The ruined grand hall felt like a cage. Wolves filled every corner, their whispers weaving together into a storm Aria couldn’t outrun. The walls reeked of ash and blood, the broken beams groaned under the weight of smoke, and every gaze that turned toward her carried the same question.
What is she?
Killian stood tall before them, his hand still firm around hers, his presence dominating the space. His Alpha aura was heavy enough to silence most, but even power had its limits. Fear was louder, sharper, and it spread like wildfire.
“Alpha,” one of the elders stepped forward, his hair silver, his robe torn from battle. Elder Merek’s voice was sharp as the crack of a whip. “The pack deserves the truth. We saw her. We felt it. That was not wolf’s fire that tore through the shadows.”
A low gr
