THE ALPHA WHO HATED ME - Chapter 49: Chapter 49

**Evangeline's POV**
The summons came during first period. A sharp knock on the classroom door made everyone turn their heads. Mrs. Patterson answered it, speaking in hushed whispers with whoever stood outside.
"Evangeline Cross," she called out. "Please gather your things. You're needed in the council chambers."
My blood went cold. Every pair of eyes in the room stared at me as I packed my bag with shaking hands. The council chambers meant serious trouble. Students only got called there for the worst kinds of violations.
Luna grabbed my wrist as I passed her desk. "What did you do?" she whispered.
"Nothing," I said, but my voice cracked.
As I walked down the empty hallway, my footsteps echoed like gunshots. The pendant Maeve had given me burned against my chest, hidden beneath my shirt. Had they somehow detected it? Did they know about last night?
The council chambers sat at the heart of Blackclaw Academy, behind heavy oak doors that had witnessed decades of student fates being decided. I'd never been inside before. Most students never were.
I knocked twice and waited.
"Enter," came a voice from within.
The room was smaller than I'd expected but far more intimidating. A curved table dominated the space, with five high-backed chairs arranged behind it. Ancient werewolf symbols covered the walls, their meanings lost to me but their power unmistakable.
Four people sat at the table. Principal Morrison occupied the center chair, his face stern and unreadable. To his right sat Elder Blackwood, an elderly woman with silver hair and eyes like winter ice. On Morrison's left was Councilman Hartwell - Celeste's father. His resemblance to his daughter was striking, down to the cold smile that never reached his eyes.
But it was the fourth person who made my heart stop.
Celeste sat at the far end of the table, looking perfectly composed in a crisp white blouse. She wore a small pin on her collar - some kind of academy honor I didn't recognize. When she saw me, her lips curved into the faintest smile.
"Miss Cross," Principal Morrison said. "Please take a seat."
A single chair faced the table, placed deliberately to make whoever sat in it feel small and exposed. I lowered myself into it, gripping the armrests to keep my hands from shaking.
"Do you know why you've been called here today?" Elder Blackwood asked. Her voice was soft but carried an edge that made my skin crawl.
"No, ma'am."
"Miss Hartwell has brought some very serious concerns to our attention," Morrison said, nodding toward Celeste. "Concerns about activities that may violate academy law."
I looked at Celeste, trying to keep my face neutral. "What kind of activities?"
Celeste leaned forward, her eyes bright with false concern. "I've been worried about you, Evangeline. Really worried. Some of the other students have been telling me disturbing things."
"What kind of things?"
"Well," Celeste said, her voice dripping with fake sympathy, "Madison saw you muttering strange words under your breath during lunch yesterday. And Sarah noticed your locker glowing with an odd light when she passed by after classes."
My heart pounded. None of that had happened. She was making it all up.
"That's not true," I said.
"And Emma," Celeste continued, ignoring my protest, "she swears she saw you practicing some kind of ritual behind the gymnasium. Moving your hands in strange patterns, chanting in a language she didn't recognize."
"I've never done any of those things," I said desperately.
"Haven't you?" Celeste tilted her head with mock confusion. "Because there have been so many incidents lately. The cafeteria lights flickering whenever you get emotional. That strange energy people feel when you walk by. It's making everyone very uncomfortable."
My mouth went dry. "I don't know anything about that."
"Don't you?" Celeste's voice was sweet as poison. "Because it seems like these incidents follow you wherever you go. Almost like you're the source."
"That's ridiculous," I said, but my voice sounded weak even to me.
Councilman Hartwell spoke up. "The use of forbidden magic on academy grounds is punishable by immediate expulsion. And in some cases, criminal charges."
Criminal charges. The words hit me like a physical blow. This wasn't just about getting kicked out of school anymore.
"I haven't used any magic," I said desperately. "I don't even know how to use magic."
"Then you won't mind if we examine you," Elder Blackwood said. She reached into a bag beside her chair and pulled out what looked like a crystal orb. "This device can detect magical residue on a person's skin. If you're innocent, you have nothing to worry about."
The orb pulsed with inner light, and immediately I felt the pendant around my neck grow hot in response. But something else happened too - the crystal's glow intensified, reacting to something in the room before it even touched me.
Elder Blackwood's eyes narrowed. "Interesting. There's definitely magical energy present."
My heart stopped. The pendant was betraying me, but there was something more. The orb seemed to be picking up traces I didn't understand.
"I... I need a moment to think," I stammered.
"There's nothing to think about," Celeste said. "Unless you have something to hide."
