Adrian's POV
The night was still, unnaturally still, as if the moon itself had called every living thing to silence. A trial beneath the moon's gaze was not something I ever imagined myself submitting to. I was Adrian —Alpha of the Moon Pack, feared and despised in equal measure. Yet tonight, I stood not as their leader, not as their executioner, but as their accused.
The courtyard was filled with faces I once ignored or terrified into obedience. Wolves stood shoulder to shoulder, their eyes glowing faintly with lunar reflection. Their whispers crawled over my skin like insects. Some voices trembled with anticipation, others with bitterness. I could smell their emotions—fear, anger, hope—all tangled in the cool night air. The council sat in a half-circle of stone, their torches burning high, shadows dancing on their lined faces. I could feel the weight of judgment pressing down even before a single word was spoken.
