I stepped forward before I consciously decided to.
“My lords,” I said, my voice steady, carrying just enough authority to be heard. “May I speak?”
All eyes turned to me.
Clay glanced at me, surprise flickering across his face, quickly masked. Torin studied me intently, something unreadable passing through his gaze.
I lifted my chin. “The question before us is not why our ancestors did not destroy what they feared. It is whether we truly understand what we are fighting now.”
A hush fell.
“The past was shaped by knowledge we no longer possess,” I continued. “Treaties, warnings, prophecies that were buried alongside those who carried them. To act as if inaction was cowardice is to misunderstand the weight of leadership.”
The Alpha who had questioned earlier regarded me thoughtfully.
“
