Chapter 483
The Pack Council chamber, typically reserved for solemn, formal judgments, was now filled with palpable tension. Every wolf present, from the senior elders to the ranking warriors, was visibly shocked to see Katelyn. They had not anticipated the presence of the royal Princess in their pack, especially at this critical, unauthorized hour.
Sage strode toward the dais, ensuring Katelyn was settled securely in the seat right next to his own before he took the imposing Alpha’s seat. William and Blythe took their less elevated, respective places, looking grim and deeply troubled.
“Alpha, why has the council suddenly been called?” inquired Senior Harvey, one of the most respected elders. “We heard unsettling rumors that Miss Zoey has been kidnapped p>
“Senior Harvey, that is the main reason we have gathered here,” Sage asserted, his voice cutting through the murmurs of the room. “My sister is still in the kidnapper’s hands. And he will be here at any moment. He demanded that this council occur. If we failed to convene, he threatened to harm my sister.” Sage clenched his fists beneath the table, the humiliation of realizing they couldn’t even catch a single rogue wolf burning in his chest.
“What were our wolves doing?” scoffed another council member, his tone dripping with disdain. “Could they truly not catch one rogue? That is utterly pathetic p>
“The rogue was quite far from us before Zoey’s kidnapping was even revealed to us,” Sage argued, defending his pack. “Blaming the wolves now isn’t the right thing to do p>
Just then, Aiden, Sage’s Beta, entered the council hall with a tuat gaze. “Alpha, the rogue is here with Miss Zoey, but he has specifically asked us to withdraw all security from the perimeter p>
“Do what he is saying, immediately,” Sage commanded, his voice sharp and steady despite the mounting pressure.
Aiden nodded and rushed out. Five agonizing minutes later, a lean, grim-faced man, the rogue wolf, entered the council chamber. He was pushing Zoey, who was slumped deeply and unconscious, in a wheelchair. The sight of his sister so vulnerable and still made Sage visibly flinch with a surge of protective anger.
“Thank you for calling the council at this hour, Sage Nightshade. Do you remember me?” the man asked.
“Now that we have permitted you to speak, you should return Zoey to us,” William stated, rising sharply from his seat, the Alpha rising to the defense of his family. Blythe immediately stood up as well, her frantic gaze fixed on her daughter, wanting desperately to pull Zoey back from the man’s grip.
“Shut your fucking mouth!” the rogue screamed at them, the sheer volume of his rage silencing the entire chamber.
“Dad, don’t,” Sage intervened, his control unwavering. He finally rose from the dais and moved a few steps forward. “Sorry, I don’t remember you,” he stated calmly. “But if you tell me your name, I may recall. Also, you said my mother has something to do with your family. That is why you abducted my sister. I assure you nothing will happen to you, but you must return my sister safely. She is still unconscious, and that worries me immensely p>
“Stop right there!” the man shouted, his hand snapping out to pull a long, wickedly sharp silver knife from inside his jacket.
“Alright, I won’t move,” Sage affirmed instantly, raising both hands slowly, a universal sign of surrender and compliance. Then, lowering his arms, he said, “Let’s start then. What exactly happened with your family p>
“Sage, I am Vance Morvane,” the man finally revealed, the name echoing in the sudden silence of the council chamber.
The name instantly struck a chord with Blythe, a flash of memory darkening her expression, though Sage still furrowed his brows in confusion.
“Sorry, I don’t remember any such name,” Sage replied honestly, maintaining his defensive stance with his hands raised.
“Do you remember the boy you met under the river bridge ten years ago?” Vance pressed, his eyes burning with accusation.
Sage’s expression shifted instantly as a memory clicked into place. “Yes, you are that boy! The one who used to sell vegetables with his mother and father in town,” he asserted, the realization causing a ripple of unease among the pack members.
“Yes, I am that boy,” Vance confirmed, his voice dropping to a deadly calm. “And your mother killed my father and mother p>
The shocking accusation caused every eye in the chamber to snap violently toward Blythe.
“What do you mean?” Sage demanded, turning his head sharply to question his mother.
Before Blythe could respond, her brother, Mile, rose from his seat, his face contorted in outrage. “Alpha, I think this man has lost his mind. He is baselessly blaming the former Luna of our pack p>
“I am not lying!” Vance screamed with years of resentment. The growl reverberated terrifyingly in the chamber, momentarily overwhelming the authority of the council.
“What exactly did my mother do to your family? I need the truth, Vance. How did she kill them?” Sage asked, forcing the focus of the chamber back onto the rogue. He didn’t look at his mother; he stared only at Vance, demanding the details.
“Tell them!” Vance screamed, tearing his attention from Sage and fixing his burning gaze directly on Blythe. “Tell them how you systematically killed both my parents! You made sure I became an orphan, forced to roam these lands like a feral rogue with absolutely nothing! Tell them how you deliberately hurt my mother, the healer, just to get your twisted way p>
Blythe’s perfectly composed facade finally shattered; her hands began to tremble visibly at her sides, betraying a deep, crippling fear. Katelyn watched the small movement, her expression hardening with the silent realization of the evil this woman was capable of.
“Speak, Mother,” Sage commanded, his voice now cold, flat, and absolute. “Why did you kill Vance’s parents p>
“What is the proof that I killed them?” Blythe retorted with a steady tone. “Are we going to listen to the mere words of a random, unhinged man and believe him without a shred of evidence p>
“You may speak when I kill your precious daughter,” Vance spat, his patience snapping. He leaned down, wickedly pointing the knife at Zoey’s throat, ready to strike.
“Don’t!” Sage bellowed, the sound echoing off the chamber walls. He held Vance’s eyes, projecting an urgent command through their contact. “I believe you, Vance. And I promise I will punish the woman who took the life of your parents p>
He immediately turned to his Beta. “Aiden, arrest Blythe Nightshade immediately on the charges of murder, accusation of Vance Morvane’s parents p>