Chapter 146

ALEX “They will never accept this.” I looked at Elder Hans—the old wolf who had served the Greenfield Pack for more than four decades—with a mixture of frustration and respect. The council chamber felt stuffy even though the windows were wide open, as if the tension between us had sucked all the oxygen out of the room. “With all due respect, Elder,” I replied, keeping my voice calm despite my boiling anger, “times have changed. Our pack must change with them.” “Change?” Elder Hans snorted, staring at me with pale green eyes that had once been sharp but were now slightly cloudy with age. “Or surrender to the will of a young Luna who isn't even officially part of our pack yet?” I felt my aura tremble—the anger of a challenged Alpha—but before I could respond, a calm yet firm voice cut through the tension. “If you are referring to me, Elder Hans,” Callista said, stepping forward from her place behind me, "then allow me to correct you. I am not just a ‘young Luna’. I am the daughter of the