Chapter 521: I must stay!

Anabel.

The heavy wooden doors leading out to the high stone pavilion swung open, and the freezing night air hit my face like a slap.

Aidan kept a firm, steady grip on my hand, pulling me along beside him as we stepped out into the open light of the courtyard torches. Noah and Maria were already standing near the balustrade, their expressions rigid and severe, while Davian stood slightly ahead of them, his bandaged shoulder seeping dark red as his hand rested on the hilt of his broadsword.

Below us, the entire host pack had gathered in the main square. Hundreds of faces—guard captains, servants, warrior ranks, and elder pack members—looked up at the stone platform in dead, breathless silence. The air was thick with the heavy scent of burning pine, dried blood, and a terrifying, collective demand for retribution.

Every step I took felt like I was dragging iron chains attached to my ankles. My palms were slick with cold sweat, and my knees trembled so badly under my mud-stained skirts that I was terrified I would collapse right there on the stone floorboards.

’Don’t look down,’ I told myself frantically, my stomach churning in violent, sickening knots. ’Just look at the sky, or look at Aidan... just don’t look at the center posts.’

But I couldn’t stop myself. My eyes betrayed me, drifting down toward the three thick wooden execution posts embedded in the center of the gravel courtyard.

Daniel was tied to the left post, weeping hysterically as he sagged against his coarse hemp ropes, his face pale and slick with tears as he mumbled incoherent pleas to anyone who would listen. Galen was bound to the right post, her jaw set into a bitter, venomous snarl, her dark eyes glaring up at Davian with pure defiance.

And in the center post, double-chained in spell-forged iron, was Vincent.

His dark tunic was still torn and blood-soaked from his cellar beating, but he didn’t look like a defeated prisoner facing execution. He stood tall, his head tilted back, casually scanning the high platform until his dark, heavy gaze landed directly on me.

The moment our eyes met, the corner of his bloody mouth slowly curved upward into a subtle, knowing smirk.

A cold spike of absolute horror shot straight down my spine, freezing the blood in my veins. My heart hammered against my ribs so violently I thought it would burst out of my chest. He used his tongue to slowly swipe across the tip of his upper lip—a quiet, secret gesture that made my stomach drop into a bottomless void.

’He can feel it.’ My mind screamed in pure panic. ’Thay bastard knows I’m terrified, but not because of what’s thinking but because I was about to watch my baby’s father die in front of me.’

"You alright, Anabel?" Aidan’s deep, quiet voice rumbled beside me, his large hand squeezing mine slightly tighter. "You’re shaking like a..." He paused.

I flinched, snapping my head toward Aidan, praying to the Goddess that the flickering torchlight didn’t betray the sheer, nauseating guilt plastered across my face.

"I’m... I’m fine," I stammered, my voice cracking into a thin, breathless whisper. "It’s just... cold out here."

"Hold on to me," Aidan murmured softly, stepping half an inch closer so his broad shoulder brushed against mine, shielding me from the cold wind. "It’ll be over soon, as they’re going to answer for what they did to Adrein."

Hearing Adrein’s name while staring down at the man who had ordered his death, and who I had secretly kissed in a cell less than twenty minutes ago, the same man in which I was carrying his child, I felt like a hot knife twisting into my ribs. I choked back a pathetic gasp, forcing myself to nod as fresh, scalding tears filled the corners of my eyes.

Davian took a heavy step forward to the edge of the stone railing, drawing his broadsword from its sheath with a loud, metallic.

The long steel blade gleamed under the torchlight, and the crowd below erupted into a low, thunderous roar of angry approval.

"Silence!" Davian yelled, his Alpha command booming across the courtyard, instantly cutting through the noise until the square fell back into a tense, suffocating quiet.

Davian’s blue eyes burned with an unhinged, lethal heat as he looked down at the three bound traitors. "Tonight, our blood was spilled! Adrein was murdered! Damien lies fighting for his breath and our pack was breached because a rat dared to deceive us, even after knowing the truth."

He pointed the tip of his sword directly at Daniel’s weeping frame.

"Daniel, am incapable Alpha," Davian bellowed, his voice laced with cold, absolute finality. "For the crime of high treason, and for trying to deceive us into falling into a trap and leading Vincent’s troops into our territory!" He paused. "What do you think should be done to you?" He asked.

"Davian, please!" Daniel shrieked, his voice echoing off the surrounding stone walls as he pulled uselessly against his ropes. "I was forced! Vincent threatened my life with a pill, so even after knowing the truth, I still had no choice but to obey." He added. "Please show mercy!"

"Mercy?" Davian asked, as he raised his brows up. "When the person you let killed my brother, did he show mercy?" He asked.

And Instantly I shivered.

Vincent let out a low, dark laugh that echoed mockingly across the quiet courtyard. He didn’t even bother looking at Daniel. His dark, mocking eyes remained fixed straight on me, his smirk widening as he watched me tremble beside Aidan.

"Look at you, Daniel," Vincent rasped out, his voice smooth and dripping with dark amusement. "Crying like a beaten dog before the executioner even raises his blade." He chuckled. "Pathetic."

"Shut your mouth, Vincent!" Davian snarled, taking a step down the pavilion stairs toward the courtyard floor, his sword held low at his side. "Your turn is coming next."

Vincent didn’t flinch. He casually shifted his weight against the iron post, his gaze never leaving my face. "Take your time, Davian. I’m not going anywhere. But you might want to check on your little sister... she looks like she’s about to faint."

My breath hitched in my throat. Aidan’s head snapped toward Vincent, his brow furrowing into a dangerous, dark scowl as his grip on my hand tightened to a crushing pressure.

"Don’t speak to her, you miserable parasite," Aidan growled down at him, his Alpha aura flaring so hard the air around us turned heavy and suffocating.

Maria stepped up beside me, her pale face tight with concern as she reached out and gently rested her hand on my lower back. "Anabel... if this is too much, you can step back inside," she whispered softly into my ear. "No one will judge you."

"No," I choked out, squeezing my eyes shut for a second to force the dizziness away. "No... I’m staying. I have to stay."

I opened my eyes and looked directly back down at Vincent. He winked at me—a fleeting, silent motion meant only for me—and the sickening reality of my position settled deep into my chest. I was trapped between my grieving family and a monster who held my ruin in the palm of his hand.