Isla's POV
"Forty-eight hours isn't enough time."
I sat in Professor Nightshade's private office—the one hidden behind the regular office, protected by magic wards that made my skin tingle. Around me sat the five Alpha heirs who'd shown up at the Old Library, plus my professor, all arguing about what I should do.
About my life. Like I wasn't even in the room.
"She needs to accept the High Council's offer," Kael Nightshade said. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "They have the resources to protect her from the Council of Shadows. Going rogue would be suicide."
"The High Council wants to use her as a weapon," Thorne Ashford argued. "The moment she signs with them, she becomes their property. Their tool for whatever political games they're playing."
"Better their tool than dead," Kael shot back.
"Or," Lyra Frost said calmly, "she could accept sanctuary with one of our packs. Marry an Alpha heir, unite our territories, and tell both Councils to go to hell."
