Chapter 106: Chapter 106
I woke up to an empty bed and the sound of Christian cursing in the closet.
"Everything okay?" I called out, rubbing sleep from my eyes.
Christian emerged wearing formal Alpha robes—all black with silver embroidery that marked him as Shadow Ridge’s leader. He looked intimidating as hell, which I guessed was the point.
"Tom’s trial is today," he said, his jaw tight. "I want to get this over with."
Right. The trial. I’d almost let myself forget about Tom with everything else that had happened. Almost.
I got out of bed and headed to my closet, pulling out a deep blue dress Diana had told me represented wisdom in pack ceremonies. If there was ever a day I needed to look wise and Luna-like, it was today.
"Are you nervous?" I asked, zipping up the dress.
"I want justice," Christian said. "But I also want to be fair. Those two things don’t always line up when it comes to someone who tried to kill my mate multiple times."
I walked over and straightened his collar, which didn’t need straightening. "You’ll do the right thing. You always do."
He caught my hand and kissed my palm. "Stay close to me today?"
"Like you could keep me away."
---
The ceremonial hall looked like something out of a medieval court. Marcus had outdone himself with the setup—Christian’s Alpha chair sat on a raised platform with my Luna chair right beside it. Below us, rows of seats filled with pack members who’d come to witness Tom’s judgment.
Connor stood near the front with a tablet and about fifty folders of evidence. Diana had claimed a seat near the medical testimony section. Marcus paced by the entrance like a caged wolf.
Then they brought Tom in.
Silver chains wrapped around his wrists and ankles, preventing him from shifting. Two guards flanked him, keeping a careful distance from his hatred-filled glare. When his eyes landed on me, I felt Christian tense beside me.
"Easy," I murmured through our bond.
Christian stood, and the hall fell silent.
"We convene today for the formal trial of Tom," Christian announced, his voice carrying through the space with Alpha command. "Tom stands accused of attempted murder, conspiracy against pack leadership, and breaking sacred pack law."
Tom’s chains rattled as he shifted his weight. That glare never left me.
"Tom, you have the right to speak in your defense," Christian continued. "Do you understand these charges?"
"I understand that you stole what was mine," Tom spat.
Oh boy. This was going to be fun.
Christian’s expression didn’t change. "Connor, please present the evidence."
Connor stepped forward, all business in his lawyer suit. He pulled up photos on a large screen—images of my injuries from Tom’s silver knife attack. I winced seeing them blown up that large. The claw marks across my ribs looked even worse in high definition.
"Tom Bradley collaborated with former Alpha Harold to undermine current Alpha Christian," Connor stated, clicking to the next slide. "We have documented evidence of meetings between Tom and Harold, including this message—" He pulled up a text conversation. "—where Tom explicitly states his intention to ’remove the obstacle’ preventing his claim on Sophie."
"She was supposed to be mine," Tom interrupted. "Before *he* came along and poisoned her mind—"
"You will remain silent unless given permission to speak," Christian’s Alpha command rolled through the room, and Tom’s mouth snapped shut involuntarily.
Connor continued presenting evidence. Messages between Tom and Vanessa. Testimony from pack members who’d witnessed Tom’s attacks. Medical records from Diana detailing every injury Tom had caused me over months of stalking and violence.
By the time Connor finished, the evidence was overwhelming and damning.
"Tom, you may now speak in your defense," Christian said.
Tom stood, chains rattling. "I don’t need to defend myself. Sophie was mine first. We were going to be mates before Christian showed up and brainwashed her. Everything I did was out of love—"
"You call stabbing me with a silver knife love?" I couldn’t help it. The words burst out before I could stop them.
Tom’s eyes swung to me. "You would have chosen me if Christian hadn’t gotten in your head. You would have seen that we were meant to be together—"
"I never wanted you," I said, standing up. Christian tried to pull me back down, but I shook him off. "Not once. Not ever. You’re not a victim here, Tom. You’re an obsessed stalker who couldn’t take no for an answer."
"Sophie," Christian warned quietly.
But I was on a roll. "You attacked me. You terrorized me. You worked with people who wanted Christian dead. And you have the audacity to call that love?"
Tom lunged forward, stopped only by his chains and the guards. "You’re lying! You wanted me before he ruined you—"
"Enough!" Christian’s Alpha command cracked like a whip. "Sit. Down."
Tom dropped back into his chair like his strings had been cut.
Christian looked at me, concern flooding through our bond. I nodded that I was okay and sat back down, my hands shaking slightly.
"We’ll now hear from witnesses," Christian announced.
Marcus went first, describing finding me after Tom’s silver knife attack. Diana gave medical testimony about my injuries—not just physical but also psychological trauma from months of Tom’s stalking. Patterson admitted he’d seen Tom meeting with Harold in secret, plotting against Christian’s leadership.
Each testimony built an undeniable case. Tom had broken nearly every pack law that existed.
When the witnesses finished, Christian called for discussion on sentencing.
"He should die," Marcus said bluntly. "He tried to kill our Alpha and Luna multiple times. That’s punishable by execution."
"Permanent banishment," Patterson suggested. "Strip him of his pack bonds and exile him from all territories."
"Both," someone called from the crowd.
Christian held up a hand for silence. "Connor, what are the legal precedents?"
Connor consulted his tablet. "Both execution and banishment have been used historically for crimes of this severity. The choice falls to the Alpha and Luna, with pack input."
Christian looked at me. "Sophie? You’re the victim here. What do you want?"
