h4Chapter 323: Karma and Consequences/h4

    strongNatalie~/strong

    The golden glow of the throne room suddenly felt dull, almost distant, as Gina’s shaky voice broke through the silence. Every word she spoke sounded like it came from a ce of pain, and it cut right through me. I sat close to Zane, my crown pressing down on my head like it weighed a thousand pounds—but my heart felt even heavier. Jasmine’s strength stirred inside me, urging me to keep myposure, but the memories of everything I had endured before now wed at me with every syble Gina let out.

    "Gina," I said, my voice steady butced with the storm brewing inside me, "you said nothing’s working out for you. What do you mean? Tell me everything."

    Gina’s red-rimmed eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw the flicker of the woman who’d once sneered at my pleas for a nket. Now, she looked small, broken, her gray-streaked hair falling in limp strands around her face. She swallowed hard, her hands twisting together as she began.

    "Your Majesty... Natalie," she started, her voice cracking like brittle ss. "Even before Alpha Darius was arrested, the pack was crumbling. The fields... they’re barren. Crops wither before they can grow. The rivers run dry, and our huntse back empty. There’s no food, no basic amenities. People are starving, stealing from each other just to survive. The pack has gone wild—crime runs rampant. Fights break out in the streets, and no one trusts anyone anymore."

    Her words painted a vivid picture, and I could almost see the chaos: the once-proud Silverfang Pack, reduced to awless wastnd. My throat tightened, but I kept my faceposed, my fingers curling into the armrest of my throne. Jasmine’s voice purred in my mind, strongi"Well, isn’t this poetic? They kicked you out, and now their world’s falling apart. Karma’s got a sense of humor." /i/strong

    "And the worst of it..." Gina’s voice dropped to a whisper, her eyes darting to the floor as if she couldn’t bear to meet my gaze. "The young girls... they’re suffering the most. We found out—toote—that Alpha Darius was... was raping them. Luna Gabrielle, she... she lured them to him, promised them safety, protection. But now, with Darius and Beta Timothy arrested, there’s no one to lead. No alpha, no beta. And it’s gets worse, Natalie. So much worse. There’s no one hiding the crimes anymore. Men in the pack... they’re attacking and raping women, young and old, every day. It’s like the pack’s cursed, and we can’t escape it."

    A gasp caught in my throat, and I felt Zane’s hand tense beside mine, his growl a low rumble that vibrated through the throne room. The nine Silverfang members—Gina, L, Mira, and the others—stood frozen, their faces pale, their eyes glistening with tears. My heart twisted painfully. This was my parents’ pack, the one my father had built alongside Darius, the one that had killed them and then turned on me, branded me worthless, and cast me out. And yet, hearing of its ruin, of the suffering of those girls, it broke something inside me.

    Gina fell to her knees, her hands sped as if in prayer. "Please, Your Majesty, Goddess Natalie, King Zane... have mercy on us. We see it now. You and your family were the victims, not us. We were wrong—horribly wrong—to treat you the way we did. We beg you, save our pack from this... this karma that’s settled over us."

    One by one, the others followed, dropping to their knees with a soft thud against the marble floor. L and Mira, their auburn braids glinting under the chandelier’s light, bowed their heads, their shoulders shaking. The six men and women behind them mirrored their despair, their whispers of "Please, forgive us" echoing like a haunting chorus. I stared at them, my chest tight, my eyes burning. The sight of them groveling stirred a whirlwind of emotions—anger, pain, but also a flicker of pity I couldn’t suppress.

