5 Years Ago
The elders sat in a wide semicircle of stone thrones, their robes pooling at their feet like shadows. The moment they saw us, murmurs rippled through the hall. Disapproval sharpened the air. Some elders leaned forward, others shifted uncomfortably, as though our joined hands were an insult laid bare before them.
Clay stepped forward first, his voice steady as he laid out his proposal. He spoke of unity, of strength between packs, of the necessity of change in a time when old threats stirred beyond our borders. He spoke of me as his chosen mate, his equal, his path to a stronger Alpha seat.
When he finished, silence followed.
Then Elder Torin rose.
“I refuse,” he said flatly.
A stir moved through the chamber. Clay did not flinch.
Torin turned to the others. “This union th
