Chase’s POV
The torchlight in the Neutral Grounds Lodge carved deep shadows across every face. The elders sat motionless behind the long oak table, seven silver-haired judges who had outlived wars, betrayals, and bloodlines older than the trees outside. Mara Voss watched me with eyes like polished flint—unreadable, unyielding. Dmitri stood opposite, arms crossed, that same cold half-smile still clinging to his mouth like he already knew the verdict.
I stepped forward alone.
No crutches. The brace was hidden beneath dark slacks, but every shift of weight sent a fresh spike of pain up my leg. I ignored it. Pain was honest. It reminded me what I’d already survived.
Mara’s voice cut the silence.
“Alpha Chase Hudson. You may speak.”
I looked at the council first—each elder in turn—then le
