Chapter 5 - Trial of Blood and Law
By dawn, the castle was on high alert. The bodies of the rogues were laid out in the courtyard as proof of the escalating threat. But inside the Grand Tribunal, a different kind of war was being waged.
Mard stood before the assembly, flanked by the senior elders of Ithinar.
"The rogues attacked because she is here!" Mard shouted, pointing a trembling finger at Senna, who stood tall beside Aldric at the center of the room. "An unnatural bond with a human brings weakness upon the pack! Ancient law dictates that an Alpha must reject a mortal mate, or the council has the right to strip him of his crown!"
A murmur of agreement rippled through the older council members.
Aldric stepped forward, his presence suffocating the room. "The ancient laws were written by cowards who feared anything they could not control. I am the Alpha King. My rule is absolute."
"Not anymore!" Mard roared, drawing a heavy silver dagger from beneath his robes. "If you won't kill her, I will!"
Before Aldric could move, Mard lunged across the dais.
Senna didn't flinch. As Mard closed the distance, she sidestepped with fluid grace, grabbed his wrist with iron strength, and twisted it sharply. The silver dagger clattered to the stone floor. With a swift sweep of her leg, she sent the treacherous counselor crashing hard onto his back.
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She placed her boot squarely on Mard’s chest, looking down at him with cold detachment.
"You talk a great deal about strength, Mard," Senna said, her voice echoing off the vaulted ceilings. "Yet you attack from behind with a hidden blade. You are no wolf. You are a coward playing at politics."
