The council chamber still rang with the echo of Roland’s departure. His words clung to the air like smoke, and though the doors had slammed behind him, his presence lingered as if he had never truly left.

Wolves muttered in uneasy clusters. Some hissed Roland’s name like a curse. Others whispered it with something closer to awe.

Bella’s pulse thudded against her temples. Every eye felt sharp against her skin, each one carrying the same question Roland had laid bare: what was ...