Aria's POV
The heavy wooden doors of the throne chamber were ahead like a wall between me and the truth I dreaded.
My legs moved before I could even think, the soft sound of my steps echoing in the long hallway, faster and faster until I was almost running.
My lungs burned. My chest tightened. My heart hammered against my ribs like it was trying to escape.
The moment I reached the entrance, I shoved the doors open so hard they groaned. They slammed against the walls with a loud bang, drawing attention to myself.
"Alpha Kael!" I screamed his name, my voice breaking.
Every head in the room turned toward me.
The council of elders sat in their usual circle of carved chairs, their faces carved from stone itself.
I could feel their stares piercing into my skin, cold, sharp and judging. My skin prickled under their gaze, and the air suddenly felt heavier, like I had just walked into a place where I didn't belong.
