The Devil's Son and His Fated Bride
Chapter 125: This is not mercy.

Chapter 125: This is not mercy.

Kai’s heart twisted at the sight of Coran’s exhausted figure. The Beta looked broken, his eyes hollow with grief. Coran was torn, torn between his blood, his sister, and the Omegas who had lost so much. His own emotions were a whirlwind, and yet the pressure on him was mounting. Maybe Ren’s decision was the best at this point.

Some of the elders had already begun demanding Coran’s resignation from his position as King’s Beta. They whispered that the young wolf was too inexperienced, too emotional to protect Thegara. At only thirty, Coran was still viewed as a boy in the eyes of many. He couldn’t even control his sister, how could he be trusted to carry the weight of such a crucial role? He could never be as good as his Beta father, the former Beta of the Alpha King who selflessly gave his life to fight the bandits.

Coran approached one of the Omega’s mates and knelt before them, his posture heavy with guilt.

"This is the least I can do. Please... don’t forgive my sister. She is a disgrace to all werewolves for what she has brought upon us. The men she took from you... they were my friends. I’m so ashamed. I’m certain our parents are ashamed, too."

His voice cracked, thick with the lump of grief lodged in his throat. Coran had always been the embodiment of logic and strength, qualities that had earned him Kai’s trust when his father, the previous Beta, had passed.

"Get up, Beta Coran," one of the females said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder as she passed him. "You shouldn’t bear the weight of your sister’s crimes." She paused, glancing at her son, who stood by his grieving grandmother. The loss was so raw, so unbearable, especially for the mates, torn apart by the deaths.

"Prepare them for the funeral," Kai commanded, his voice firm but laden with sorrow. "We’ll tend to this first. May their souls rest in the heavens."

The vassals bowed and quickly scattered to collect wood, their movements swift, though their hearts were heavy with mourning. They burned many shifters just a few days ago.

Returning to their conversation, one of the elders spoke up. "We must look into it, but when I see them, these poor families, all I can think of is execution. And I believe the entire Mountain Pack should be arrested for interrogation."

"I said, no need," Kai interjected sharply, his voice cutting through the courtyard like a blade.

"We have a sacred sponsor for her, Ogain is willing to vote for her and if she commits another crime, he would kill her," Arkilla added reluctantly, her words almost swallowed by the tension in the air. Her father’s eyes narrowed as he glared at her, his piercing brown gaze heavy with disapproval. It was clear he didn’t like the idea.

Sorry, she thought silently, a prayer slipping through her mind that he wouldn’t punish her for this.

"A sponsor?" The elder’s voice wavered in disbelief.

"He is not even mature!"

"He is still a scared bird!"

"Is that possible?" another elder asked, his brow furrowing.

"Yes, it’s in the law book," Calisa replied, her tone unwavering as he convinced his father.

Whispers rose around the courtyard, but Ren’s attention shifted to the families of the victims. They had heard the statement and were now slowly moving closer.

"Are you really going to let her go free?" one of the victim’s mates asked, her voice trembling with a mixture of disbelief and fury.

"No, please, listen," Ren urged, her voice steady but tinged with desperation. "We need warrior forces for the war. I suggest we send her to the front line. If she betrays us, our warriors will deal with her."

The females exchanged solemn looks before glancing down at their little ones. The pups needed safety, safety that Elaika had stolen from them. Now, it was time for her to give it back.

"We agree," one of the women said, her voice firm yet sorrowful. "But we will never forgive her, or the Mountain Clan." With that, they turned and began to leave.

"If that is their will, then we will accept it," the elder of the River Wolves stated, his voice cool and resolute. "Send her to the front line, today. His Majesty must accompany her to ensure she is handed over to the right hands and that she receives the justice she deserves."

The elder’s words hung in the air as he left, joining the others to pray for the lost.

The rest of the council had no choice but to follow suit. Their Luna had been the target of this insidious plot, yet she had chosen to make a decision that would benefit them in the war. Elaika had better fight and die there, for there would be no place left for her in this land once the battle was over.

"Go back to your chamber, wife. I can’t risk your life." Kai wished, but Ren shook her head.

"I want to be by your side. I’m not scared."

Ren stood still as she got close to Coran, the weight of her decision pressing on her chest. As the others departed, her mind continued to race, replaying the harsh words, the cold glares, and the silent fury of the families who had lost their own. Elaika’s fate, once certain, now seemed a fragile thread in a vast web of consequences. Maybe Omegas at the battlefield kill her. Would they accept her decision? Could Elaika ever atone for the lives she had taken?

The elders’ faces had already hardened into masks of resolve, but Ren could feel the burning resentment, the unresolved grief, swirling in the courtyard like a storm. The Mountain Clan’s name had been tarnished, and Elaika’s crime had left a scar that might never heal. The cost of war, of peace, it was all too much sometimes. But Ren was no stranger to making difficult choices, to standing in the face of unimaginable consequences.

She glanced at Coran, his strong jaw clenched, his eyes dark with the burden of his own role in this. It wasn’t just his sister, but the fate of their people that hung in the balance. If Elaika survived this, it would be because Ren had managed to carve a space for mercy, even in the darkest of circumstances. But if she failed...

The thought made Ren shudder. She couldn’t let fear control her, though. This was the path she had chosen. And she would walk it, no matter where it led.

Behind her, the flutter of Ogain’s wings echoed in the yard. He had made his choice, just as she had made hers. Now, they would all face the consequences together. Calisa flew with Ogain to wander in the sky above Ren.

"My Luna Queen, you shouldn’t have saved my sister," Coran said, darkly.

"Beta Coran, this is not mercy. I’m sending her to the heart of danger, if she survived, then gods demanded that."

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