The pack members filed out of the ceremonial chamber, casting curious glances at Laura as they passed. Their whispers followed her like shadows, but for once, they weren't filled politeness but just... amazement.
Laura stood by the pedestal, her fingers still tingling from where they'd touched the Riddle Box. She couldn't believe she'd actually solved it.
"You should see your face right now," Zephyr said, coming to stand beside her. His voice was warm, different from the formal tone he'd used during the ceremony.
Laura looked up at him. "Is it as shocked as yours was a minute ago?"
Zephyr laughed, the sound echoing in the now-empty chamber. "Probably. No one's solved that box in decades. And never an outsider."
"Former outsider?" Laura suggested with a small smile.
"Maybe." His eyes
