Chapter 302

• Riley’s POV
• The Elder Council precinct loomed before me, austere and imposing. Its white stone walls gleamed under the midday sun, and the argent crest of the Council glinted like a sentinel’s eye—watchful, unyielding, a symbol of law and order that demanded respect. I took a deep breath, feeling my chest tighten with a mix of fear and determination. This was no ordinary path I was walking; there was no turning back now. Whatever lay beyond those doors, I had chosen it, and it was the only way I could protect Carmen.
• I stepped forward, each footfall heavy on the polished steps. My wolf instincts hummed in my blood, coiled and alert, sensing the tension in the air. The lobby was empty except for a lone packwarden behind a wooden dais, his eyes flicking up at me with mild curiosity that sharpened into full attention as I approached.