“You don’t belong here.”
The words cut through the council chamber like a blade, sharp and precise. Aria kept her spine straight, her chin high, refusing to show weakness. She had been through too much to let a few bitter words shake her.
The voice belonged to Selene Duvall, the Luna of the Crescent Fang Pack. Tall, striking, with a predatory grace that mirrored the wolves under her command, she was everything the council adored—a textbook Alpha’s mate. Strong. Ruthless. Traditional.
Aria had heard whispers of her before, a powerful Luna who had clawed her way to the top. But nothing could have prepared her for the sheer hostility in Selene’s golden eyes as she stared Aria down from across the grand hall.
Aria held her gaze, refusing to flinch. “Funny,” she said smoothly. “I was about
