Rosalie remained silent for a long while.
Was now truly the right time to dissolve their mate bond?
It was not Cassian she feared facing.
It was the rest of the Ironclaw Pack.
Alpha Rowan and Luna Adelaide had always loved her as though she were their own daughter. They had never once made her feel like an outsider after she entered the family. If they pleaded with her to reconsider... if they asked her to remain by Cassian's side...
She did not know whether she possessed the strength to refuse them.
She was simply too tired.
Too tired to explain.
Too tired to defend a marriage that had already died in her heart.
At last, she lifted her eyes toward Belinda.
"What if I entrust everything to you?" she asked quietly. "Speak to Cassian on my behalf and obtain his agreement before the Moonstone. Once that is done, I'll return to complete the severing ritual myself. Would that be acceptable?"
Belinda regarded her thoughtfully.
After a moment, she inclined her head.
"It can be arranged," she replied. "You'll need to grant me authority before the Council of Elders and sign the necessary documents."
Rosalie accepted the parchment without another word.
Though her fingers trembled ever so slightly as she pressed her name into the agreement with her wolf's aura, she never allowed the weakness to show upon her face.
When everything had been completed, Belinda accompanied her toward the entrance.
The moment they stepped outside, a crowd surged forward.
No warning.
No chance to react.
Clay cups filled with bitter herbal tea, bowls of cooled broth, and handfuls of mud came flying toward her from every direction.
The foul liquid soaked through her cloak and hair, dripping down her face before splattering across the stone road beneath her feet.
For a heartbeat, Rosalie simply stood there.
Too stunned to move.
"You shameless thief!"
One young she-wolf pointed at her with undisguised hatred.
"You stole Lady Arabella's mate!"
"The Moon Goddess will punish you!"
"Stay away from our future Luna!"
The accusations came one after another, sharper than claws.
Before Rosalie could gather herself, someone shoved her violently from behind.
Already weakened by the darkness consuming her wolf, she failed to steady herself.
She stumbled backward.
Then fell hard onto the stone pavement.
Pain shot through her side, forcing the air from her lungs.
"Enough!"
Belinda's voice rang through the courtyard with unmistakable authority.
Without hesitation, she pushed through the furious crowd and hurried toward Rosalie.
"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded coldly. "Do you understand that assaulting another wolf before witnesses is a crime under pack law?"
The young she-wolf leading the group folded her arms across her chest.
"A crime?" she scoffed. "We're only giving her what she deserves after everything she's done to Lady Arabella."
Belinda's expression did not change.
"Lady Arabella?"
"Who else?" another she-wolf snapped.
Belinda regarded them calmly.
"Did Lady Arabella order you to come here?"
The leader immediately shook her head.
"Lady Arabella would never do something like that. She's too kind. She's suffered because of this woman for years, so we're simply seeking justice for her."
"That's right!"
"Our Lady Arabella has endured enough because of this witch!"
Belinda gave a faint, humorless smile.
"Very well."
Her gaze swept over every face before her.
"I hope that same devotion remains when each of you stands before the Council of Elders to answer for today's actions."
Almost as if summoned by those words, several pack warriors arrived at a run.
The furious crowd scattered immediately.
Many fled before the warriors could seize them, though several were caught before they escaped.
Belinda helped Rosalie to her feet.
Her clothing was soaked, her silver hair clung messily to her face, and her complexion had turned frighteningly pale.
Without another word, Belinda guided her back inside.
After helping Rosalie clean herself as best they could, they made their way to the Hall of Judgment to report the assault.
During the journey, Belinda received several urgent messages through her communication crystal.
Someone had preserved the entire incident inside a memory crystal.
By then, it had already spread across countless packs through the shared communication network.
The comments beneath it overflowed with ridicule and condemnation.
Rosalie quietly read them all.
With every cruel remark...
The last trace of hesitation inside her disappeared.
She looked toward Belinda, her voice calm enough to send a chill through the room.
"Elder Sawyer."
Belinda lifted her eyes.
"I wish to entrust another matter to you."
"Go on."
"I want every wolf who deliberately spread false accusations against me to answer before the Council of Elders. As for those who assaulted me today..."
She paused briefly.
"...I will accept no private settlement."
"I intend to pursue every charge permitted under pack law."
Belinda nodded without the slightest hesitation.
"I understand."
"I'll see to it personally."
By the time Rosalie finished giving her statement at the Hall of Judgment, the little strength she had been clinging to had nearly vanished.
The corruption within her wolf had been worsening by the day, and the ordeal had drained what little remained.
She leaned back in her chair, her face almost devoid of color.
Belinda watched her with growing concern.
"Lady Rosalie," she said gently, "shall I escort you back to the Alpha Manor?"
Rosalie slowly shook her head.
"Thank you... but I'd rather walk for a while."
"I need the quiet."
Belinda hesitated before finally nodding.
"As you wish. Please take care of yourself."
She waited until Rosalie disappeared beyond the stone gates before taking out her communication crystal and reaching through the mindlink to Freya.
"Rosalie just left my chambers. She doesn't look well. I offered to accompany her, but she refused. Go after her."
Freya was in the middle of a council meeting when the message reached her.
She answered almost immediately.
"I'm on my way."
