The stone hall of the Forsaken Keep had not seen such a gathering in a century.
Clans who once stood in the shadows now filled the tribunal chamber—each Alpha seated behind carved symbols of their bloodline. Banners shifted above them like restless ghosts. The scent of tension, wolves, and ancient magic thickened the air. No one spoke.
All eyes were on her.
Maria stood at the center of the tribunal circle, flanked not by her mates but by silence. Her decision to stand alone had unsettled the council.
Joseph and Luca waited beyond the archways, not banished, but instructed. This was Maria’s battle, and she would face it as Luna without the shelter of her bond.
High Alpha Roan of the Hollow Fang clan rose first. His white fur cloak dragged behind him like frost. His voice cut clean thro
