Chapter 0032 – Seraphina’s POV
I straightened my back, lifted my chin high, and strode into the courthouse, determined not to let them see my fear.
The elders were already seated, their faces a mix of judgment and impatience. Damon sat on his throne, his expression dark and unreadable, while Althea stood beside him, a smug grin plastered across her face.
“We heard the commotion outside, Seraphina,” Althea began, her voice dripping with mockery. “As an adulteress, you sure had a lot of nerve to provoke and attack our soldiers.”
“I didn’t cheat on anyone, so I have nothing to fear,” I replied, clenching my fists to keep my voice steady.
Althea’s smirk widened as she snapped back, her voice slicing through the courtroom like a blade. “We all saw you lying half-naked in bed with Alpha Caden! Just admit it—you panicked when Damon wanted a divorce, so you tried to latch onto another money bag. But too bad, Seraphina. The Alpha of Obsidian Crest Packwould never go for an old, ugly divorcée like you. No matter how much you try to seduce him, it just won’t work.”
Her cruel words ignited a wave of laughter throughout the courtroom. The sound of it was like nails scraping against my soul.
“Althea!” Damon growled, his warning tone slicing through the noise.
Althea’s expression shifted instantly. The smug arrogance drained from her face, replaced by a mask of pitiful innocence. She turned to Damon, her voice trembling with manufactured sincerity.
“Damon, I was only standing up for you,” she pouted. “Seraphina hasn’t even divorced you yet, and she’s already jumping into another man’s bed. What will people think of you?”
Like a puppet on a string, Damon’s anger softened at her words. When he turned his gaze to me, his expression hardened again, colder than ice.
“Seraphina,” he began, his voice dripping with disdain. “The werewolf world has always been harsh on female adulterers. You know the consequences—loss of personal property, loss of title, and exile. Surely, you’re aware of this.”
He looked down on me from his throne, his piercing glare making me feel small and insignificant.
I fought to keep my composure, my fists clenched so tightly that my nails dug into my palms. My heart felt like it was sinking into a bottomless pit.
His cruelty was beyond anything I could have imagined.
Three years ago, he had returned with the evidence of his own betrayal—Lucian, his illegitimate child. I had cried for days, shattered by the pain, but eventually, I softened and forgave him. I had even helped raise his child, sacrificing my own dignity for the sake of the pack.
Yet here he was, ready to punish me for a crime I didn’t commit. The hypocrisy burned like acid in my veins.
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I swallowed hard, refusing to let them fall. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me break.
“I’ve already said I didn’t cheat,” I rasped, my voice trembling but firm. “Alpha Caden only came to my room to save me.”
The courtroom erupted in boos and jeers, their scorn cutting through me like shards of glass.
One of the elders waved his hand dismissively, his impatience evident. “That nonsense about the poisonous candles? The candles were tested and found to be harmless! Stop trying to shift the blame onto Miss Althea and Lucian.”
Althea burst into tears, her act so exaggerated it was almost laughable. She covered her face, sobbing as if she were on the verge of collapse.
“M-Maybe it’s because I’m such an easy target,” she whimpered pitifully. “After all, I’m not Damon’s Luna yet. I have no voice or soldiers in this pack. Anyone can bully me…”
Damon shot up from his seat like a knight rushing to rescue a damsel in distress. He pulled Althea into his arms and seated her beside him on the throne, his hands gently stroking her hair as if she were made of glass.
“Don’t worry,” he murmured, his voice tender. “I won’t let anyone bully you. I’m right here.”
His words pierced through my chest like a jagged blade.
I remembered the early days, when I had left Emerald Howl Pack to be with him. I had cried in his arms, terrified and uncertain about my future in a foreign pack. He had held me then, whispering promises of love and partnership, vowing that we would face the world together.
Now, he was whispering those same promises to someone else.
He turned back to me, his face twisting with anger. “Althea is my woman, and Lucian is my child. I won’t let you bully them like this!”
I stared at him, my heart breaking all over again.
How had it come to this? The man I had once loved so deeply was now my greatest enemy, and the life I had built was crumbling before my eyes.
