Ariella's POV
The air in the Senate chamber was thick with tension, so palpable it almost suffocated me. I stood before the elders, my heart pounding, trying to remain composed. Every word they had spoken weighed heavily on me, but it was the last thing they said that sent a jolt through me.
Handing me over to the warriors.
The idea seemed ludicrous, absurd. Me? The daughter of Alpha Winters? The future Luna of Silver Wing? How could they even suggest such a thing? These were my people, warriors who had sworn loyalty to my father. And now, they were angry. I understood that. They had loved Francis as a leader, and now he was dead by my command. But surely, there was some way to make them see reason.
"They want me?" I said, my voice strained. "Do you truly believe I, the daughter of Al
