The Elders shifted uncomfortably in their seats as Kraven's tone darkened. "If I don't feel her bond soon… then that means someone here is lying. And I will burn this empire to the ground to find out who."
His words were not a threat. They were a promise.
Kraven stood like he owned the place, smoke from his cigar curling like a serpent around his smirk. "I got word," he said, "that Greenwich Town wasn't just any pack. They were hiding a fox… the granddaughter of their Elder. As soon as I got the information, I didn't waste any moment getting there… hoping… hoping that she could be my mate."
His gaze slid like a blade to Athena, his finger stabbing the air at her. "Clearly this little omega knows that… don't you?"
Athena froze where she stood, the accusation hitting her like ice water.
Xavier's voice was already rising in her defense, smooth but edged with iron. "You will not drag her into your paranoia, Kraven. She owes you nothing…"
"Enough." One of the Elders, a woman with silver hair and eyes that cut through lies, raised her hand. The chamber became quiet as she spoke. Her gaze pinned Athena, unwavering. "Come forward, child."
Athena's stomach dropped. She looked up at Xavier, her pulse hammering in her throat. His face was calm, carved from stone but when her wide eyes pleaded for help, he gave a single, steady nod.
Go.
Her legs felt heavy, but she obeyed, stepping out from behind Xavier's protective stance. Each step towards the Elder felt like a judgment.
Kraven's eyes tracked her movements. He expected her to falter, to stumble, to throw him a glance filled with the fire of hate or fear. Something he could sink his teeth into.
But she didn't.
She just walked past him… silently, steadily, as if untouchable and went to stand before the Elder.
The woman looked wise with an undeniable aura of a power that pulled Athena towards her. She brought her hand and asked to hold it.
Just when Athena holds the elder's hand, a strange string of light traced upon their joined hands. What is this?
The Elder's voice echoed through the chamber, calm but merciless. "What's your name?"
Athena's throat tightened. She forced her voice steady. "Athena Taylor."
The Elder's strange, silver lit eyes narrowed for only a moment. "Truth." She didn't blink. "What's your occupation? What was your rank?"
Athena licked her lips, the Elder meant to ask what was her rank in the pack but she didn't ask specifically about the pack though, she carefully answered. "I'm a doctor. A surgeon specialist."
The Elder leaned back, unyielding. "Truth."
A ripple of tension passed through the table as she continued, sharper this time. "What were you doing when the pack was attacked?"
Athena's palms were slick with sweat. She clasped them together to stop their trembling. "I… I was treating the Elder of the town. He was severely injured."
The Elder tilted her head, studying the flicker of nervous honesty in Athena's eyes. "Truth." Her gaze slid to Kraven, who was leaning forward like a predator waiting for blood. "Tell me the granddaughter's name of the Elder."
Athena's vision blurred. Tears burned, but she wouldn't let them fall. Fiora's face rose in her memory, soft and kind even in the chaos of blood. Her voice cracked. "Her name was Fiora. She was kind. It was her who tried to save me from the attack."
The Elder's next words pierced like knives. "Where is she? Who took her?"
Athena's breath faltered. She swallowed hard, fighting to keep her voice from breaking. "I… I don't know. I was unconscious. But it was werewolves who attacked us that night."
The Elder's gaze sharpened, shifting again. "Have you taken someone's life before?" She glanced at Kraven before rephrasing, "What I mean is, have you ever killed anybody?"
The chamber stilled.
Athena froze, her body stiffening under the weight of every eye on her. She knew she couldn't lie… not here, not now.
Her voice dropped to a whisper that carried anyway. "Yes. I have taken someone's life before. I did kill somebody."
Gasps tore through the silence. Even Kraven's smug confidence cracked, his face hardening in shock.
The Elder's tone cut through the murmurs like a blade. "Who did you kill? Was it Alpha Kraven's fox mate?"
Athena's lips trembled, but her voice held. "No. I didn't kill Fiora. I could never… never do that to her."
"Then who?"
Athena's chest ached as shame and fury warred inside her. Her hands shook, her eyes burning with unspilled tears. "A man. A man who tried to touch me… ruined me against my will. I killed him before he could."
The room fell into a heavy, echoing silence.
The Elder closed her eyes briefly, then opened them. Her verdict rang clear throughout the hall. "Truth."
Kraven's jaw tightened, but he said nothing.
Then the Elder turned, her gaze cutting straight to Xavier. The air itself thickened. "Final question." Her words were deliberate, heavy with dominance. "What is your bond with Alpha Xavier?"
Every eye shifted from Athena to Xavier.
Kraven's gaze snapped toward his brother, searching for a crack in Xavier's calm exterior. But Xavier stood unmoving, his face unreadable, as if carved in stone.
Athena's heart twisted painfully. She looked at him… at the man who had saved her, at the Alpha who had held her hand in the car like a promise and still… she had to survive this. I can't say anything but truth.
Her voice came quiet, flat, almost detached. "Nothing. I feel nothing for him… other than that he is an Alpha and I am expected to obey him."
The words cut deeper than she thought they would.
For the first time, Xavier's calm faltered… the flicker in his eyes gone before anyone else could see.
The eldest Elder rose to his feet, his staff tapping once against the floor. The chamber went silent. "Our verdict is clear. Athena Taylor is innocent of any crime and so is Alpha Xavier."
A collective sigh washed through the room, though Kraven remained unmoving, his jaw tight. His golden eyes narrowed on the Elder, and with the smallest tilt of his head, he gave a silent message.
The Elder paused, then adjusted his words. "However… Athena Taylor is not just another omega. She is no ordinary survivor. She is a surgeon, a woman of skill and knowledge. Such value cannot be wasted serving only one Alpha. Her gifts belong to the entire Kingdom. Therefore… she will serve both Alphas."