[Araya's POV]
The Alpha command presses down on Araya like a physical weight, crushing her lungs and forcing her body to submit. Her legs shake violently, threatening to give out beneath her. Every instinct screams at her to kneel, to bow, to surrender.
But she doesn't.
Araya locks her knees and stares up at Jasper, her silver-blue eyes blazing with defiance even as tears stream down her face.
"Kneel, or I'll destroy you," Jasper repeats, his voice a deadly growl.
The power radiating from him intensifies, rolling through the courtyard in suffocating waves. Wolves around the circle drop to their knees, unable to withstand the force of his command. Even the strongest warriors bow their heads, submitting to their Alpha's will.
But Araya remains standing.
Her body trembles. Her breath c
