Alison's POV
The air in the pack house felt heavy, suffocating, like a storm waiting to break. Whispers had reached my ears early that morning, whispers of a meeting called by the elders. The tension was palpable, coiling around my chest like a python.
A sinking feeling took root in my stomach as I was summoned. It wasn’t a request, it was an order. My heart pounded with every step I took toward the council room, the walls closing in around me. I tried to steady my breathing, but my wolf whimpered softly in the back of my mind.
As I approached the tall wooden doors, I paused, my palms clammy. Beyond those doors lay judgment not just of my actions but of my worth.
"You have to do this," I told myself. "They won’t break you."
I pushed the doors open.
The sight before me stopped me col
