The encrypted message hung in the air like a noose, its words searing into my mind long after Victor had smashed the phone against the stone wall of the war room. The Council wanted our pup, or no one would have him. The audacity burned through me, a white-hot rage that made my silver scars flare brighter, casting eerie shadows across the maps and weapons scattered on the table. Victor paced like a caged beast, his gold eyes glowing with murderous intent, every muscle in his powerful frame coiled for violence. The bond between us thrummed with shared fury, a living current that amplified our emotions until the air itself felt charged, ready to ignite.
I placed a hand on my still-flat belly, feeling the faint flutter of life within, a secret spark that no ancient decree could extinguish. "
