Amara took a deep breath, her heart pounding so loudly she could barely hear anything else. This was it—the moment she had to speak her truth, to make them understand why she could never return to Killian.
She glanced at Darius, and his reassuring nod gave her the strength she needed. He was standing beside her, ready to support her no matter what. She could feel the protective energy radiating from him, and it reminded her that she wasn’t alone. She would never be alone again.
“Council members,” Amara began, her voice clear but carrying a tremor of emotion, “I stand before you today not as a possession to be claimed, but as a wolf who has fought for her freedom. I did not choose to be fated to Alpha Killian, but when I was, I accepted it. I believed in the bond we were meant to share, a
