"Take her to the cells!"
The cry echoed through the hall, bouncing off marble floors and high ceilings. A hundred faces stared at me, twisted with hate and disgust. Warriors gripped my arms so tightly I knew bruises would bloom by morning.
"I didn't do it!" I shouted again, my voice hoarse from repeating the same words. "Please, listen to me!"
No one did. They never had.
The crowd parted as I was dragged forward. Through the sea of bodies, I caught sight of Lilith still sprawled on the floor, her hand protectively over her stomach despite the healer's confirmation that there were no longer any pups to protect. Her eyes met mine, and for a split second, I saw it—triumph, gleaming behind the mask of grief.
"Please!" My mother's voice cut through the chaos. She pushed through the crowd, her face streaked with tears. "My daughter would never do such a thing!"
"Silence, Omega!" Beta Malachi snarled.
