The room fell deathly silent.
The only sound was the sputter of torches and the labored breathing of the Council members. Elder Kofi cleared his throat.
“Alpha… the Luna is correct,” he responded hesitantly but firmly. “Protocol exists for a reason. If this girl is truly your fated mate, she will endure the questioning with grace. If she is innocent, the Goddess will protect her. But if not…”
He let the words hang, a death sentence in the making.
Vance’s jaw clenched so hard I thought his teeth might shatter. He looked at me with unadulterated hatred, the look of a predator realizing he’d walked into a trap of his own making.
“You think you can humiliate me, Amani?” he snarled with real menace. “You think you can strip me of my authority in my own pack?”
I didn't cower.
Just lea
