner of her mouth twitch upward.

Enjoy your final performance, Selena. After the curtain falls, no one will be applauding you.

The gavel, symbolizing the highest judgment, fell with a heavy thud. The gallery, ignited with hatred, roared in a vicious chorus that merged into a single chant: "Execute him."

I remained silent, not offering a single word of defense.

Selena was sobbing her heart out, her voice carrying through the microphone and broadcast to the large screens in every Pack.

"That night… I had just finished my overtime and was about to leave the office. I passed his office, and he called out to me. He said he wanted to ‘discuss my promotion'…"

"I followed him inside…"

She suddenly covered her face with her hands and broke down, crying.

"He pressed me against the desk. I screamed for help, but he covered my mouth with his hand."

She was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe. "His Alpha presence was just… overwhelming… I fought with all my might to kick him away, to protect my innocence, but…"

A collective gasp swept through the gallery.

"His fangs pierced my scent gland… The pain of the forced marking… it wasn't physical. It was my very soul being torn apart…"

"And then he… he took me… Oh, Moon Goddess, the humiliation of being knotted against my will was a fate worse than death!"

"I begged him to stop… I said I would quit, that I would disappear, that I wanted nothing… He just smiled at me. He said I was his private property now."

An Omega in the gallery broke down in tears. A female council member turned her face away. Hundreds of glares, like silver daggers, were aimed at me, wishing me dead on the spot.

I didn't react at all. Next, it was Damien's turn to perform.

He was wheeled to the witness stand. The empty pant leg where his limb should have been was deliberately folded over his lap, aimed directly at the main camera.

He jabbed a finger at me, his voice trembling with manufactured emotion.

"It was him! That monster in a suit!"

"You think he only violated Selena? Wrong! So wrong! I was with him for three years, I know his true face better than anyone!"

"He destroyed this leg years ago when I accidentally stumbled upon one of his dirty secrets! That night, I saw him drag Selena into his office. I tried to intervene, but he threatened me with the same savage cruelty!"

"He whispered in my ear, 'Damien, say one word, and I won't just take your other leg. I'll slaughter your whole family and feed them to the rogues.'"

"A creature like that doesn't deserve to breathe the air of the Moon Goddess!"

As Damien spoke, he raised a hand to wipe away tears. The gallery erupted.

Someone started throwing things toward the defendant's dock. Council guards had to step in to clear the area. A white-haired elder rushed to the railing and spat toward me.

"I have a granddaughter Selena's age! You animal!"

The gavel struck three times. The Chairman of the High Council slowly raised his eyes.

"Alpha Raven."

"Chairman." I rose to my feet.

"The accusation of Miss Selena Vance and the testimony of Mr. Damien Crowe have been recorded." His voice boomed through the hall.

"Under the watch of the Moon Goddess, and according to Article Three, Section Seven of the Council Charter, the punishment for the rape of a she-wolf is execution."

"Do you have anything else to say in your defense?"

The entire hall fell silent.

I rose from the high-backed chair and walked deliberately to the plaintiff's table.

Selena lifted her face. Tears still clung to her eyelashes. I leaned in, placing my hands on the railing in front of her.

"A flawless performance, Miss Vance. Truly captivating."

"I will ask you one last time. Do you swear, on your wolf's spirit, that on that night, I, as a male Alpha, forced myself upon you and impregnated you?"

With every word I spoke, a triumphant light sparked in her eyes. She likely thought this was my final, desperate struggle.

She shot to her feet, tears streaming down her cheeks, but her lips could no longer suppress a triumphant, twisted smile.

"Yes! I swear! I swear on my wolf's spirit!"

"I will never forget how you forced your way into my body that night! Not in this life, or the next!"

The roar from the gallery grew louder and louder, threatening to tear the roof off the Council hall.

I straightened up and gave the main broadcast camera a small smile.

"You are a low-ranking Omega. Your inferior senses could never pierce an Alpha's control."

Selena's face fell. Just as she was about to retort, I raised my hands and went to the collar of my shirt, slowly working the buttons free.

The first, the second, and then the third, revealing the undeniable curve of my breasts to the cameras and the entire world.