Chapter 690: The Square Full of Voices

Sophia’s friends had remained shocked for a long while after hearing the truth.

Honestly, she could not even blame them for it.

The prophecy of the foretold Luna had existed for generations. People spoke about it like some distant legend that would never actually happen. Children grew up hearing stories about it beside fireplaces and adults spoke of it occasionally during festivals or ceremonies, but no one truly expected the prophecy to become reality.

Not anymore.

Not after so many years.

And yet she had told them that she was the very person from the prophecy itself.

Joren had stared at her so hard afterward that Sophia genuinely became worried he had stopped blinking entirely. All of them had been stunned until Dren eventually broke the silence by pointing at Sophia dramatically.

"You know what this means?" he asked.

"What?" she had asked him.

"You should now be called Luna Luna."

Sophia stared at him flatly.

"What?"

Dren nodded confidently like he had just discovered something brilliant.

"You are already the Luna of the pack," he explained proudly. "But now you are also the Luna from the prophecy. Therefore..."

He spread his hands dramatically.

"Luna Luna."

Laia burst into laughter immediately.

Micah groaned at the awful joke. Nia looked physically pained. And Cat had hit him.

"That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard," she informed him.

"It sounds iconic though."

"It sounds like you lost your mind."

Sophia had laughed so hard at that point that tears almost came to her eyes.

And honestly... she needed that.

After everything that had happened since regaining her memories, laughing with them had reminded her that despite everything changing, some things still remained the same.

There were people who still saw her as Sophia first.

Not Victoria’s daughter.

Just Sophia.

Before leaving, every single one of them promised to stand by her.

She told them about the court. About her plans to tell the pack everything directly.

About revealing the truth herself instead of letting rumors continue spreading.

And though worry still lingered in their expressions, every single one of them told her they supported her completely.

And now she was in the square where court was to be held.

Snow covered the ground heavily beneath everyone’s feet while cold wind swept through the pack grounds.

The entire place was crowded.

More crowded than Sophia had ever seen it before.

Pack members filled nearly every available space, thick cloaks wrapped around them as voices rose and blended together into one overwhelming noise.

Guards surrounded her as she moved to the raised platform. She had never walked with guards surrounding her before.

Even if it was obvious they were trying to protect her from the crowd.

Some pack members openly glared at her.

Others whispered among themselves.

Some simply stared.

She inhaled slowly as she climbed the raised platform at the center of the square.

The last time she had stood here like this had been during Holly’s trial.

Back then Sophia had stood before the pack members too, but she was not the one being judged then.

Now it was her turn.

Orion already stood there waiting.

Sophia glanced at him briefly.

His expression remained calm outwardly, but she knew him well enough now to notice the tension hidden beneath it.

He was angry, but it was not directed at her though, but at the situation.

The moment she fully stepped onto the platform, he quietly took a step backward, letting her take the center.

Sophia faced the crowd.

And immediately a voice rang out.

"Get out of the pack!"

The scream rang loudly through the square.

Sophia’s eyes shifted toward the direction it came from.

A woman stood near the front glaring at her furiously.

"You should go back to your mother before you bring disaster here too!"

Almost immediately, more voices joined in.

"Traitor!"

"Have you been working with Victoria all along?!"

"You lied to all of us!"

"You should leave!"

"You do not belong here!"

The shouting grew louder.

And louder.

The crowd became restless almost instantly as emotions rose again.

Sophia could hear anger in their voices.

Fear too.

Some looked genuinely betrayed.

Others looked uncertain.

A few looked furious enough to attack her if given the chance.

From behind her, Orion growled.

The sound rumbled deeply in his chest and immediately silenced several nearby people.

Sophia could feel the anger radiating from him.

She knew if he spoke now, things would escalate badly.

So before Orion could say anything, she stepped forward slightly.

"You can all continue cursing at me," she said loudly.

Her voice carried surprisingly well across the square.

"Or..."

The noise quieted slightly.

"You can allow me to speak."

More voices rose immediately afterward.

"You expect us to trust you?!"

"You lied!"

"You are Victoria’s daughter!"

Sophia did not react.

Instead, she continued calmly.

"Either way, the choice is yours," she said. "But I will not speak until you all calm down."

Her tone remained steady.

"If you choose to continue shouting," she added, "then everyone here will simply continue standing in the cold waiting."

That earned another wave of voices immediately.

Some cursed again.

Others argued with each other.

"You are probably going to lie to us anyway," a man said.

Another person snapped back immediately.

"Then let us at least hear the lie!"

A woman farther back groaned loudly.

"I am freezing out here! Can everyone just be quiet already?!"

"That is what I have been saying!"

"We have already stood here long enough!"

"If she wants to talk then let her talk!"

"She should speak!"

Others still continued yelling insults toward Sophia.

But gradually, the crowd started turning on itself instead.

People began hissing at each other to quiet down.

Arguments broke out between those demanding Sophia leave immediately and those wanting to hear her first.

"We should at least hear what she has to say!"

"And if she lies?"

"Then we fucking hate her afterward!"