Elara POV
The silence on the walk back from the cave was heavy, but it shattered the second we stepped into the Shadowfang courtyard. Aria was waiting at the top of the stone steps, her arms crossed and her eyes glowing a sharp, predatory yellow. Behind her, the high council sat like a row of vultures in the shadows of the pillars.
"You’ve been gone for hours while Silvercrest scouts are crawling over our borders," Aria shouted, her voice echoing so everyone could hear. "The pack wants to know why our Alpha is playing tour guide for a spy."
"I don't owe you an explanation for how I spend my time, Aria," Kael stepped in front of me, his shadow blocking her view. "I was securing the perimeter and ensuring this girl no longer smells like a Moonshadow."
"That’s a bold claim," an elder
