Chapter 14 Dominic The thing about the whole case was that I couldn't help but be surprised . Surprised . Impressed , and a bit turned on . When I thought of my own daughter and how she would have reacted to all this , it was hard to compare them . Vivian would have been screaming across the aisle . Wild , out of control , crying . Renee didn't even look like she was emotional . Vivian would have cried and looked at me to save her , to defend her , and coerce the rest of the Panel to her side … She also probably wouldn't have bothered coming with a full defense . But Renee , as much as I did and didn't want her to , didn't even look at me - not once - not even as Philip sputtered beside her , red - faced and indignant , trying to claw back some shred of control . " That's ridiculous ! I'm- that's not - she can't prove anything ." Renee didn't react to what he was saying . She didn't even flinch . She stood in front of the council like she didn't need our validation . Like she already knew what the outcome would be - because it was owed to her , because she knew , more than anyone , that the panel couldn't deny the evidence . And gods help me , l'admired her for it . She had dragged out every dark day of her entire childhood in front of a room full of wolves who didn't want to hear her . Some of them didn't even care , but were oath bound in the position to do something about it . She did it with surgical precision . Not a tear in sight . No dramatics . No emotional appeals to our better nature - which , let's be honest , few of us had left . Cold , hard facts . Ruthless and unyielding . My wolf rumbled , pleased , watching her carefully . I went still feeling him shifting around in the back of my mind , rumbling contentedly in a way that he hadn't in decades . Smart . Ruthless . Beautiful . I tried not to think about the emphasis he placed on the last word , but the other two were not any better . Hazel … my first wife had been smart , ruthless , and beautiful , but where she had a softness to her , a beguiling sort of vulnerability , Renee had an inner strength that she hadn't . Renee always had . It caught me off guard when I'd looked up one day and the young woman who had saved Vivian's life was this curvy , beautiful , wildly intelligent being cutting through social nonsense with ruthless precision . The thing that made me set my jaw and grind my teeth with barely restrained fury was that the hard edge in her tone , the rigidness in her posture wasn't an act . It was real . Everyone was capable of being ruthless , but this was different . This edge to her ? I knew exactly where it came from . No one built armor like that , had proverbial daggers and swords like that unless someone taught you how much it hurt to bleed . I didn't need the records to know that she was telling the truth . It was evident now that I knew to look . I kept waiting for a crack in her armor , yet , somehow … she made it look effortless . i It shouldn't have stirred anything in me . I told myself it wouldn't . She was young , for starters . Too young for the thoughts that tried to creep in when she locked eyes with me - just for a second - when she thanked me . Gratitude shouldn't have felt like a spark . And yet my mind went back to that kiss , the desire that had burned so hot and bright I felt we would catch fire if we'd carried on . I leaned back in my chair , arms folded , trying to act unaffected . I could feel the other councilmen glancing my way , gauging my reaction , waiting for me to speak or object or - hell - do something . But I stayed silent , seeming to simply be considering the situation . The truth was I didn't know what to say . I didn't want to interrupt her , eager to see what else she would say and do . She was commanding the room in a way most Alphas twice her age never could even though she should have felt the most vulnerable right now , laying out years of abuse like this . No one else spoke , likely because they couldn't . I knew Renee personally , but Philip and had only ever been cordial . Some of the member of the Panel were good friends of hit or at least closer associates.I Had only ever been cordial . Some of the members of the panel were good friends at place , orland's closer associates . They spent time at the Frostborne House . They should have been catching this . Renee didn't have to say it for us all to know it was true . They should have been doing something about all of it . About the abuse . About the power Philip had misused . About the way the Panel members who knew him had stood there , silent , complicit , when he forced her to the altar like some livestock being paraded before her buyer . And now ? She was calling them out ruthlessly . It was just enough of a threat to make them do something . Because no one - not even these bitter old dogs - could argue with criminal charges , And it would be to work with nothing to make these charges public and stir up speculation . A lot of 1/2 е 15 Chapter 14 packs across the continent were already experiencing unrest . If the Judicial Panel got caught up in this , it would be a nightmare . The public might actually call for a restoration of the monarchy as crazy as that felt . Luckily , Renee's case was ironclad , making it impossible for them to even consider trying to get out of it . Not when the financials could be traced . Not when the compulsion left paper trails in her medical file . She had built her case like a kill shot . Fuck . I wanted to pull her into my chamber and put her on my desk , picking up from where I'd stopped that night . I hated myself for it . Hated that I found her more attractive by the second , and my wolf agreed wholesale . If it was just physically , I might have been more forgiving of my own instincts . She was a beautiful woman and it had been so long since I had even looked at a woman sexually . But no . It was her mind that was the most attractive to me right now . I had seen her once before , curled up in her mother's arms during a diplomatic visit to Frostborne , barely ten years old , still clinging to innocence like it might save her . And now … now she was standing toe to toe with the Panel . My wolf stirred again , restless and itching to reach out to her . I shoved the feeling down . Too young , I reminded myself . Too soon . Too dangerous . Not for long . I swallowed a curse at that thought . Goddess help me , I'd never been one for the safe choices . Renee " I'd like to request that the estate lawyer present the financial documentation now , " I said calmly . He gave me a small nod and stood without fanfare and began to speak like someone who didn't fear anyone in this room - not even Philip . " I am contracted by her mother's family , paid directly from the estate . I have here the compiled documentation requested , alongside full financial records from three different banking institutions and signed , notarized letters from all three confirming that account access to Ms. Caldwell's personal and pack - affiliated accounts were frozen upon request from Philip Caldwell as retaliation ." He laid out the documents one by one on the table , but no one asked the bailiff to step forward take them . It was a line - by - line breakdown of the estate . These include the endowment established in my for my education , wellness , and housing until the age of twenty - five , as well as my mother's final will and testament . The misappropriation of funds began within mere days of her death and continued until the present day . I tried not to think about how much money had walked away over the years . Philip lurched to his feet . " That's absurd ! I've done no such- " " The vast majority of the provided receipts were forged ," the lawyer cut him off without even looking his way , his voice as dry and unimpressed as ever . " I had the originals examined by an independent forensic specialist and tracked down the originals . " The counci ! chamber remained deathly quiet for a moment before the leading judge spoke again . " Whether or not Ms. Caldwell is granted emancipation , the violation of fiduciary duty here is not only cause for removal from estate stewardship but , frankly , from his position as alpha of a pack altogether per the law ." That got their attention . The lead judge , the one who hadn't looked me in the eye since I walked in , cleared his throat and adjusted his spectacles . " This is … extensive . And damning . " Philip sneered . " You can't take her word over mine ! She's just a child , trying to destroy her own father- " " You've done that quite well yourself , " my lawyer replied flatly , returning to his seat . " The Council will not rule on the emancipation at this time , " the leading judge said , his voice level but heavy with meaning . " However , given the gement over imm