A tense silence followed, and then, one by one, the elders nodded in agreement. Even Alpha Marcus, who had remained visibly uncomfortable, eventually relented. I noticed the slight tremor in his hands as he signed the decree, but he still signed it nonetheless.
Then, as if ignited by a spark, the crowd erupted.
Shouts of triumph rang through the air, cheers and laughter blending into a sickening symphony of hatred and celebration. They reveled in my fate as though it were some grand festival, their voices cutting through me like a thousand blades.
“Send the murderer away!” “Let the Night Walker Pack have her!” “Justice for Mara!”
Owen turned to me then, his piercing blue eyes gleaming with victory. There was no trace of the man I had once loved, no flicker of remorse. Only satisfaction.
In that moment, I understood. Death would have been a mercy. This… this was far worse.
Rough hands seized me, dragging me to my feet. I thrashed, desperation giving me strength. “No! Please! Someone—anyone—help me!” But no one did.