It had been a month since they arrested by father.
A month since I lost my home, my title, my unborn child—yes, when I lost it, the Pack doctor said it was normal because I already parted with my mate so, everything that tied us together would be taken away from me—and everything that came with being a Harvey.
Now I lived in the Omega quarters, the lowest part of Ironfang territory, in a cramped wooden house with Brielle and her mother, Sandra. The scent of damp clothes, boiled herbs, and wood smoke stuck to everything here. Every morning, I woke up to the sound of buckets being filled, children crying, and women whispering.
They always whispered.
"Isn't that the Alpha's daughter?"
"She used to live in the main pack house."
"Guess she's one of us now."
Today was no different.
Brielle and I had just stepped out when I spotted Beta Gideon waiting near the edge of the path. He stood tall as always, though there was something heavier about his posture now, he had the kind of weariness only bad news brought.
"Irene," he greeted with a nod.
I folded my arms. "You're early."
"I wanted to avoid attention."
I snorted. "Too late for that."
A few Omegas nearby stopped washing clothes to stare. Someone even laughed under her breath. The sound made my wolf stir irritably, but I ignored it. Barely.
Gideon gave the crowd a warning look, then turned to me. "Let's walk."
We started down the narrow path that led through the forest behind the quarters. The pine trees were tall and close, their branches dancing above our heads.
Everywhere I went, eyes followed. Omegas paused their work to glance at me, some in pity, most in mockery. I heard the murmurs clearly this time.
"Look at her. Thinks she's still someone."
"Her father's a murderer. She should be grateful we even let her stay."
"She should've been locked up with him."
I clenched my fists. "They won't stop," I muttered.
"Don't pay attention," Gideon said quietly.
"I've been trying not to," I shot back, "but they won't stop taunting me. Every day it's the same thing. I can't even step out without hearing it."
He didn't answer. He didn't have to because we both knew there was nothing he could do.
I stopped walking. "You didn't come all the way here just to tell me to ignore gossip. What's going on?"
He hesitated. That was never a good sign.
"Gideon," I pressed, "what happened? Was there another trial?"
He looked at me then, and my chest tightened. His face was unreadable, but his eyes, they gave it away.
"Tell me," I demanded.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "There was a verdict this morning."
I waited. My heartbeat was a roar in my ears.
"Irene," he said, his voice low and unsteady, "your father has been sentenced to life imprisonment in Silvercrest Prison. No chance for retrial. All his titles have been revoked."
For a second, I couldn't breathe.
The words just… hung there, echoing in my ringing ears.
"Life imprisonment?" My voice cracked. "No chance for retrial? How—how is that even possible? There were supposed to be more hearings—"
"The council reached a unanimous decision," Gideon said, avoiding my gaze.
I took a shaky step back. "Unanimous? You mean they didn't even fight it? Not one person?"
He didn't answer. That silence was louder than anything else.
"Was there no witness?" I asked, desperate. "No one to speak for him? There had to be someone—"
"There were witnesses," he said grimly.
"Then why—"
"They testified against him, Irene ."
I blinked. "What?"
"They said they saw Alpha Theo dispatching the men who committed the Silvercrest massacre," Gideon went on, his voice tight. "They swore he ordered the attack."
"That's a lie," I snapped. "He would never do that! My father doesn't attack without cause. You know that!"
"I do," Gideon said quietly. "But they didn't care what I knew. They wanted proof, not belief."
"Who were these witnesses?"
He hesitated again.
"Tell me."
"Some were from Silvercrest," he admitted. "But…" He trailed off, the weight in his voice deepening. "Some were from Ironfang."
I froze. "From our pack?"
He nodded once. "Men your father trusted. Wolves he trained himself."
"So, they definitely were acting on Alpha Devon's order by testifying against Alpha Theo." He continued.
My stomach turned. Betrayal burned through me hotter than any anger I'd ever felt.
"Who?" I asked. "Who are these witnesses. I want to know them. Who would dare—"
"I can't tell you that," he interrupted firmly. "You'll only get yourself in trouble."
"I'm already in trouble!" I shouted. "I live in a shack in the Omega quarters while my father rots in prison for something he didn't do! What else can they take from me?"
