h4Chapter 332: Final Judgment/h4

    strongZane~/strong

    The sound of mymand still hung in the air—"That’s enough!"—sharp and final, like the crack of a whip. The hall fell into an uneasy silence, every eye turning toward me. My alpha’s aura had rolled out with the words, pressing down on nobles, warriors, even themon folk at the edges of the crowd. For a heartbeat, no one dared to move.

    But silence didn’t mean peace. I could feel the tension simmering just beneath the surface, a current of doubt winding through the stillness. Murmurs slipped out like tiny leaks in a dam—soft, hesitant voices that carried too much weight.

    i"No, it can’t be... he stood by us."/i

    i"But where’s the proof?"/i

    Nathan’s crocodile tears had done their work, and I could see it in their faces—the hesitation, the unwillingness to believe what stood right in front of them. They weren’t brave enough to shout anymore, not after my outburst, but their eyes said what their mouths wouldn’t: suspicion was already taking root.

    I felt Natalie’s hand slip into mine, her fingers warm and steady, grounding me. She squeezed gently, her awesome spark igniting even in this storm. Through our mate bond, her voice teased in my mind:i "Look at you, my fierce king. You’ve got them all quaking. But don’t hog all the drama—let me sass him a bit more." /i

    A faint smile tugged at my lips despite the fury boiling in my chest. Red growled possessively, urging me to shield her from this mess. But before I could respond, another voice slipped into my mind—Jacob’s, calm and ancient, like a whisper from the winds of timei. "Zane, brother. Let me handle this. The crowd needs more than words; they need to see the rot in his soul. Trust me—I’ve got a ir for the dramatic." /i

    I nced at him, seated on his chair with that effortless tousled hair and mischievous eyes that hid centuries of wisdom. He winked, and I nodded subtly. Respect swelled in me for this being—he was our father after all. "Very well," I said aloud, my voice carrying with regal authority. "If doubt still lingers in your minds, then let the Wolf Spirit speak. Let the father of all wolves himself step forward and strip away every lie."

    The murmurs hushed further as Jacob rose, his lean, athletic frame moving with that unmatched grace. He shed a grin at me, then at Natalie, who rolled her eyes yfully. "They’re all yours, big brother," she muttered under her breath, but loud enough for us to hear. "Try to cut short the dramatics, will you?"

    Jacob chuckled, a light, infectious sound that cut through the tension like sunlight piercing clouds. "Oh, little moon, where’s the fun in that? But fine, fine—serious face on." He turned to the crowd, his warm eyes hardening with that ageless depth. "My dear children," he began, his voice booming yet conversational, drawing everyone in. "I see the doubt in your eyes. You don’t believe the throne’s words? Fair enough. Nathan here has spun quite the web of charm and lies. But since words aren’t enough..." He paused, ncing at Nathan, who knelt there with feigned innocence, his chains clinking. "I’ll give you the truth my way. No hearsay, no usations—just the raw, unfiltered reality."

    Nathan’s eyes widened, a flicker of real fear crossing his gaunt face. "What... what are you doing, Mist? You can’t—"

    "Oh, but I can, Nathan Dearest," Jacob interrupted with a sarcastic lilt, echoing Natalie’s earlier jab. "And I will. Everyone—quiet down. This show’s about to start."

    With a casual wave of his hand, Jacob summoned his power. The room plunged into darkness, the torches flickering out as if snuffed by an invisible breath. Gasps erupted everywhere—sharp, collective inhales that filled the hall with raw fear. "What’s happening?" a she-wolf whimpered nearby. "The lights—gods, it’s pitch ck!"

    "Stay calm," Jacob’s voice rang out, steady and amused. "No one’s getting eaten... yet." Then, in the center of the hall, a massive screen materialized out of thin air, glowing ethereal blue like a cinema from the human world I’d once navigated as Cole Lucky. It hovered, immense and impossible, casting flickering light on stunned faces. "Now," Jacob said, his tone turning grave, "watch with your own eyes. See the truth of Prince Nathan Moor."

    The screen flickered to life, and the horrors began. It yed like a movie, vivid and unrelenting—every dark deed Nathan had orchestrated against my family. First, the nursery poisonings: shadowy figures slipping into cradles under Nathan’s whisperedmands, my infant siblings convulsing in agony as he watched from afar, a cold smile on his lips. The crowd gasped, hands flying to mouths. "No... the little ones..." a man choked out.

    Then, the assassins in the shadows, des glinting as they struck down my older brothers and sisters one by one. Nathan’s voice echoed from the footage: "Eliminate them all. The throne will be mine." Murmurs turned to horrified whispers. Natalie’s grip on my hand tightened, her breath hitching. "Zane... oh gods, I’m so sorry," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Tears glistened in her eyes, but she leaned into me, her fire momentarily subdued by raw empathy. "He’ll pay for this, my love. I swear."

    I pulled her closer, my heart aching with the love that had filled the void he’d created. "I know, Nat. Together—we end this."

    The screen shifted to my mother’s assassination—Queen Olivia, struck down in her chambers three years after my birth. Nathan’s hand guiding the poison into her cup, her body crumpling as she clutched her throat, gasping for air. "For the throne," he muttered on screen, his eyes devoid of remorse. A sob escaped from the front row, and even my father, King Anderson, bowed his head, his shoulders shaking silently.

