A voice broke the tense silence in the hall. It was Fariya, her short dark-green hair catching the dim light, a reflection of her fiery and impulsive nature. She was guided more by emotion than reason, often acting first and regretting later.

“Let me finish her,” Fariya pleaded, her voice trembling with long-held desire. “I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life.”

The pack turned their eyes to me, waiting for my judgment. As their Alpha, I was bound to uphold tradition, but ...