Forest:
I straightened my silver vest for the tenth time in five minutes, unable to keep my hands still. Adrenaline buzzed beneath my skin, a mix of pride, excitement, and the faintest thread of anxiety all rolled into one. I smoothed down the inky black fabric of his suit, the soft sheen catching the overhead lights in the hallway outside the pack’s meeting hall.
I still couldn’t quite believe this was happening. I was about to step forward and accept leadership of the pack—my pack. The world as I knew it was shifting around me, reshaping itself to match a future I'd only glimpsed in daydreams. But what made it feel real, what filled me with a grounded sense of confidence, was Stella standing right there with me.
She stood by the mirror, checking her reflection one last time. Her silve
