Chapter186:Silent Storm

|| Lilac’s POV || The council hall's heavy oak doors swung shut behind me with a finality that echoed in my bones. I pressed my palms against my thighs, willing them to stop trembling. The scent of melted flesh and wolfsbane still clung to my clothes, no matter how many times I scrubbed at my arms. Witches. In the council. Among us. A familiar laugh cut through the murmurs of departing Alphas. Elara waved. She was with Astrid and Madeline near the gardens, her auburn curls catching the afternoon sun. Madeline and Astrid flanked her, their smiles sharpening when they saw me. No. Not now. A lot had happened recently and I wasn’t ready to tell them everything. I forced my feet to move toward them, each step heavier than the last. "There you are!" Elara hooked her arm through mine. "We were starting to think you'd forgotten about us." Madeline's gaze raked over me. "You look radiant! What is Alaric feeding you these days?" Astrid elbowed her. "What she means is, we miss you. You've been...