Kaelen POV
The ridge was tense before I even stepped inside. I could feel it through the bond—or what was left of it. The connection that had once been a heartbeat between us now pulsed weak and uneven, like a rope stretched too far.
Every wolf could feel it.
An Alpha's bond isn't private. It moves through the pack like scent, like weather. And right now, it felt wrong.
Gregor waited at the door. "They're already gathered," he said quietly. "The elders called it. They say it can't wait."
I nodded once and walked in.
The council hall was packed. Captains, elders, wardens. All of them waiting. The noise died the moment they saw me. The sharp-faced elder—always the first to taste blood in the air—stood near the head of the table.
"Alpha King," she said, her tone smooth and dangerous. "We've all felt the shift. The bond between you and the girl—it's changed."
