The Council chamber was full.
Sera counted twenty faces. Elders she'd never seen before. Pack representatives from the outer territories. Even a few wolves she recognized from her exile — faces from the border towns, the places she'd hidden, the people who'd turned her away.
They were all looking at her.
Dax stood beside her. Close enough that their shoulders touched. The bond hummed between them — not loud, but present. A constant reminder of what they'd done.
"Lady Vale." Elder Vance rose from his seat. His voice was smooth. Too smooth. "The Council has questions about the events in the Blackridge Mountains."
"Ask."
"You destroyed the Ancient Blood Seal."
"I triggered the failsafe. The seal reset itself."
"And Magnus Voss?"
"Gone. His power's drained. He's not a threat right now
