Yet amid all the chaos, one thing within Aria only grew stronger.
Her faith in her brother.
The longer she watched Marcus suffer beneath the pack’s judgment, the more certain she became that he was innocent.
Marcus changed with each passing day.
The cheerful young wolf who once laughed easily and spoke excitedly about the future now seemed like a fading spirit. His shoulders were always hunched, his gaze distant, as if the light inside him was slowly being swallowed by darkness.
Whispers followed him everywhere within the territory.
When he passed other wolves, their mindlinks buzzed quietly with gossip and suspicion. Some did not even bother to hide their disdain. Their cold stares struck deeper than claws.
Depression wrapped itself around Marcus like iron chains.
If Aria and Sophia had not remained beside him during those first terrible weeks—speaking to him through their soft mindlinks and refusing to leave his side—Marcus might have done something reckless simply to escape the pain.
Their family’s fortune collapsed as well.
Pack trials were not only brutal—they were costly. Appeals to the council, petitions to the elders, and the endless legal disputes drained their resources quickly.