Sable stood beside Cassian in the center of the council chamber while the half-circle of elders watched from their carved seats.
Warriors lined the perimeter and clerks waited with tablets and ink, ready to turn whatever happened into record before the blood had time to dry in anyone's memory.
Rowan rose first.
"A dominance trial," he said, voice smooth enough to hide nothing.
"No killing. No execution. No force beyond what the Alpha's authority naturally carries. If the claim is mutual, she will remain steady. If it is not, the pack will see coercion for what it is."
Sable felt the shape of the trap settle around her.
They did not need Cassian to hurt her, they needed him to overwhelm her in front of witnesses.
They needed her injured body to fail beneath the weight of his authority, needed her knees to buckle or her breath to break, needed one visible weakness they could dress in the language of concern.
