A murmur ran through the chamber. Some council members exchanged glances. One of them frowned, leaning forward. “You expect us to believe their word over… everything else?”
I squared my shoulders. “I don’t expect you to believe me immediately. I expect you to listen. And if you do, you’ll hear the truth.”
The lead girl stepped forward. “We’ve seen it all. What he did. How he trapped us. How he hurt Trinity.” Her voice was steady, the edge of fear gone. “We can tell you exactly what happened.”
One of the council members raised an eyebrow. “And why now? Why did you come forward only after we went to her pack?”
I spoke then, my voice growing stronger with each word. “Because it wasn’t safe before. Because my parents still have power. Because fear kept them silent. But he doesn’t have that
