Chapter 201

Alpha Rolan's POV 

It wasn’t supposed to end this way. For days, I had turned it over and over in my mind, hoping that somewhere there was a version of events where I didn’t have to stand in judgment over someone I once called my closest confidant. 

But there wasn’t. The pieces had been set long before I realized the extent of the betrayal. I paced in the dim light of my chambers, the dull hum of the council gathering in the Great Hall beneath me. 

They were waiting for my final decision, for the judgment that would define the kingdom's response to treason. The decision had already been made. It wasn’t just my choice, it was the law. And yet, knowing didn’t make it any easier.

Griffin. His name tasted bitter now, where once it had brought me comfort, and trust. We had grown up together and endured the hardships of court life side by side. How did it come to this?

My hand hovered over the door handle. I had to see him befo