The council chamber smelled like damp earth and old bloodlines.
I stood alone at the center of it without restraints this time, which, in fact, almost felt crueler.
The circular chamber beneath the Valdemar estate had existed long before Bastián became Alpha. It was a place where wolves judged traitors, declared wars, and ended bloodlines. Ancient crests carved into the surrounding walls watched from above like silent witnesses while the highest-ranking members of the Valdemar pack filled the stone seats surrounding the chamber floor.
No one looked pleased to see me alive.
The Bond kept pulsating steadily, uneasy, and aware beneath my skin.
Across the chamber, Bastián stood beside the Alpha seat, dressed entirely in black. His face had become unreadable again since the confrontation w
