The morning after the council’s uproar dawned cold and gray, as if the skies themselves had lost faith in peace.

The courtyard lay silent, the scent of smoke and unease clinging to the stones. Wolves passed by without meeting Bella’s eyes, their loyalty caught between reverence and suspicion.

Bella stood at the edge of the training grounds, her shawl pulled tight around her shoulders. Every breath she took felt heavier.

Last night, she had stood against them all—elders, warriors, even ...