KILLIAN
The council chamber had finally emptied. The last echoes of voices and boots faded down the corridor, leaving only silence pressed thick against the walls.
I sat behind the desk in my office, staring at absolutely nothing. My hands were folded, knuckles white from how tightly I pressed them together. My jaw ached too—I hadn’t realized how long I’d been clenching it.
The pack was calm again, at least on the surface. I had said the right things, reassured them with carefully measured words, promised safety where there was doubt. They had nodded, muttered amongst themselves, and reluctantly gone back to their duties.
But their eyes…
I knew suspicion when I saw it. I knew whispers even before they formed.
And worse—I knew the truth buried beneath their fears.
I hadn’t killed an
