He stepped out from behind the table.

Walked to the center of the hall.

Every eye followed him. Darian Blackmere, the golden Alpha who'd rejected the defective wolf on this very ground six months ago.

Who'd stood on a stage and declared her unworthy before three hundred witnesses.

Now he stood before those same witnesses.

"Six months ago," he said, his voice cracked on the second word.

He cleared his throat. Started again.

"Six months ago, I stood in this hall, rejected Aurelia Veythorne of the Silvermere Pack as my mate. I called her weak. I said I would not bind myself to someone who couldn't shift."

The hall was...