The pack did not wait. They never did. The summons arrived before dawn, carried not by messenger but by instinct. Calla felt it in her sleep—a tug beneath her ribs, sharp and insistent, pulling her toward the forest beyond the estate. Judgment. She woke with a gasp, silver flickering briefly beneath her skin. Adrian was already awake, sitting against the headboard, eyes dark and alert.
“They’re calling you,” he said quietly. “Yes.” His jaw tightened. “I said they could wait.” “They won’t,” Calla replied, pushing herself upright. “This isn’t politics. It’s law.”
He studied her for a long moment, then nodded once. “Then I go with you.” She shook her head. “They won’t allow it.” “They don’t get to decide that,” he said flatly. She reached for his hand, grounding him before the wolf could su
