Callista’s POV

Tristan stood before me, the shackles gone but the weight of his imprisonment still etched on his face. A tense silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the movement and murmurs of my pack members.

The decision clawed at me, a battle between duty and a yearning I couldn't quite define. Taking a deep breath, I addressed my assembled pack members, their faces a sea of curiosity and unease.

The murmurs of my pack rose in the tense silence, a hint of disapproval and confusion. I could feel Andrian's gaze burning into me, my beta and closest confidante. Would he understand this unexpected turn of events?...