The chamber door opened before I could respond. Heavy footsteps echoed across the stone floor, and I turned to see Ronan walking into the room. He wore his formal academy blazer, the one reserved for official occasions. His face was a mask of cold authority.
"What's the meaning of this?" he demanded.
"Mr. Nightbane," Principal Morrison said, clearly surprised. "This is a private hearing."
"Not when it involves a member of my pack," Ronan said firmly. He took his place beside my chair, and I felt some of the tension leave my shoulders. "I demand to know what charges are being brought."
Celeste's composure slipped for just a moment, then she reached into her bag. "Actually, I have something else."
She pulled out a small photograph and placed it on the table. "This was taken two nights ago in the eastern woods. That figure in the trees - doesn't it look familiar?"
My blood turned to ice. The photo was blurry and dark, but it showed a silhouette that could have been me. Except I knew it wasn't. The image had been altered somehow.
"Where did you get this?" Principal Morrison asked.
"A concerned student who was worried about strange activities in the forest," Celeste said smoothly. "The same night those hollow wolf tracks were found."
"It concerns me when my subjects are being accused without proper representation," Ronan replied. His voice was ice-cold, nothing like the boy who'd rejected me in the cave. This was the future Alpha speaking.
Elder Blackwood set the crystal orb on the table with a sharp click. "Miss Cross is suspected of practicing forbidden magic. We were about to verify these claims."
"Based on whose testimony?" Ronan asked.
"Several reliable witnesses," Councilman Hartwell said. "Including my daughter."
"Celeste." Ronan turned to look at her, and I saw something flicker in his eyes. Disappointment. "What exactly did you see?"
Celeste's cheeks flushed pink. "I told you. Green lights in the forest. Electronics acting strangely around her. The other students can back me up."
"Which other students?" Ronan pressed.
"Madison, Sarah, Emma," Celeste said quickly. "They all witnessed these incidents firsthand."
"Your usual circle," Ronan observed. "How convenient that the only witnesses happen to be your closest friends."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Celeste's voice rose slightly.
"It means," Ronan said, "that accusing someone based on the testimony of your personal followers hardly seems like reliable evidence. Especially when these same people have been systematically targeting Miss Cross for months."
The words hung in the air like a slap. Celeste's face went white, then red with anger.
"How dare you," she hissed. "I'm trying to protect this school from dangerous magic, and you're defending her?"
"I'm defending justice," Ronan said. "Something that seems to be in short supply in this room."
Elder Blackwood cleared her throat. "Mr. Nightbane, while we appreciate your... perspective, your defense here will not go unnoticed by certain parties. Alpha Gideon will not be pleased about this breach of decorum."
A muscle in Ronan's jaw twitched, but his voice remained steady. "My father will understand that I was upholding pack law."
"Will he?" Councilman Hartwell asked with a cold smile. "When it comes to defending... questionable elements?"
"What evidence?" Ronan interrupted. "Manufactured testimony from the same group that's been harassing Miss Cross? Stories that conveniently can't be verified by anyone outside their circle?" He gestured toward me. "Has anyone neutral actually witnessed Miss Cross performing magic?"
Silence fell over the room. I could hear my own heartbeat in my ears.
"These are serious accusations," Ronan continued. "But they're coming from people with clear motives to lie. People who've already been caught fabricating stories about Miss Cross before."
"The detection crystal will provide proof," Councilman Hartwell said finally.
"Will it?" Ronan moved closer to the table. "Or will it simply react to the natural magical energy that every werewolf possesses? Because if you're planning to test every student who shows traces of magic, this room is going to be very crowded."
My chest tightened with hope. He was actually defending me. Really defending me.
Principal Morrison shifted uncomfortably. "The accusations are quite specific, Mr. Nightbane."
"The accusations are vindictive," Ronan shot back. "Everyone in this room knows Miss Cross has been the target of systematic harassment. Now, conveniently, she's being accused of forbidden magic by the same people who have been fabricating stories about her for months."
Celeste stood up so fast her chair scraped against the floor. "We're not making anything up!"
"Aren't you?" Ronan's voice was dangerously quiet. "Should we discuss your track record? The pig's blood incident that you orchestrated? The false theft accusations that were exposed? The pattern of lies and manipulation designed to destroy an innocent student?"
Each accusation hit like a hammer blow. Celeste's face cycled through several shades of red and white.
"Those were misunderstandings," she said weakly.
"Were they?" Ronan turned back to the council. "I think what we have here is a pattern of abuse that's escalated to false accusations. Miss Cross is being targeted because she's different. Because she doesn't have powerful family connections to protect her."
