The packed council chambers loomed with the quiet weight of history. High-arched ceilings, stained with age and smoke, pressed down over a long stone table carved with generations of decisions and disputes. The sun filtering through the lattice windows made the air feel heavier, like even the light was hesitant to intrude.
Aria stood near the back wall, partially hidden behind a tall pillar. She wasn’t meant to be here—just a messenger dropping off council records. But as the discussion unfolded, something in her made her stay. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe it was the ache in her chest she couldn’t ignore anymore.
At the head of the table sat Xander.
He looked every bit the Alpha—broad shoulders squared, jaw locked, gaze steady. But Aria had learned over time that stone could c***k witho
