AYLA'S POV
The council hall was heavy with heat and fear.
Snowmelt dripped from the cloaks of the warriors who had gathered after the incident at the southern sentry post. Their eyes flicked to me, some with awe, some with suspicion, and a few with the sharp edge of fear. I could feel it pressing against my skin.
I stood beside Kael at the head of the long stone table, my palms flat against its cold surface. The bond pulsed hot in my chest, steady but weighted with his protective fury.
"Two wolves nearly fell tonight," I said, my voice low but clear. "Not to claws. Not to blades. To shadow inside their own heads."
A murmur rippled through the pack. One of the older hunters muttered, "We've never fought an enemy we can't tear apart with our teeth."
Kael's golden eyes burned. His voice rumbled, filling the hall like thunder. "Then learn. Because Veylor isn't coming for your teeth. He's coming for your hearts, your bonds, and your Luna."
