Kiel
I couldn't breathe. Not with the way Thorne's shallow gasps echoed in my head like a death rattle I couldn't silence. His blood still clung to my hands — warm, sticky, and far too much like guilt. When my brother looked at me, there was something in his eyes I couldn't unsee — a mix of pain, betrayal, and silent pleading that twisted like a knife in my gut.
The elders circled us, murmuring prayers and warnings I barely heard. One of them, the oldest among them, spoke sharply. "You've brought darkness into the pack, Kiel. You should not have done what you did."
My jaw locked, and for a second, I thought I'd explode. "What I did was end a threat. Michelle would've destroyed us all if I hadn't stopped her!" My voice came out raw, a snarl at the edge of breaking.
The elder's cloudy eyes met mine. "And yet the blood of it clings to you. You'll have to be cleansed before that darkness festers deeper."
