KELLY THOMPSON'S POV

My silhouette melded with the carved archway as I lingered for a heartbeat, observing her. Elara's presence filled the chamber, a testament to her might and knowledge in the arcane ways of our kind. With the weight of our pack's future resting on my shoulders, I stepped forward, the echo of my resolve resounding against the stone walls.

"Elara Windrider," I began, my voice threading through the air between us-a cascade of warmth edged with the steel of necessity. "Thank you ...