A collective breath rushes through the room—onesonoticeable that, if it weren’t such a dire situation, Leo might have laughed.
“Come on, Gray. Please. I don’t want you to get into real trouble over him. Please.”
For a second, Leo thinks Grayson might still rip out Hayes’s heart right there in front of the judges.
Instead, he exhales sharply, grabs Nix around the waist, and buries his face in his soulmate’s neck.
The guards hoist Hayes to his feet after the near-miss, but despite the presence of medical personnel in the courtroom, no one rushes to assist.
When Hayes comes to—coughing and spitting blood—he struggles, but the guards force him back into his seat. Eventually, the judicial assistant hands him some paper towels to stem the flow of blood streaming from his nose and mouth.
Nix and Grayson return to their seats as Judge Patel sighs into her microphone.
“Mr. Hayes, this court considers the airing-of-grievance provision satisfied.”
“What? No! That’s not fair!” Hayes yells, a definite lisp distorting the words, thanks to his now-missing front teeth.
Judge Patel ignores him completely.
“Mr. Pearce, we will require a conversation immediately following this trial. Please remain with your counsel, Mr. Costas. Are we understood?”
Leo’s father nods at Grayson, who stands but does not sound remotely contrite as he speaks.
Grayson nods, but he doesn’t apologize. “Understood, Your Honors.”
“Let’s finish this. Judge Sanderson?” Judge Patel says.
Sanderson adjusts his robes. “Before we rule, we would ask Pack Alpha, James Rhodes of the Rhodes Pack to rise.”
Jay squeezes Luca’s hand before rising to his feet.
“Alpha Rhodes, do you agree with the sentence? Combat to the death?” Sanderson asks.
Hayes grumbles, but Lang murmurs something that shuts him up.
Time seems to slow as Jay stands, the weight of life and death balanced in his hands.
It’s a pivotal moment. A crossroads where justice hangs by a thread.
It’s not right, Leo thinks.Omegas should have their own voice, their own say.
“Your Honor, if I may speak?” Jay asks, his voice steady, commanding.
Judge Sanderson gives a slight nod.
Jay steps forward, hands resting on the wooden rail.
“This decision isn’t mine to make. I may be the leader of this pack, but we are equals in all things.”
His words are firm, unshakable. With a simple gesture, he calls his pack to rise.
They do—standing together, shoulder to shoulder, as they always do.
“But most importantly,” Jay continues, his gaze locking onto Nix, “Nix should be the one to decide. He has earned that right—paid for it—with his blood.”
Nix straightens.
His quiet strength draws every eye to him.