He grabbed my shoulders. "Listen to me. You need to stop fighting this. Devon made his decision, and once he decides something, there's no turning back."
The name hit me like a spark to dry wood.
"Devon," I repeated, my voice trembling with fury. "He was there?"
"Yes. He attended the final trial. He was the one who gave the verdict."
I laughed bitterly. "Of course he did. The great Alpha Devon Warner — judge, jury, and executioner."
"Irene —"
"No," I cut him off. "He framed my father, sentenced him, and now expects me to bow like the rest of you? I won't."
Gideon sighed, letting go of my shoulders. "You're your father's daughter, that's for sure."
"Damn right I am," I muttered.
He looked at me for a long moment, something like pity softening his eyes. "Accept it, Irene . For your own good. Don't let your anger make you reckless."
He turned to leave.
I stood there, fists clenched so tightly my nails bit into my palms. "What am I supposed to do now?" I called after him.
He didn't look back. "Survive," he said. Then he disappeared down the path.
---
When I got back to Brielle's house, she was waiting by the doorway, her expression worried. "You were gone for a while. Did Gideon come?"
I nodded numbly and sat on the small bench by the window. The room smelled like herbs and soap.
"What did he say?" she asked, stepping closer.
I stared at my hands. "My father's been sentenced," I said quietly. "Life imprisonment. No retrial."
Brielle gasped. "No… gods, Irene , I'm so sorry."
I swallowed hard, trying not to choke on the lump in my throat. "They stripped him of everything. The pack. The title. All of it."
Brielle crouched beside me, placing a hand on my knee. "This isn't fair."
"Nothing is fair anymore," I said bitterly. "They called him a murderer, Brielle. And people from our own pack testified against him."
Her eyes widened. "Who would—"
"I don't know," I cut her off, shaking my head. "But I swear I'll find out."
She hesitated. "Irene, maybe you should just… take a break. Clear your mind a little. There's going to be a party tonight — just outside the border. You should come."
"A party?" I gave a humorless laugh. "You think I can dance my father out of prison?"
She frowned. "That's not what I mean. You've been locked up in here for weeks. You need to breathe, even for a night. Please."
"I'm not interested."
"Come on," she urged, smiling softly. "It'll help. Just for a few hours."
I sighed, leaning back against the wall. "I don't even have anything to wear."
She grinned. "Lucky for you, I do."
---
By nightfall, the air outside was filled with music and the smell of smoke.
The bar was just beyond the Ironfang border, it is a small, rickety building lit by strings of yellow bulbs. Wolves from different ranks crowded around tables, laughing and drinking. The music was loud, the kind that made the floor vibrate beneath your feet.
Brielle tugged my hand. "Come on, Rinny! Let's dance!"
"You go," I said, sliding onto a bar stool. "I'll watch."
She rolled her eyes but grinned. "Suit yourself." Then she disappeared into the crowd.
The bartender, a burly wolf with tattoos on his forearms, looked at me expectantly. "What'll it be?"
"Your strongest shot," I said.
He raised a brow. "You sure?"
"Positive."
He poured a clear liquid into a glass and slid it across the counter. I didn't hesitate before I downed it in one gulp. It burned all the way down, sharp and punishing.
I winced. "Another."
Before he could move, a voice spoke beside me — low, calm, and unmistakably masculine.
"Easy," it said. "You'll regret that tomorrow."
I turned my head sharply.
He sat on the stool next to mine, he was tall, broad shoulders under a dark coat, black parted by the center. His eyes were icy gray, piercing even under the dim lights.
And, he was impossibly handsome.
"Are you troubled?" he asked, his tone smooth and steady.
I blinked, momentarily forgetting how to breathe.
Whoever he was, he didn't belong here. He looked too composed, too dangerous.
Oh gods, he was beautiful.
The glass trembled slightly in my hand.
"I don't talk to strangers," I said flatly.
He smiled faintly, the corner of his mouth lifting just enough to show confidence. "Good thing I'm not one for small talk."
My pulse quickened and for reasons I didn't understand, my wolf stirred awake for the first time in weeks.