Weeks passed beneath the watchful gaze of the Moon Goddess.
Just as Caleb had declared during their final argument, a formal mate rejection decree was delivered to Aria at the packhouse. The parchment bore the Alpha seal of his family and the mark of the pack council, leaving no doubt that the process had already been set into motion.
Along with it came the official accusation against Marcus—an allegation that he had attempted to dishonor Clara.
Not long after, several pack warriors arrived at Aria’s home.
Under the authority of the elders and the Alpha council, Marcus was taken into custody to await judgment before the pack.
Neither Aria nor Marcus were surprised by the arrest.
They had known this moment would come.
The Wolfhart they had long feared—the formal trial where the truth of a wolf’s crime was judged beneath the law of the pack—had finally been called.
Even so, deep inside Aria’s heart, a fragile thread of hope still remained.
She believed her marriage could survive this storm.