The corridors of the pack house felt different after the council’s session—charged, brittle, like the air before a storm. Bella walked beside Alfred, his hand steady at her back, but she could feel the strain in him, the way his wolf pressed against his skin as though itching for release.

Everywhere she looked, eyes followed her. Some dipped quickly in respect, others lingered too long, thick with questions she couldn’t answer.

The golden hum beneath her skin hadn’t faded. It pulsed ...