The dining hall swam with voices and scents, a heady mix of perfume, food, and the subtle musk of both wolf and Lycan. I walked at Theo's side, his hand resting lightly at the small of my back—not possessive, but reassuring. Just a week ago, these people had looked at me with suspicion or barely concealed disdain. Tonight, as their eyes followed our path across the polished floor, something had shifted. The air felt different, charged with possibility rather than prejudice.
"Ready?" Theo whispered, his breath warm against my ear.
I nodded, straightening my shoulders. "As I'll ever be."
We moved toward the first cluster of guests, a mixture of Lycan nobility and werewolf delegates. Their conversations stilled as we approached, bodies dipping into bows and curtsies with varying degrees of
