The first witness was called forward, a young she-wolf from Aldrake's pack. She looked nervous, her hands trembling as she bowed before the Elder Council.
Her gaze flickered toward Livia for a heartbeat—there was hesitation, even guilt, in her eyes. Livia caught it immediately, her chest tightening with a brief flicker of hope.
But the moment the Elder asked her to recount what she saw at the gathering, something shifted. The girl's lips parted, yet the words that fell from them were not what her heart wanted to say.
"I-I saw Alpha Aldrake with Luna Livia… but…" her voice wavered, almost breaking, "it was Luna who walked away from him… and… and stayed close to another man. She ignored him in the crowd. She—she was the one who embarrassed our Alpha that night."
Gasps filled the chamber. Murmurs erupted, sharp and ugly like the hiss of snakes.
