AYLA'S POV
The council hall smelled of smoke, blood, and fear.
Northmoon had always felt cold to me—stone walls, iron sconces, and sharp corners where whispers festered—but tonight it was different. Wolves who had once looked through me now couldn't meet my eyes.
I stood at the head of the long table beside Kael, his presence a wall of heat and steel. His golden eyes swept the room like a blade, daring anyone to speak against me.
Beta Thorne, stiff and pale, cleared his throat. "Luna… we… we are grateful for your intervention. Without you—"
"You would all be thralls," I said softly, letting my voice carry across the stone. I didn't need to shout. Silence was my ally now. "Cassia tried to claim your souls and paint the blood in my name. She will not stop until this pack is ash and shadow."
A ripple of unease passed through the council. Some lowered their heads in shame; others clenched their fists, still reeling from the truth.
