Chapter 143

Ronan POV

The night air was cold, thick with the scent of rain that hadn’t yet fallen. I paced the Libary terrace outside the pack tower, jaw clenched, heart pounding so hard it felt like it echoed through my ribs.

The vote. The damn vote.

I’d told myself I was doing what was right, that siding with Lila’s proposal at the council meeting was for the good of the pack, for stability, for peace. But now?

Now it looked like I was rebelling against Jaxon.

I turned on my heel and stormed back inside. I couldn’t do this anymore, this second-guessing, this feeling of being a puppet on strings I hadn’t realized were there.

I found Lila in the study. She was curled up on the velvet armchair, a glass of wine in her hand, her legs folded beneath her like she hadn’