The feast that followed the test felt like a lie.
Gold plates shimmered under the candlelight. Laughter filled the air, thick and forced, as if everyone wanted to forget how close the pack had come to tearing itself apart.
I sat near the servants’ table along the edge of the hall. My hands were wrapped around a clay cup that smelled faintly of apple cider. I had not taken a sip. My throat was too tight.
From where I sat, I could see Kael at the head of the room. He was talking with the council of Alphas, his posture perfect, his voice measured.
But beneath the calm, I could see how tense his shoulders were. Every few moments his hand brushed across the armrest of his chair, like he was trying to ground himself.
The mark on my neck pulsed every time he moved. The bond hummed, fa
