My chest tightened, every word sinking like stone. “And my tribe?” I asked, though I already feared the answer..
Mathias’s eyes flicked away, and when he finally spoke, the words came like a blade drawn across my skin.
“Your people were enemies to them,” he said softly. “And Vincent…he destroyed every enemy that stood in his way. That was how he rose. That was why he was chosen. Your tribe was no different. To him, to the Alpha who watched, it was proof of his strength. To the world, it was the act that secured his claim. But to you…” He faltered, his jaw tightening. “To you, it was the end of everything.”
The ground tilted beneath me. I staggered back, clutching at the rough stone wall, my breath shattering in my chest. My wolf howled inside me, raking her claws against my ribs as if s
