Gideon looked at Elder Sophia with an expression Evie had never seen before. It was not anger or fear. It was disappointment.
"You ask me to choose between love and safety," Gideon said quietly. "As if they are equal options. As if a life without pain is worth living."
"Many would say it is," the scarred council member said.
"Then they have never truly loved," Gideon replied. He turned to face the full council. "I have lived for over two hundred years. I have seen empires rise and fall. I have fought wars, built packs, watched generations of wolves come and go. And in all that time, I have never felt what I feel when I look at Evie."
He took Evie's hand, pulling her to stand beside him. "Yes, she will age while I do not. Yes, she will die while I continue living. And yes, that will des
