After My Mate Rigged the Tribunal, I Walked Away

The heavy oak doors of the Ironstone Pack’s tribunal hall were closed, sealing in the scent of polished wood, nervous sweat, and the suffocating, heavy auras of the Alpha judges. I adjusted the microphone at my podium, taking a slow breath to steady my racing heart. I am Evie Nichols, and I was born for this.

"The Blackwood Ridge dispute cannot be settled by modern territorial lines," I stated, my voice ringing clear and steady across the silent hall. "By examining the historical hunting migrations of the northern packs, we see that the boundary was never meant to be static."

Judge Catherine Hayes, a senior Alpha whose dominant presence usually made younger wolves shrink, leaned forward with genuine interest. I was nailing it. The cross-territory training placement with the prestigious Silverveil Pack—a once-in-a-generation opportunity—was practically in my grasp.

Allowing myself a brief moment of triumph, I glanced toward the gallery. I was looking for him. Matthew Porter. My pack's Beta, my partner of seven years, and the man I was supposed to officially bind my soul to tomorrow morning. He sat in the second row, his tailored charcoal suit a stark contrast to the casual wear of the other pack members. I waited for his proud smile, the one that always made my chest bloom with warmth.

But his dark eyes weren't on me.

He was staring directly at the opposing counsel's table. At Bella Jackson.

I faltered for a fraction of a second as I caught the exchange. A subtle, calculated nod from Matthew. A slight, knowing tilt of Bella’s chin in return. My inner wolf, Sia, paced uneasily in the back of my mind. *Prey,* she grumbled, her instincts picking up on a threat I couldn't yet name. I pushed the distraction down, forcing my focus back to the judges and finishing my opening argument to a murmur of approval.

But the unease festered. It bloomed into full-blown panic during the cross-examination phase.

Bella strutted to the center of the floor. She smelled heavily of artificial vanilla, a cloying scent she used to mask her natural nerves. She didn't attack my primary evidence. Instead, she offered a sickeningly sweet, confident smile to Judge Hayes.

"I direct the council's attention to the 1892 Moon Treaty addendum," Bella announced, pulling a single sheet of paper from her folder. "Specifically, the clause regarding shifting river boundaries, which completely invalidates Miss Nichols's western border claim."

All the air left my lungs. The room spun.

*No.*

Sia let out a sharp, wounded whimper.

That addendum wasn't just obscure; it was practically buried in the pack archives. I only knew about it because I had spent three weeks digging through dusty, pre-digital records. I had found it exactly twelve hours ago.

Last night, curled up on the leather sofa in Matthew’s private study, I had traced the faded ink of that exact clause. *"Look at this,"* I had told him, my head resting against his chest. *"If opposing counsel finds this loophole, my entire