    Nora and Charlie’s betrayal shed next: their secret meetings with Nathan, plotting my death, tormenting my young innocent Alex with their schemes. "The boy must die," Nathan’s voice hissed. Nora whimpered on her knees now, in real time, her silver-poisoned body trembling. "Turn it off... please..."

    But Nathan was the one who broke first. As the footage rolled on—his conspiracies with traitors like Shadow and Kalmia, the Celestial Princess plot to seize Natalie for power, the nned murders of my father and me—he lunged forward in his chains, his voice cracking with desperation. "Mist! All father—please stop this! It’s lies, all fabricated! Turn it off, I beg you!"

    Jacob crossed his arms, his expression unmoving, though a hint of dark humor glinted in his eyes. "Begging now, Nathan? How the mighty fall. But no—the show must go on. Watch your masterpiece to the end."

    The final scenes: Nathan’s recent coup in the pce, his forces storming the halls, only to be thwarted by Natalie and me. Us arresting him, his snarls of defeat captured in crystal rity. As the screen faded, Jacob snapped his fingers, and it vanished. Light returned to the hall, but the atmosphere had shattered. The crowd erupted—not in sympathy, but in fury. "Monster!" a burly werewolf bellowed, fists clenched. "You killed the innocents! Traitor!" Others joined, curses flying like arrows: "Burn him!" "He deserves worse than death!"

    Nathan slumped, defeated, his mask crumbled. Nora and Charlie huddled together, faces paled.

    I stood, pulling Natalie up with me. I heard Jasmine, hum in my mind through the bond: "Time to roast this pig, huh? Make it hurt." Natalie smirked at me, her feisty spirit reigniting. "Ready, my possessive king? Let’s read out their fates—and maybe add a little ir."

    I nodded, my voice booming as we faced the assembly. "The judges have deliberated. These punishments are final, agreed upon by the council." I turned to my father first, emotion choking me. "Father—King Emeritus Anderson Moor—do the honor for Nathan. Strip him of his title."

    My father rose, his eyes steely despite the grief. He approached Nathan, who trembled. "Nathan Moor, you are no longer prince. Your link to the throne ends now." With a flourish, he seized Nathan’s royal seal—a gleaming medallion—and hurled it into a brazier. mes roared, consuming it to ashes. The crowd cheered wildly. Nathan howled in despair, "No! Brother, please—"

    "Silence," my father growled. "You lost that right."

    Natalie stepped forward next, her celestial power glowing around her like starlight. She locked eyes with Nathan, her voice dripping with sarcastic venom. "Oh, Uncle, remembered how you connived with Kalmia to kidnap my son? payback’s a bitch." She extended her hands, celestial chains materializing—glowing, ethereal links that wrapped around him. "These will burn every time you lie. Live in truth, or burn in humiliation."

    Nathan tested it immediately, gasping, "I... I’m innocent—" mes licked his skin, and he screamed, writhing. The crowd murmured in awe. "Serves him right," someone muttered.

    Jacob moved in, his ancient power crackling. "For you, Nathan, memory torment. You’ll relive every death you caused—your nieces, nephews, sister-inw, all of them. Over and over, visions that never fade." He teleported in front of Nathan and touched his forehead, and Nathan’s eyes widened in horror as the first vision hit. "No! Stop—ahh!" He clutched his head, tears streaming.

    Finally, it was my turn. I approached, Red snarling triumphantly. "Nathan, you’ll wear this." I fastened a specially made shock cor around his neck—enchanted to prevent harm and enforce obedience. "With this, you can harm no one again. Instead, you’ll serve as a ve to the very kingdom you betrayed. Anyone—even the lowest omega—will have the right tomand you. From this moment on, you are nothing. You will live out the rest of your long life bound to this city and its people. And be prepared—because it will be a long life in hell."

    Nathan copsed, broken. "Please, Zane... nephew... mercy..."

    "No mercy for monsters," I replied coldly.

    Natalie turned to Nora and Charlie, her eyes shing. "Now you two—the so-called guardians who raised Zane only to torment him and his son. Traitors." Her voice dripped with contempt. "Your bones are alreadyced with silver, but that isn’t punishment enough." With a flick of her hand, magicshed out, binding them to the pce grounds. "Step beyond these walls, and your bodies will burn from the inside out. From this day forward, you will live here as less than ves, crushed beneath the weight of your own betrayal."

    She added visible celestial marks—glowing scars on their faces, Nathan’s too. "Pariah’s marks. Everyone will know what you did. No eptance, ever."

    Jacob chuckled darkly. "And for the finale—forced silence for all three." He gestured, and magic bound their tongues. Nora and Charlie opened their mouths, but no sound emerged—only silent gasps. Nathan tried to plead, but he too had be mute. Horror danced in his eyes. Jacob’s smile widened, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. "But don’t worry, Nathan. Those celestial chains around you will still burn your skin raw the moment you try to twist the truth with a gesture or a sly move. Even your lies can’t hide behind your tricks anymore."

    They crumpled, voiceless and marked, as the crowd roared approval. Natalie leaned into me, her voice a tempting whisper amid the drama. "We did it, Zane. Justice... and us, unbreakable." I kissed her forehead, emotion surging—love, possessiveness, relief. "Forever, my love."

    The hall thundered with finality, the Chapter of betrayal closing in mes and silence.