She turned her massive head toward Queen Alia.
“Well,” Tempest said inside her mind with a lazy, amused tone, “that was dramatic. I told you I was worth the wait.”
River huffed, a sound halfway between a laugh and a bark, and then lowered her head toward the Queen respectfully.
Queen Alia stepped forward slowly, reaching out to gently touch the thick silver fur along her neck. “You are… magnificent,” she whispered. “A wolf of prophecy. The chains are broken now. This is who you’ve always been meant to become.”
Tempest’s eyes glimmered in acknowledgment.
Alia straightened, her face composed but her eyes still wide with the shock of what she had witnessed.
“If there was any doubt before,” she said, voice strong, “there is none now. You must be the one to reach Heiko. You must be the on
