Zane
The great hall was always loud in the evening. Not chaotic. Not unruly. Just full of life. Long tables filled up, dishes clinked, conversations crossed and split apart, laughter rose here and there, and the fire in the hearth crackled as if it wanted to be part of the noise itself. This was the rhythm of the pack. What I was used to. Where I belonged.
And now Elariana was sitting in it too.
Not at the front. Not singled out. Not hidden away. Beside me.
From the corner of my eye, I watched her take in the hall. Her body was still a little tense, that could not be hidden, but it was no longer the rigid, ready-to-flee stiffness that crowds used to trigger in her. Her shoulders were not drawn up to her ears. Her hands were not gripping the edge of the table until they turned white.
S
