(Arya)
"Don't run. Let them take you before the council," Ayan pleaded, his voice low, urgent. But I saw the flicker of hesitation in the wolf's eyes—Athira wasn’t ready for whatever this meant, yet she still wanted to do what he wanted. Maybe her love was twisted, but she loved him anyway.
The wolf before us hesitated, then finally nodded.
I shifted back into my human form, the familiar pull of my bones settling as Blake stepped forward and handed me a t-shirt. "Shift," I commanded Athira’s wolf, motioning for the others to step outside.
They moved away without question, their footsteps fading into the distance. She stood up, peering at me for a minute before Athira shifted back, her expression carefully neutral as she pulled on the clothes left for her.
"You didn't deserve Ayan's lo
