“Who dared to accuse her?” The Alpha's voice came again, this time softer but no less dangerous.

Sariah the one who had so boldly cast the accusation, visibly recoiled, her lips parted, but she couldn't find the word to respond. A shiver ran through her body, one Lia didn't miss.

The Alpha turned his head slightly, his eyes narrowing as he observed the trembling girl. It was then Lia realized. This was no mere Alpha.

This was an Alpha greater than their own pack's. His power was suffocating in its purity. And even though no words were exchanges, it was clear to everyone that he was not someone to cross.

“Who are you?” Sariah finally found her voice, though it was weak and tentative.

The stranger's lip curled into a half smirk– one that was chillingly devoid of warmth.

“I'm Alpha Kieran of the Blackthorn pack,” je announced, his voice commanding the air around him.

The pack fell silent.

“Blackthorn?” The words hung in the air like a threat.

The Blackthorn pack was legendary. Fierce untouchable. And from what Lia has heard, their Alpha was rumored to be the most powerful werewolf alive — a force capable of toppling kingdom, breaking packs and crushing anyone who dared to oppose him.

This Alpha, Kieran, was every bit the monster his reputation promised – and more. He was a titan among wolves, and his mere presence seemed to press down on the entire clearing, suffocating it in an unseen weight. He turned his attention back to Lia, his gaze sharp, calculating.

“What crime is this girl accused of?” His voice was low, but it sent a terror through everyone listening. It was quiet question, yet no one dared to answer him.

Sariah fumbled for words, clearly rattled by the Alpha's overwhelming power. “She– she–”

Kieran took a step closer, his piercing gaze never leaving Lia. His expression remained unreadable. Then in an almost gentle motion, he reached out and lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.

“Did you steal the Alpha’s moonstone, girl?” His tone was deceptively soft, a whisper of danger trailing in every syllable.

Lia's throat went dry, the weight of his stare suffocating her. She tried to speak, but her voice cracked under the pressure.

“No…i didn't.” Her words came out barely louder than a whisper, but they held more conviction than anything she'd said before. Her chest tightening, the accusation still ringing in her ears, but when she looked into Alpha Kieran’s eyes, she felt something shift. It was as though his gaze pulled the truth from her very soul.

“I see,” he murmured, his expression unreadable. He turned away from her for a moment, facing Sariah and the rest of the pack.

Sariah was visibly trembling, unable to hide the fear that had gripped her.

“Do you know who I am, little girl?” Kieran's voice rang out again, and this time, it filled with unmistakable menace.

Sariah paled, the words dying on her to tongue. “Y-yes, Alpha Kieran, I …didn't mean…”

Kieran's eyes locked onto hers with such intensity that she took a sharp step back. The crowd parted instinctively, a ripple of fear spreading through the pack.

“You dare accuse your fellow wolf falsely without proof?” His voice was calm but deadly, and the air around them seemed to darken in response to his wrath.

Sariah stammered, her bravado completely evaporating. “But …. She was near the Alpha's chamber last night. I saw…”

“You saw what?” Kieran interrupted his gaze turning to the pack at large. “Did any of you see the thief? We're there any witness? No there was none. Yet you believe you can accuse this girl without proof.”

Lia's heart pounded in her chest. Could this Alpha be her salvation?

“Since you speak without evidence,” Kieran continued, stepping forward, “you will answer for your words.”

“Enough!”

The crowd turned.

Their own Alpha– Alpha Davian – stepped forward, his jaw clenched, silver streaks in his beard glinting under the fading sun. His Beta stood tensely beside him, clearly unsure if they should intervene.

Alpha Davin’s voice was firm, but his eyes betrayed the flicker of uncertainty when he faced the towering of Alpha Kieran. “This is not your territory, Kieran. Our internal matters are none of concern. I'll decide how to handle my pack.”

Alpha Kieran turned slowly, his expression calm, unreadable – but there was weight behind his gaze that made even warriors avert their eyes.

“Internal matter?” He repeated, too quiet and dangerous. “so accusing a girl without a evidence that stand, humiliating her publicly, and preparing to imprison her without trial… that's your idea if justice?”

Alpha Davian’s nostrils flared. “That girl is Lia. A wolfless omega. A good for nothing trouble maker who has brought shame to this pack since she was old enough to walk.”

Lia flinched.

His word struck harder than any blow. They weren't new– but hearing them thrown so casually in front of a visiting Alpha cut deeper than she expected.

She didn't even try to stand. She simply sat there, knees pulled to her chest, a silent object caught in the middle of a power struggles. Her arms were scrapped from her earlier fall, her cheeks streaked with dirt and humiliation. Her presence wasn't being defended – it was being debated. Negotiated like some worthless objects.

Alpha Kieran turned his gaze to her once more. His expression didn't soften, but something shifted in his eyes. Calculation. Interest. Maybe something else – something deeper.

“So that's what she's to you ,” Kieran said slowly, turning his focus back to Davian. “A burden.”

“She's,” Davian answered her bluntly. “ We housed her out of pity. Feed her out of a tradition. She had no wolf. No worth. Her name might be in our pack, but that doesn't make her part of us.”

The crowd murmured in agreement no one dared meet Lia's eyes.

Kieran stepped forward until he stood directly in front of Alpha Davian, his towering figure casting a long shadow.

“Then you won't mind if I take her.”

A hush fell.

Alpha Davian blinked, “what?”

“You don't value her. She's nothing to you.” Kieran words were like steel. “I'll be taking her with me to the Blackthorn pack.”

Gasp rippled through the crowd.

Even Lia's breath caught in her throat.

Alpha Davin laughed , but it sounded more like a dark of disbelief. “You want to take her? A cursed, wolfless girl?”

“She may be wolfless here,” Kieran said, eyes never leaving Davin’s. “But in my pack, she will be treated like someone who matters.”

Alpha Davin's smile dropped.