The air in the council hall was thick, the kind of weight that clings to your skin and fills your lungs. I stood at the head of the table, trying to ignore the coldness in the eyes of the wolves seated before me. Every movement I made felt magnified like I was a step away from either being embraced as their leader or torn apart. Alpha Kiera’s piercing gaze was the sharpest of them all.
“Dr. Celeste,” Kiera’s voice echoed through the room, each word dripping with disdain, “You think you can lead us with compassion? With healing? How long do you think your ‘miracle cures’ will hold up when the real enemies come knocking?”
The tension crackled like static. Lucian’s hand brushed mine beneath the table, a subtle reassurance I clung to, but it didn’t ease the storm brewing inside me.
“I’m not
