Killian’s POV
The council chamber smelled of old stone and incense, the kind that never truly fades, no matter how many fires you light.
I stood before the circle, the mark beneath my skin still burning faintly, a quiet reminder of the price I’d paid for peace.
Or what passed for peace in Howlborne.
Lilith stood beside me, calm as ever, her eyes sharp under the silver glow that filtered through the skylight.
The Moon Priestess had summoned us again.
Her presence always made the room colder.
“Alpha,” she said softly, her voice echoing off the carved walls, “the Moon’s silence worries the council.”
I didn’t look at her. My jaw ached from how tightly I’d been clenching it. “The Moon is never silent. You’re just not listening.”
A whisper rippled through the elders, the sound of disapp
