The tension in the air was thick enough to slice through. I stood at the center of it all, the weight of the world pressing down on my shoulders. On one side, Elias, my protector, my ally, my lover. On the other, the looming shadow of my former mate, Magnus, the alpha who had once rejected me and now stood as the embodiment of my pack’s future—or its ruin.
I could feel both packs’ eyes on me, waiting for me to make a choice. They didn’t know that this decision wasn’t just about politics. It was about my heart. It was about survival. And it was about finding my place in a world that had never truly given me a chance to belong.
I took a breath, steeling myself. “So, this is it,” I murmured, more to myself than anyone else.
Elias’s hand brushed against mine, his touch steady, reassuring. “
