Elara paced slowly around the edge of the room, her voice tight with urgency. “Lucien, your father and I won’t always be here to make decisions for you. You’re Alpha now—officially or not—this is your burden to carry.”

I clenched my jaw, the weight of her words pressing hard on my chest.

“She’s not a hybrid,” she continued, stopping to face me. “Hybrids don’t shift into full wolves. They never have. Whatever Aria is, it’s older... deeper. And that’s why the rival packs are hunting her.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You think they know exactly what she is?”

“I think they have an idea,” she said, lowering her voice. “Why...