Ellie’s POV
My lips parted, but no words came out. All I could do was nod.
Ethan extended his hand, his voice steady and strong. “Hope doesn’t belong to one pack alone. It means nothing if it isn’t shared. We want more than survival now—we want trust. We want unity.”
Rowan clasped Ethan’s hand in a firm shake, a smile tugging at his scarred face. “Then you will have the north at your back. Blackstone will not stand alone.”
The promise settled deep in my chest, warm and solid.
But warmth faded when Alpha Selene approached.
She was fire in human form—tall and elegant, her cloak blood red, her dark hair flowing behind her like a river of ink. Her every movement was calculated, smooth, and graceful. She smiled as she stopped before us, but it was a sharp smile, one that didn’t touch her
