The council chamber had never felt so heavy. Every torch seemed dimmer, every whisper louder, as Bella stood before the semicircle of elders. Their eyes bore into her like blades, measuring, doubting, dissecting every breath she took.

She kept her chin high, though her heart hammered in her chest. The weight of their judgment pressed down until it was hard to breathe.

“Your presence unsettles the pack,” Elder Marcus said, his tone smooth but merciless. “You carry no wolf within you, yet ...