Chapter 4
Freya's POV
The Alpha's judgment chamber was nothing like the public courtroom. Where the Crescent Court displayed power through grand architecture and formal proceedings, this room spoke of personal authority. The walls were lined with books—law texts and pack histories. A massive desk of dark wood dominated the space, and behind it stood the Alpha himself, his judge's robes discarded to reveal an impeccably tailored charcoal suit.
Without the silver-lined robes, his true presence filled the room even more intensely. My wolf recognized his dominance immediately, shrinking back inside me despite my human determination to stand tall.
"You've always been foolishly brave, Freya," he said, his voice quieter now that we were alone. His fingers drummed once on the desk—that same tell from before. "Or perhaps just foolish."
"Why did you convict me when you know those wounds couldn't have been mine?" I demanded, ignoring the proper protocols. We were far beyond that now. "The claw patterns were wrong. The depth inconsistent. You've seen me shift—you know what my claws look like."
Thorne's jaw tightened, a muscle working beneath the skin. His eyes briefly closed, and when they opened again, they were harder than before. "You presume to tell me how to interpret evidence? You think I haven't considered every angle of this case?"
"Then why?" I stepped closer, ignoring the warning growl from the guard at the door. I searched his face for any sign of the wolf who had once smiled at me across Moon Light Woods. "Is it because you hate me? Because I dared to love you once?"
His expression hardened, but a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed him. "Don't flatter yourself. This has nothing to do with your... inappropriate fixation. Kaelin was attacked. The evidence points to you. You had motive—jealousy is a powerful drive, especially in wolves without proper control."
I laughed bitterly, the sound hollow even to my own ears. "Jealousy? Is that what you think? That I attacked her because you chose her?"
"What else am I to think?" He paced behind his desk, his movements too precise, too controlled. He wouldn't meet my eyes directly. "Kaelin, despite her... condition, showed you nothing but kindness. She even pleaded for leniency in your sentencing. Without her intervention, I would have sentenced you to lifetime exile."
The revelation hit me hard. I felt the blood drain from my face. Kaelin had pretended to be my advocate? The same woman who had threatened me just minutes before the supposed "attack"?
"Why are you marrying her?" I asked, needing to understand what had drawn him to someone so clearly false. "Is it just politics? A blood alliance?"
His expression flickered, momentarily uncertain before shuttering closed again. His hands clenched at his sides, then deliberately relaxed. "My personal affairs are none of your concern. But yes, our union will strengthen both bloodlines. The Grey and Brooks lines have complementary strengths."
"A marriage of convenience," I said flatly. "How romantic."
His eyes flashed with irritation, and for a moment, real emotion broke through his mask. "Not all of us have the luxury of following romantic notions, Freya. Some of us bear responsibilities to our packs, our bloodlines. But I didn't expect a Riley to understand loyalty."
The words stung more than they should have. I flinched visibly, and his eyes tracked the movement, a flicker of regret passing so quickly across his face I almost missed it.
"What are you talking about?" My voice had grown quiet, almost defeated.
"Your family's disloyalty goes back further than you know," he said coldly, but his fingers gripped the edge of the desk too tightly. "And soon enough, the rest of the Riley clan will join you in the Forgotten Wilds."
My heart stuttered. "What?"
"I'll be presiding over your father's trial for pack treason next month." His voice was utterly devoid of emotion, but his eyes wouldn't meet mine. He stared at a point just past my shoulder. "The evidence is quite compelling."
My eyes widened in horror, and I felt my wolf surge forward in protective rage. "Why? Why are you doing this to a family that was once allied with yours? We were friends—our families were friends!"
Thorne's expression remained impassive, but his breathing had quickened slightly. "The Rileys betrayed that friendship long ago. Your father merely continued a family tradition."
I lunged forward, stopped only by the chains at my wrists. My eyes shifted, human blue giving way to wolf amber. "You're lying! My father is loyal to Moon Bay, to the pack system. He always supported your family!"
Thorne didn't flinch at my outburst, merely watched with clinical detachment. Something in his stance seemed almost reluctant as he said, "Take her to the Silver Shackle Prison." His voice dropped, almost imperceptibly softer. "Make sure she's properly fitted with a moon-silver suppression device before transport."
As the guard grabbed my arm, I locked eyes with Thorne one last time. "Whatever you think my family did, you're wrong. And someday, you'll realize how wrong you were about me, too."
Something flickered in his golden eyes—doubt? Regret? His fingers twitched at his side as if he might reach out. His throat worked as he swallowed. I saw pain there, and confusion, before the Alpha persona snapped back into place.
"Goodbye, Freya Riley," he said softly. "May the Moon Goddess have mercy on you in the Wilds." The words were formal, but his voice held a note I couldn't quite identify—something almost like sorrow.