Alpha Roderick accepted my words with a deep, grateful smile, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you, Lila," he said, his eyes shining with admiration and something more profound, as though he understood the sacrifice it had taken for me to be here. "You don’t know how much this means to me."

I smiled back, the warmth of his appreciation filling my chest. "I’m just paying back what you’ve given me," I replied softly. "You gave me shelter, acceptance, and a family when I had none. This is the least I could do."

My words were sincere, but a part of me felt proud. In that moment, I realized how far I had come. I wasn’t the fragile girl I once was. I was a leader in my own right, and I would never let anyone forget that.

Caelan, standing at the edge of the group, watched me silently. His expression was a mixture of disbelief and something unreadable. He couldn’t reconcile the woman I had become with the girl he had known. Finally, he spoke, his voice carrying the weight of shock. "I can’t believe this. I can’t believe who you are now, what you’ve become." There was disbelief in his words, and a tinge of regret beneath them.

I ignored him. There was nothing left to say to him—not anymore. I didn’t need his validation, and his words couldn’t touch me. I had long since shed the need for his approval.

Before I could continue, someone from the crowd interrupted, their voice sharp with truth. "Caelan, it’s your mistake for rejecting her as your mate," they said. The tone was firm, and others quickly murmured their agreement. I saw a few warriors nodding, their eyes flicking between me and Caelan.

I couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped me. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on me. I knew the pack had witnessed the same transformation I had.

"It’s really not a big deal," I said, shaking my head with a playful smile. "It’s just a small thing for me." I paused, then added with sarcasm, "In fact, I should probably thank Caelan for rejecting me. If he hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t be who I am now. I wouldn’t have grown, wouldn’t have learned to fight for myself."

A few warriors exchanged looks, but I saw understanding in their eyes. They knew my words weren’t just a joke; they were a testament to everything I had endured.

Caelan shifted uncomfortably, his eyes flashing with humiliation, but I wasn’t done. I turned to address the group, my voice ringing out with a hint of amusement. "And let’s be honest—if I hadn’t come, do you really think Caelan would have saved you all on his own?" I smirked, the words playful but cutting. "Of course, I’m just joking. Don’t take it too seriously," I added quickly, though my tone carried a certain level of truth.

Caelan’s face flushed with indignation, and I saw a flicker of regret in his eyes—just a fleeting moment, but enough to know the weight of my words had hit their mark. I wasn’t the same girl who had once depended on him. I wasn’t the one he could easily dismiss anymore.

The silence stretched as the entire group stood frozen, unsure of how to react. The warriors were still processing my transformation, my confidence, and the bond that had once been between Caelan and me.

I turned my gaze back to Caelan, no longer concerned with his reaction. "But let’s not get too serious about this," I said with a light laugh, trying to break the tension. "We’re all on the same side now. The past doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is what comes next."

But as I spoke those words, I couldn’t ignore the weight of the truth in them. I had risen above all of this. I had forged my own path, and I wasn’t about to let anyone—least of all Caelan—make me feel small again.

As the conversation continued to swirl around me, I glanced at Leonora, who had been standing off to the side, silently observing the exchange. Her eyes were narrow, calculating. I could almost feel the judgment in her gaze, the disdain that dripped from every glance she threw in my direction. She hadn’t missed a moment of what had just happened.

I couldn’t help myself. I turned toward her with a sharp, sarcastic smile. "Well, well, Leonora, where were you during all of this?" I asked, my voice dripping with mockery. "Too busy to fight against the rogues with Caelan? Or did you think it wasn’t worth your time?"

Her gaze flickered with the slightest hint of irritation, but she quickly masked it with a smooth, unbothered expression. "I’ve been where I needed to be," she replied coolly, her voice controlled. "Unlike some people, I don’t need to prove anything."

I laughed again, my eyes glinting with amusement. "Really? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’ve been standing in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to make your grand entrance. What happened, Leonora? Too busy pretending to be a queen while Caelan struggled?"

Caelan’s head whipped toward me, his shock evident. He hadn’t expected me to come for Leonora like that—not in front of the pack. But I wasn’t about to let her act as if she was above it all. She had belittled me for far too long, and now it was time for her to face the consequences.

Leonora’s expression tightened, her eyes narrowing, but she didn’t respond. Instead, she gave me a look of superiority, as if she could dismiss my words with a flick of her wrist. I could see irritation in her eyes, but there was something else too—something resembling jealousy.

I realized how much she had underestimated me all these years. She had always seen me as weak, but I was no longer the girl she had once dismissed.

Without turning around, I knew Leonora’s eyes were burning with fury, but I refused to give her the satisfaction of meeting her gaze. I turned my back on her, facing Alpha Roderick and the rest of the pack, letting them witness my control, my confidence.

And then—before I could even brace myself—I heard it.

The sound of her feet pounding the ground behind me. Too fast. Too angry.

Leonora rushed at me with a speed I didn’t expect. Her hand shot out toward my throat, full of malice and violence. But I wasn’t the fragile girl I once was. I reacted in a heartbeat, twisting around and blocking her strike with brutal force. The sharp crack of her wrist breaking echoed in the tense air.

Without thinking, I shoved her back, sending her sprawling, her breath hitching in pain as she cradled her broken wrist.

She glared at me, eyes filled with fury, but there was fear too. The kind that made her hesitate for the briefest moment. Good.

I stood there, unbothered, as I looked down at her. I didn’t need to hear her whimper or her pain—it was the rage I wanted to focus on. Her pride was shattered, and I could see it. She wasn’t going to let me walk away from this.

I took a step forward, my gaze cold, commanding.

“Let me make one thing clear, Leonora,” I said, my voice low, cutting through the silence. “Next time you rush me, you better be ready to kill me.”

My eyes locked onto hers, unflinching, unwavering. “Because if you can’t, I will kill you.”