CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
I stand there, my heart hammering in my chest. The tension is palpable, thick as the dust swirling around our feet in the drought-stricken desert. Two dominant wolves, squared off, their primal instincts raring for a fight that could shape the future of our pack.
"Ryan, please," I plead, my voice barely above a whisper. "Don't do this."
He doesn't even glance at me, his gaze locked with Mason's, an unspoken challenge passing between them. I can feel the bond we share, the one I've always cherished, straining under the weight of what's to come.
"Can't back down now, Lily," Ryan says, his voice steady but his body tense, ready to spring into action. "The pack needs a leader they trust. A leader who will protect them at all costs."
"Violence isn't the answer." My wor
