I stood before the pack, their eyes locked on me, waiting for me to speak. The air was heavy with anticipation. It had been a long time coming, but now, finally, I was ready. I could feel the weight of my decisions pressing down on me, but there was a fire inside me now, a fire that hadn’t been there before.
Elias stood beside me, his presence steady, unwavering. His gaze was fixed on me with a mixture of admiration and something deeper, something I couldn’t name yet. I didn’t need to name it, though. Not now. What mattered was the future, and I had a part to play in it. More than that, I had the power to shape it.
“Lena,” Elias murmured softly, his voice barely more than a breath against the stillness. “You’re ready.”
I didn’t look at him. I couldn’t. If I did, I might lose myself in h
