We lock ourselves in the war room again, because if we are going to walk into a gathering of Alphas who already suspect me of tearing the sky open, then we need more than instinct and defiance, and the tension in the room feels heavier than before even though the orb has been nothing but steady for the last hour.
Axel stands at the head of the table with his hands braced against the wood while Atticus paces slowly along the far wall, and Amy sits opposite me with her fingers laced tightly together as if she is holding herself in place.
“They will accuse first,” Axel says, his voice controlled but edged with steel. “So you answer calmly and directly. You do not react.”
“I won’t,” I reply, though my pulse is still too fast and Layla remains quiet in the back of my mind like she is conserv