    "They don’t deserve your tears, Nat," Jasmine murmured, her tone sharp but tinged with concern.i/istrongi"They hurt you. They let you starve. Don’t go soft now."/i/strongstrong/strong

    But my heart ached for the pack, for the girls suffering as I once had, for the legacy my parents had tried to build. I nced at Zane, his piercing blue eyes locked on me, his jaw tight. Through our mind link, his voice was a low, protective growl. "iNatalie, I can feel your heart breaking for them. But they can’t go unpunished. Not after what they did to you, your parents, your friends. They don’t get to walk away from that." /i

    I swallowed, my fingers brushing against his, seeking the warmth of his touch. i"I know, Zane. But they’re suffering. The girls... they don’t deserve this. Can’t we help them, even if we punish the guilty?" /i

    His gaze softened, but his resolve didn’t waver. i"We’ll help them. I’ll make sure from now on the pack has food, protection. But they need to face consequences. They need to learn what it means to wrong a queen, my queen." /i

    I nodded, my heart swelling at his fierce protectiveness, the way he imed me with every word. i"Okay. But... go easy on them, Zane. Please."/i

    His lips twitched, a hint of a smirk breaking through his stern expression. i"Easy? I’ll give them a fraction of what they deserve. That’s as gentle as I get, love." /i

    I stifled a smile, my heart fluttering at the endearment, and turned back to the kneeling pack members. Their tear-streaked faces looked up at us, hopeful yet terrified. Zane’s voice boomed through the throne room,manding and unyielding, cutting through the heavy silence like a lightning.

    "Silverfang Pack," he began, rising from his throne, his presence filling the room with an almost tangible force. "Youe here begging for mercy, and we hear you. In two weeks, a new alpha will be chosen for your pack—one with integrity, one who will lead you out of this darkness. My guards will protect your borders, and food will be sent to your tables in the meantime."

    A ripple of relief passed through the group, and they murmured their thanks, still kneeling, their voices trembling with gratitude. Gina’s hands clutched her chest, tears streaming down her face. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you."

    But Zane lifted his hand, and the room fell silent. There was a sharp edge in his eyes, something cold and dangerous that made even the bravest shrink back. "I’m not finished," he said, his voice dropping low, carrying a weight that pressed on everyone present. The air felt heavy, charged. "You think a few tears are enough to wipe away what you did to Natalie? To her parents? To her friends? You treated the Celestial princess like she was garbage—and there will be consequences for that."

    Gina’s head bowed lower, her shoulders trembling, but she nodded, resigned. "We understand, Your Majesty. Whatever punishment you deem fit... we ept it."

    The others echoed her, their voices soft but resolute. "We ept it," L whispered, her eyes fixed on the floor. Mira nodded beside her, her hands clenched into fists.

    Zane’s gaze flickered to me, and I felt his question through our bond.i "You sure about this, Nat?" I/i gave a small nod, my heart pounding but certain. He turned back to the pack, his voice steady andmanding.

    "For your crimes against the Celestial princess, now Queen, the Silverfang Pack will face the following: First, you will lose your rank and privileges. For five years, your pack will be reduced to omega status in the Lycan hierarchy. Other packs will see you disgraced, and you will carry that shame."

    Gasps echoed through the group, and one of the men let out a choked sob. Zane continued, undeterred. "Second, you are exiled from court gatherings. For five years, you are banned from royal ceremonies, feasts, or councils. You will have no voice in our world until you prove yourselves worthy."

    His words hung in the air like a storm cloud, and I watched their shoulders sink, their faces draining of color as the reality set in—this was the end of their social standing, their pride. But I wasn’t about to let them walk away so easily. My voice slipped into the silence, gentle but unyielding. "And one more thing."

    I rose to my feet, the fabric of my golden gown catching the light, glimmering like fire as Jasmine’s strength burned inside me. "To make sure you never forget what you’ve done, I will mark your pack with a spell—a brand of shame. It won’tst forever, but it will remain until your actions prove your loyalty, not just your apologies."

    Gina’s eyes widened, but she nodded, her face etched with eptance. "We understand, Your Majesty. We will bear it."

    The throne room fell silent, the air heavy with the gravity of our decree. Zane’s hand found mine, his touch a quiet promise, and I felt Jasmine’s approval humming in my chest. strongi"That’s my girl,"/i/strong she whisperedstrongi. "Make them remember who you are."/i/strong

    The Silverfang Pack remained on their knees, their heads bowed, their tears glistening on the marble floor. My heart ached for the pack my parents had loved, but it burned with the fire of justice, too. They would rebuild, but they would do so with the weight of their past etched into their very souls.