The world tilted before Liora’s eyes. One moment, she was standing outside the council chamber, Kaelen’s voice echoing after Draven’s rejection. The next, darkness swallowed everything.

When she woke, the air smelled of herbs and fire. Her body trembled on the healer’s bed, her fingers clutching the thin sheet as nausea rolled through her stomach. The steady drip of rain outside matched the pounding of her heart.

The Pack Doctor, an older woman named Maris, moved around the room ...