<h4>Chapter 485: Took a whip to me</h4>
Having secured Zoey, Sage pushed the wheelchair rapidly out of the council chamber just as Blythe was being led away under arrest. Seeing the distress, Katelyn quickly followed, believing her ce was now firmly beside Zoey.
A heavy silence fell in the room before Sage turned back to face the remaining figure. "Vance," Sage stated, "You need to provide the evidence to the council. We cannot proceed on usations alone."
Vance gave a harsh, mirthlessugh. "Evidence? I am the living evidence of the horrormitted against my parents!" His eyes, usually cold, burned with fervent conviction. "Your mother will not be released until she confesses the truth of her crime."
William erupted in a furious bellow. He gestured wildly at the surrounding guards. "Don’t just stand there! Seize this man! He orchestrated an arrest without producing a piece of proof!"
"Father, don’t!" Sagemanded. He stepped forward, nting firm feet on the marble floor. "No guards shalle forward."
Vance watched the exchange, a knot tightening in his chest. He regretted to let Zoey go. They would not spare him now. There was no evidence, only the words of a warrior he had overheard. How Blythe wanted his parents dead.
"Alpha, don’t stop his arrest!" A council member, emboldened by William’s earlier fury, shouted from the back. "He dared to speak such heinous lies against our former Luna! You must take immediate action!"
Sage’s gaze remained steady, cutting through the council’s demands. "No," he dered, his voice resonating with Alpha authority. "I believe in Vance enough to pursue this. That is why I will interrogate my mother myself."
He paused for a second. "But that doesn’t mean Vance will be asked to leave. He will be held, yes, but only under the strict watch of our most trusted warriors." Sage articted thepromise clearly. "Until proven guilty, my mother remains innocent. However, such a huge usation cannot be ignored. Vance would not have risked kidnapping Zoey if he didn’t truly know the deadly consequences he faces now."
Sage closed the remaining distance between himself and Vance.
Leaning in, Sage lowered his voice to a whisper, audible only to Vance. "I trust you, Vance."
~~~~
As the council meeting finally dissolved into chaos and whispers, Vance was quickly escorted out. He was taken not to a cell, but to afortable, isted house on the edge of the packnds. The ce was instantly secured by Sage’s most formidable warriors, keeping him under strict scrutiny. The remaining council members dispersed to their respective homes.
Sage and his father, William, returned to the main residence in a silence thatsted until they stepped into the spacious living room. William immediatelyshed on his son.
"You should not have allowed this arrest, Sage!" William thundered, pacing furiously. "That man is clearly lying! He is a desperate outcast!"
Sage remained rooted to the spot. "I don’t think so, Dad," he replied, his voice dangerously low. "There is a very real possibility your wife, Blythe, did kill his parents. She finds a perverse pleasure in inflicting pain on others."
His eyes narrowed, filled with years of stored hurt. "Have you forgotten how she would beat me? The times she took a whip to me for the smallest offense? Or do I need to remind you of the scars she left?" Sage gritted his teeth in agony.
William recoiled, his face nching slightly, yet he instantly seized upon the opening. He stabbed a trembling finger directly at his son’s chest.
"Ah! So that’s it!" William spat, his eyes zing with usation. "You made the arrest of Blythe, your former Luna, for your own personal grudge against her!"
"I wish I could do that long ago. I’m the Alpha of this pack and my orders are supreme. Keep this in mind, Dad," Sage said and pivoted on his heels to leave.
Sage walked away from the searing argument with his father, finding his feet carrying him toward the wing where Zoey was resting. He arrived outside her room just as the Pack Doctor was quietly stepping out.
"Alpha," the doctor greeted him with a respectful bow, "Miss Zoey will be rousing by the morning. She was given a strong sedative of sleep."
"Thank you. Good night," Sage murmured, then pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The room was bathed in soft, low light. Zoey was sleeping soundly, curled peacefully in the bed. Naomi and Katelyn were seated close by, a vigil on either side of her.
Seeing Sage, Katelyn rose immediately. "She’s fine," she asserted, her relief palpable. "There is nothing left to worry about tonight."
"Yes, Brother," Naomi chimed in. "You should rest for a while. I’ll stay here with Zoey. Princess Katelyn, you need rest too."
"Have your dinner," Sage stated, his voice softening slightly as he looked at his sister. "Also, call me instantly if anything changes."
Naomi nodded, acknowledging the order, but before he could leave. She hesitantly asked the question that clearly tormented her. "Did Mom really kill Vance’s parents?" Her eyes suddenly glistened, rapidly welling up with tears.
Sage met her gaze as he faced his sister’s inherited pain. "We will find out the truth in the interrogation," he replied, giving her the only honest answer he could.
Naomi lowered her gaze immediately, turning quiet.
Sage held Katelyn’s hand and walked out of the room. Shutting the door from outside, they went to Sage’s room.
As soon as they entered it, Katelyn was a bit surprised seeing how big it was.
"Shouldn’t you have taken me to the guest room?" She spun on her heels when Sage hugged her tightly. She felt his hot breath on her neck and went still. Slowly, she brought her hand to his back, caressing it, the onlyfort she could provide him in that moment. Also, she wanted him to let her go because his strong pheromones were once again affecting her in the ways she didn’t desire.
Thankfully, Sage pulled away before she could even ask for it. She was flustered and averted her gaze from him.
"I am happy that Blythe got to taste her own medicine after so many years," Sage said.
Katelyn met his gaze. "Is there any evidence? You may have to release her if evidence isn’t found," she affirmed.