Chapter 54

• "The council will not take this lying down," Elder Garrick Stonehelm snarled, his words a soft, poisonous hiss. He stood before Rhea, seated upon the new High Omega's throne, a throne of wood and light rather than stone and fear. "You have released a traitor. A rogue. A Beta who helped Wynter attack our pack."
• "Tobyn Mace was not a traitor, Garrick," Rhea answered back, her voice gentle but firm. She looked at the Beta prisoner, who shook behind her, his face contorted in fear. "He was a frightened boy manipulated by Wynter. He chose to help us, and he provided us with information that might save us all."
• "Gossip about a lie," Garrick snarled, the glint in his eyes chilling with contempt. "A lie about a Valez heritage. A lie about a prophecy. A prophecy that you're now quoting to justify what you're doing."