Chapter 155
Ariana stayed silent for a few seconds after his answer, trying to process the fact that everything between them had suddenly become much larger than the two of them. The tension that had filled the room earlier had changed shape again. Before, it had been about control, about the Lycan, about whether Kael could hold himself together. Now it felt heavier because the threat was no longer hidden behind instinct or fear.
It had rules.
It had witnesses.
And apparently, it had an entire pack willing to decide what happened to him.
"You're telling me they can actually force this?" she asked finally.
Kael pushed himself away from the door and walked farther into the room, running one hand through his hair before stopping near the window. Ariana noticed the way his shoulders tightened again, the way every conversation about the pack seemed to add another layer of exhaustion to him.
"They can try," he said.
"That's not the same thing."
