Six hundred wolves assembled in the courtyard.
I stood in the center, Thea beside me with ritual components.
"The Ancient Revealing," Thea announced. "This ritual strips away all concealment, shows the true nature of a wolf's soul. It is invasive, painful, and absolutely inaccurate."
She looked at me. "Are you certain?"
"Do it."
Thea began to chant in the old language.
She drew symbols in burning sage, each one sinking into my skin.
Then the pain hit.
It felt like being turned inside out.
Every secret, every fear, every dark thought I'd ever had was suddenly exposed—projected into the air above me for everyone to see.
The pack saw everything:
My terror when Leighton poisoned me.
My rage at Julia's betrayal.
My desperate love for Erica.
My bone-deep fear was that I wasn't st
