*~Hazel's POV~*
"So what is the council saying?" Klaus asked.
We were gathered around the long oak table, the air heavy with tension. Caspian and I sat at the head—Alpha's seat—while the rest of the elders filled every space beside him.
One of the elders spoke first. "We are saying this is unacceptable. Leon will not be banished, but we cannot approve of his relationship with Sophia. She remains a prisoner."
"Yes," Caspian added, his voice calm but firm. "But I still don't see why he shouldn't be banished. He chose Sophia as his mate."
Cayden turned toward me. "Alpha Hazel, you must consider the law. If he insists on mating with a prisoner, then he is going against us—and the punishment is clear. Banishment. For him and his chosen mate."
"But we can't banish him," Klaus interjected sharply. "This is Leon. The man has risked his life for every single one of us. He has served this pack faithfully from the day he became our Gamma—now Beta. We can't just ruin him over one mistake."
