The Council, visibly reeling from the shock of Anya's passionate, intimate defense, proceeds to its anticipated maneuver: calling the defeated Rogue Alpha, Silas, to the stand.
Silas, brought in under restrictive Lycan bindings, delivers a torrent of malicious, fabricated testimony, accusing Kaelan of orchestrating the entire Hybrid conspiracy to frame him and seize absolute, unquestioned power, using Anya as a calculated, disposable tool.
The Rogue revels in exposing the core, most damaging truth: Kaelan chose Anya because she was a non-threat, effectively validating the deception and destroying the credibility of their performance. The Trial Hall erupts in chaos and doubt, shattering the illusion of their loving bond and pushing Kaelan's case to immediate ruin.
Just as the Elder prepares to deliver a condemning judgment, Rhys, anticipating Silas's treachery, swiftly intervenes. He presents the irrefutable counter-evidence: a meticulously kept financial ledger recovered during the recent raid, proving Silas's deep, long-standing involvement in far more egregious crimes, including a notorious human trafficking ring.
Enraged and desperate to silence the truth, Silas unleashes a final burst of controlled power, lunging at Rhys to destroy the evidence. Kaelan and Anya must react instantly, defending their Beta together. This sudden, visceral physical skirmish, performed directly before the Council's gaze, becomes the most potent, unscripted demonstration of their total pack unity and tactical strength.
Silas is quickly subdued and removed, but the public knowledge of Kaelan's initial manipulation of the Succession Law remains an unavoidable, damaging political liability.