Helena's face twisted with anger and defiance as she lunged forward, her fingers clawing at Adrian's arm to hold him back, though he hadn't even made an attempt to move.
"Adrian, no! You're not going to do it!" she hissed, her voice shaking with fury. "You are the future Alpha of the Silvercrest pack! Violating sacred protocol by bowing to a ruined house is a disgrace we cannot afford!"
Beside her, Jonathan remained quiet, his sharp eyes drifting over Ivy's rigid posture. He took in the bandages on her left arm and how frail she looked, yet she had such fire in her that was burning like never before. Unlike his hysterical wife, Jonathan knew the unredacted truth: Ivy's current state and the loss of her wolf were the direct, tragic results of Adrian's stupidity. He chose not to utte
