The hall had never been so quiet.
Not during war councils, not during funerals, not even during the night of my banishment. Silence hung heavy, thick enough to choke on. All eyes were fixed on the dais, where Elder Corbin had just spoken the words that sealed our fate.
A blood test.
The whispers swelled like a tide threatening to drown me.
“The Alpha’s heirs…”
“Impossible…”
“They carry his mark in their eyes—look at them…”
“What if it’s true?”
Lina pressed her small face into my shoulder, her curls tickling my chin. Cael’s hand was still gripped tightly in mine, though I could feel his pulse racing against my skin.
Elias shifted slightly behind us, his presence a steady shadow, silent but alert. He wasn’t just my protector anymore—he was the children’s anchor too.
Talia’s voice s
