Back at the clearing, the ceremony had completely fallen apart.
Whispers spread through the gathered wolves like wildfire.
"Did you see her eyes?"
"They turned silver."
"That can't be real."
Damon stood frozen in the center of the circle.
His mind replayed the moment again and again.
Elena's eyes.
He knew what he saw.
Silver.
Victoria walked toward him with a frown.
"You shouldn't worry about her," she said dismissively. "She's just a weak wolf who couldn't accept rejection."
Damon didn't answer.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
"Elena has always been weak," Victoria continued. "The pack needs a stronger Luna."
Damon slowly turned his head.
"Weak?"
Victoria shrugged.
"Well, isn't she?"
For some reason, those words irritated him.
Elena had always been quiet.
Shy.
But weak?
He suddenly remembered something.
Years ago during training…
Elena had once outrun several young wolves during a hunt.
At the time he thought it was luck.
Now he wasn't so sure.
"Alpha."
One of the warriors approached him nervously.
"What is it?"
"We tracked Elena's scent."
"And?"
The warrior hesitated.
"It suddenly disappeared."
Damon frowned.
"What do you mean disappeared?"
"Her scent stopped at the edge of the forest."
"That's impossible."
A wolf's scent never vanished unless—
Unless they shifted.
Damon's eyes widened slightly.
"Elena shifted?"
The warrior nodded slowly.
"Yes, Alpha."
Victoria scoffed.
"So what? She finally became a wolf. That doesn't change anything."
But Damon ignored her.
Because another thought had just formed in his mind.
Elena's eyes.
Silver.
He turned sharply toward the warrior.
"When she shifted… did anyone see her wolf?"
The warrior looked uneasy.
"No, Alpha. She ran too fast."
Too fast.
Another memory surfaced.
The moment Elena ran into the forest.
Her speed.
Even trained warriors would struggle to move that quickly.
Damon's chest tightened.
Something was wrong.
He could feel it.
"Send scouts into the forest," he ordered immediately.
"We need to find her."
Victoria stared at him in disbelief.
"Why are you wasting time on that girl?"
Damon's voice dropped dangerously low.
"She is still a member of this pack."
Victoria rolled her eyes but said nothing more.
The warriors quickly moved out to search the forest.
Damon stood alone under the moonlight.
For the first time since the ceremony began…
Doubt crept into his mind.
Had he made a mistake?
Far away in the dark forest—
A massive silver wolf ran through the trees like a ghost.
Her glowing eyes reflected the moonlight.
And deep inside Damon's mind…
A terrifying thought slowly formed.
What if the girl he rejected tonight…
Was never weak at all?