Chapter 49. The Punishment

Ally's POV

I stand before Nathan, my pulse thrumming in my ears like the distant thunder of a coming storm. Dawn's anxiety coils within me, her presence a constant reminder of the precarious edge upon which we balance. The dungeon looms in my mind, its cold stone walls and iron bars an inevitable conclusion to this confrontation. Nathan's reputation for suspicion and swift punishment is well-known, and I brace myself for his decree, ready for the failure of my carefully laid plans.

"Ally," Nathan's voice slices through the silence of the grand hall, "you seem tense. Perhaps you were expecting a different outcome?" His eyes, as sharp as shards of obsidian, study me with unnerving intensity.

"Your reputation precedes you, Your Majesty," I reply, my voice steady despite the fear that gnaws at my insides. Lucas, Nathan's wolf, remains an unseen sentinel, his power resonating from Nathan, demanding submission.