Chapter 202

Elyra POV

I barely had time to collect my thoughts before Kale’s hand found mine, firm and grounding, as we stepped through the carved doors of Pack Tower. The walls, lined with ancestral banners, carried the scent of polished stone. A hush fell over the hall as we walked, every step echoing like a drumbeat against the marble floors. My heart pounded, not from fear, exactly, but from the weight of what we were about to do.

Kale guided me toward the ceremonial dais at the center of the room. It was raised slightly, surrounded by the pack leaders whose faces reflected a spectrum of reactions: curiosity, pride, apprehension, and a quiet edge of hostility. I swallowed hard, clutching his hand tighter.

“Elyra,” Kale whispered, his voice low but steady, “we are ready.”

I nodded, trying to steady the tremor that had crept