Devon POV
We were circling now, Cassian and I in the hollowed centre of the Council chamber.
Stone underfoot. Silence above. Shadows from the torches flickered across our bare skin.
No one spoke.
The pack had drawn back into the edges of the hall, forming a perfect ring. They stood like statues, warriors, elders, mates, and pups, every breath hitched, every eye fixed on the two of us.
Cassian was focused. Poised.
Every movement of his body was deliberate. Balanced. Controlled. He fought like a predator who knew exactly how lethal he was and had the arrogance to prove it.
He’d trained his whole life for this. A warrior from bloodline to bone.
And me?
I hadn’t fought like this in years.
Hell, I hadn’t even let my wolf out in years. Not since… him. But now, I was being challenged.
