"Or," I countered, gripping her hand in a gesture of solidarity, "they could fortify us against any onslaught. Our doubts, our fears-they do not define us."
"Indeed, they do not," Elara echoed, squeezing my hand in return. "But we must tread carefully, with eyes wide open to the perils that accompany such revelations."
"Perils we shall overcome," I whispered, the promise binding itself to every fiber of my being. "For if our ancestors have woven our destinies together, then it is our duty to honor their legacy."
"By protecting those we lead," Elara concluded, the ghost of a smile gracing her lips. "By safeguarding the future of our kind."
"Exactly," I replied, my heart swelling with a fierce love for my pack-and newfound kinship with the woman before me. "Our bond, it seems,