Elder Blackwood's eyes narrowed. "Are you suggesting this council would show favoritism?"
"I'm suggesting," Ronan said carefully, "that justice should be blind to social status. If you want to test Miss Cross for magical residue, then test everyone. Starting with the accusers."
Councilman Hartwell's face darkened. "Mr. Nightbane, you're very close to overstepping your bounds."
"Am I? Because from where I stand, it looks like this council is about to destroy an innocent student based on nothing but malicious gossip."
The room fell silent. I stared at Ronan in shock. This was the same person who'd called me nothing just hours ago. Who'd rejected our bond and threatened to make my life miserable. Now he was risking his own reputation to defend me.
Principal Morrison rubbed his temples. "Perhaps we should take a brief recess to discuss this matter privately."
"No need," Elder Blackwood said. She studied Ronan with calculating eyes. "Mr. Nightbane makes some valid points about due process. However, the concerns raised cannot be entirely dismissed."
My heart sank. Here it came. The compromise that would still ruin my life.
"Miss Cross," Elder Blackwood continued, "you will be allowed to remain at the academy. However, you will be placed under the direct supervision of Mr. Voss."
My blood ran cold. Everyone knew about Mr. Voss. The academy's enforcement officer was famous for hunting down rogue wolves. Students whispered that he'd never failed to catch someone he was tracking.
"He will monitor your activities closely," Elder Blackwood added. "Any further incidents, magical or otherwise, will result in immediate expulsion and possible criminal charges."
It wasn't expulsion, but it wasn't freedom either. I was being marked as a potential threat, watched and suspected at every turn.
"Thank you," I said quietly. It was better than nothing.
"This is ridiculous," Celeste muttered.
"Miss Hartwell," Principal Morrison said sharply. "You've made your concerns known. The council has reached its decision."
Celeste gathered her things with jerky, angry movements. As she passed my chair, she leaned down close to my ear.
"This was just the first strike," she whispered, her voice like ice. "Next time, you'll wish you were expelled."
Then she was gone, her footsteps echoing down the hallway.
The council members filed out one by one, leaving me alone with Ronan. I turned to face him, my heart full of gratitude and confusion.
"Thank you," I said. "I don't know why you did that, but—"
"Don't." His voice was sharp as a blade. The warmth that had been in his eyes moments before was gone, replaced by cold indifference. "Don't read anything into it."
"But you defended me," I said, stepping closer. "You stood up for me when no one else would."
"I defended pack law," he corrected. "Nothing more."
The words cut deep, but I pressed on. "Ronan, what you did in there—"
"Was my duty as future Alpha," he interrupted. "I would have done the same for any pack member facing false accusations."
"Would you?" I asked. "Because it felt like more than duty."
His face hardened. "Then you felt wrong."
"The bond—"
"There is no bond," he snarled. "How many times do I have to tell you? What happened between us means nothing. You mean nothing."
Each word was a knife twisting in my chest. After what he'd just done for me, after the way he'd fought for my innocence, hearing him dismiss it all felt like drowning.
"I don't believe you," I whispered.
"Believe whatever helps you sleep at night," he said with cruel indifference. "But stay away from me. What I did in there was a one-time favor. Don't expect it to happen again."
"A favor?" The word came out broken.
"That's all it was. That's all you'll ever be to me - someone who occasionally needs help because you're too weak to handle your own problems."
The casual cruelty in his voice made me stagger backward. This was worse than his rejections in the forest. At least then I'd felt his internal struggle through the bond. Now there was nothing but ice.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked, my voice breaking. "Why defend me just to destroy me?"
"Because," he said, moving toward the door, "I wanted to make sure you understood exactly where you stand. Today was about principle, not about you. Don't confuse the two."
He paused at the threshold and looked back at me one last time.
"Stay out of trouble, Evangeline. I won't be there to save you next time."
Then he was gone, leaving me alone in the council chamber with the echoes of his words.
I sank back into the chair, my whole body shaking. He'd saved my place at the academy, defended my innocence, and fought for my rights. Then he'd taken it all back with a few well-placed words.
The pendant around my neck had gone cold, but something else was happening. When I looked down at my hands, I caught a flash of gold in my eyes reflected in the polished table surface. For just a moment, they'd changed color.
The bond in my chest burned brighter than ever, and I felt a crack forming in the pendant's surface. Whatever power was inside me was growing stronger, and not even Maeve's protective charm could contain it much longer.
He could lie to me
. He could lie to himself. But he couldn't lie to the bond.
And somewhere deep in that cold, cruel dismissal, I'd heard something else. Something that sounded almost like fear.
He was scared of what would happen if he let himself care about me.