Chapter 7
Time slowed.
The vial spiraled through the air — glowing sickly green, concentrated wolfsbane in its purest liquid form. Enough to kill ten wolves.
My father moved. Not like a man — like a force of nature.
His hand closed around the vial an inch from my face. The glass shattered in his fist, the wolfsbane sizzling against his skin.
He didn't flinch. The Alpha King's bloodline burned through the poison like sunlight through shadow.
But his eyes — his eyes became something inhuman.
Pure crimson. No pupils. No white. Just endless, depthless red.
His wolf was taking over.
"Dad—" I gripped his arm. "Don't kill her. Not like this."
He was trembling. Every muscle locked in the effort of restraint.
"She tried to kill you," he growled, his voice layered with his wolf's bass. "TWICE."
"And she'll pay. In prison. In court. Where everyone will see what she is." I squeezed his arm harder. "Don't give her the mercy of a quick death."
For three agonizing seconds, I thought he wouldn't listen.
Then slowly — so slowly — the crimson faded from his eyes.
He exhaled. Released me. Straightened.
"Seize her," he commanded, voice hoarse. "Maximum security isolation. No visitors. No communication. Prepare charges for attempted assassination of a royal bloodline. That carries a life sentence."
Warriors descended on Serena. She screamed, thrashing wildly.
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS! MY MOTHER IS ON THE COUNCIL! SHE'LL—"
"Your mother," my father said flatly, "resigned from the Council twenty minutes ago. My people gave her the choice — resign, or be investigated for her daughter's crimes."
Serena's screaming stopped. Her face went completely blank. The fight drained from her body as warriors clamped silver cuffs on her wrists.
"No," she whispered. "No, no, no—"
She was dragged away.
I slumped against my father, exhaustion crashing over me. The adrenaline was fading, and the damage to my body was making itself known with brutal clarity.
"Get her to the helicopter," my father ordered. "We're going home."
As the healers lifted me onto a stretcher, I caught one final glimpse of Damien.
He was on his knees in the snow, hands cuffed behind his back, staring at me with an expression I'd never seen before.
Regret. Pure, devastating regret.
"Aria—" he called out. "Aria, please — I didn't know — if I'd known—"
I looked at him — this man I'd wasted three years loving.
"If you'd known what?" I asked quietly. "If you'd known I was powerful, you would have treated me like a person? That's not love, Damien. That's cowardice."
His face crumpled.
"Take me home, Dad," I whispered.
My father lifted me himself, ignoring the stretcher entirely. He carried me to the helicopter like I weighed nothing.
As we rose into the sky, I watched the estate shrink below us — the snow-covered grounds, the warriors herding three hundred guests into custody, the flashing lights of military vehicles.
"Dad," I murmured against his chest.
"What is it, baby?"
"I want to go to the trial. When Damien and Serena face judgment. I want to be there."
His arms tightened. "You'll be there. Front row. I promise."
"And Dad?"
"Hmm?"
"The people at the party — the ones who just watched. The ones who laughed. Who recorded videos. Who blocked me from leaving."
My father's chest rumbled. "What about them?"
"I don't want them arrested. I want something worse."
He looked down at me, a flash of pride in his ancient eyes.
"Tell me."
"I want them to know exactly who they wronged. I want every single one of them to live with the knowledge that they stood by and watched the Alpha King's daughter almost die. And then I want them to spend the rest of their lives wondering when you'll come for them."
My father smiled. It was not a kind smile.
"That's my girl."
The vial spiraled through the air — glowing sickly green, concentrated wolfsbane in its purest liquid form. Enough to kill ten wolves.
My father moved. Not like a man — like a force of nature.
His hand closed around the vial an inch from my face. The glass shattered in his fist, the wolfsbane sizzling against his skin.
He didn't flinch. The Alpha King's bloodline burned through the poison like sunlight through shadow.
But his eyes — his eyes became something inhuman.
Pure crimson. No pupils. No white. Just endless, depthless red.
His wolf was taking over.
"Dad—" I gripped his arm. "Don't kill her. Not like this."
He was trembling. Every muscle locked in the effort of restraint.
"She tried to kill you," he growled, his voice layered with his wolf's bass. "TWICE."
"And she'll pay. In prison. In court. Where everyone will see what she is." I squeezed his arm harder. "Don't give her the mercy of a quick death."
For three agonizing seconds, I thought he wouldn't listen.
Then slowly — so slowly — the crimson faded from his eyes.
He exhaled. Released me. Straightened.
"Seize her," he commanded, voice hoarse. "Maximum security isolation. No visitors. No communication. Prepare charges for attempted assassination of a royal bloodline. That carries a life sentence."
Warriors descended on Serena. She screamed, thrashing wildly.
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS! MY MOTHER IS ON THE COUNCIL! SHE'LL—"
"Your mother," my father said flatly, "resigned from the Council twenty minutes ago. My people gave her the choice — resign, or be investigated for her daughter's crimes."
Serena's screaming stopped. Her face went completely blank. The fight drained from her body as warriors clamped silver cuffs on her wrists.
"No," she whispered. "No, no, no—"
She was dragged away.
I slumped against my father, exhaustion crashing over me. The adrenaline was fading, and the damage to my body was making itself known with brutal clarity.
"Get her to the helicopter," my father ordered. "We're going home."
As the healers lifted me onto a stretcher, I caught one final glimpse of Damien.
He was on his knees in the snow, hands cuffed behind his back, staring at me with an expression I'd never seen before.
Regret. Pure, devastating regret.
"Aria—" he called out. "Aria, please — I didn't know — if I'd known—"
I looked at him — this man I'd wasted three years loving.
"If you'd known what?" I asked quietly. "If you'd known I was powerful, you would have treated me like a person? That's not love, Damien. That's cowardice."
His face crumpled.
"Take me home, Dad," I whispered.
My father lifted me himself, ignoring the stretcher entirely. He carried me to the helicopter like I weighed nothing.
As we rose into the sky, I watched the estate shrink below us — the snow-covered grounds, the warriors herding three hundred guests into custody, the flashing lights of military vehicles.
"Dad," I murmured against his chest.
"What is it, baby?"
"I want to go to the trial. When Damien and Serena face judgment. I want to be there."
His arms tightened. "You'll be there. Front row. I promise."
"And Dad?"
"Hmm?"
"The people at the party — the ones who just watched. The ones who laughed. Who recorded videos. Who blocked me from leaving."
My father's chest rumbled. "What about them?"
"I don't want them arrested. I want something worse."
He looked down at me, a flash of pride in his ancient eyes.
"Tell me."
"I want them to know exactly who they wronged. I want every single one of them to live with the knowledge that they stood by and watched the Alpha King's daughter almost die. And then I want them to spend the rest of their lives wondering when you'll come for them."
My father smiled. It was not a kind smile.
"That's my girl."