Chapter 105

• *Isabel*
• Relief coursed through me as the applause from the pack subsided. I hadn't realized just how scared I'd been of their rejection, until now. I stood rooted to the spot for a few seconds as their voices began rising in murmured congratulations. They were smiling - at me. A rogue. An outsider. And they weren’t just tolerating me - they were welcoming me. The first to approach were the council members, the expression on their faces a mix of warmth and formality. Jade reached me first, her dark eyes glinting with a rare softness. She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a hug that was both surprising and comforting. “I knew you’ve always belonged here, Isabel,” she whispered, her voice low enough that only I could hear.
• Her words caused my eyes to sting. Lila followed, her embrace firmer, her tone a touch more pragmatic as she whispered her congratulations. “About time he made it official,” she said with a small smile, and I couldn’t help but laugh softly. I knew she had to have been suspicious. Dante didn't just escort anyone to her mystic shop because their wolf was complicated. One by one, the other council members approached. Jacob and Thorne offered respectful nods, their usual stoicism tempered by a flicker of approval in their eyes. Ayra gave me a smile that surprisingly reached her eyes. Their reactions were more than I'd dared to hope for.