As we sat at the table, picking at the remnants of our meal, a thought gnawed at me, something I’d been trying to avoid since we got back. But the weight of it was pressing down harder with every passing second. I hesitated, glancing at Ryder before finally speaking up.
“What about the Elders?” I asked, my voice quieter than I intended. “What are they going to do once they find out what happened?”
Mom and Dad exchanged a look, but it was Ryder who spoke first. “That’s a good question. They aren’t exactly the forgiving type.” He leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the wood.
I swallowed, feeling a lump form in my throat as I thought back to Lucian. “Lucian said… he claimed the reason he destroyed the island shifters' village was because he was acting on th
