Chapter 46

Chapter 46
Elara’s POV

The circle was silent.

The wolf sat calmly at my feet, golden eyes fixed on me like I was the only thing holding him in place. My heart hammered, my whole body weak, but I didn’t look away. If I showed one crack now, everything I had fought for would shatter.

Then voices broke through.

“She steadied him.”

“No way, it was luck.”

“Did you see his eyes? He was calm.”

“She’s dangerous. What if she turns it on us?”

The crowd split in half, words clashing like blades. Some looked at me with awe, others with suspicion sharp enough to cut. My stomach twisted, but I kept my shoulders square.

Damian stepped forward. His voice thundered over the noise. “You asked for proof. You saw it with your own eyes. She held him steady when most of you couldn’t.”

For a moment, silence again. Then Elder Thomas’s voice cut through, calm but hard. “Or she pushed him. Manipulated his wolf. How do we know she didn’t force the shift to happen?”

Gasps rose. My chest tightened. He wasn’t going to give me credit no matter what I did.

I found my voice. “You think I controlled him? Look at him.” I pointed at the wolf still sitting calmly, chest rising and falling like he had run a mile but no longer out of control. “He would have torn through this circle if I hadn’t helped.”

The wolf’s ears twitched. He gave a small whine, lowering his head, almost like he agreed.

Damian growled low in his throat. “You insult her while the proof sits at your feet.”

But Thomas didn’t back down. His eyes locked on me. “I’ve seen wolves follow false leaders before. Charisma, tricks, manipulation—none of it lasts. Tell me, girl, if this gift is so strong, why couldn’t you stop Kael?”

The words hit me like a blade. My knees went weak. My throat tightened until I could barely breathe.

Because he killed Lucas. Because I froze. Because I was too weak.

I wanted to scream it, to throw it in his face, but no sound came.

Damian stepped between us, his voice a dangerous growl. “Enough.”

But the crowd was already stirred. Whispers grew sharper. “He’s right… Kael was stronger… She couldn’t stop him.”

My chest ached. I wanted to turn away, but then Jason—sweet Jason, the boy I had helped shift—pushed through the circle. He stood tall, his voice shaking but loud. “She saved me. Without her I’d still be stuck halfway between forms. That isn’t a trick. That’s real.”

The young warrior I had just steadied shifted back, collapsing to his knees. He was pale, trembling, but his voice carried. “She didn’t control me. She helped me breathe. I could feel it. She didn’t force me. She held me together.”

The noise of the crowd faltered. Some wolves lowered their heads, uneasy. Others still looked unconvinced, but doubt rippled through them now.

Damian’s hand brushed mine for the briefest moment. A silent anchor.

I straightened my spine. My voice came out steadier than I felt. “I don’t want your titles. I don’t want your power. All I want is to stand here without being treated like a curse. I can’t shift, but I can help. I choose to help. If that makes me dangerous, then maybe you should ask yourselves why.”

The words hung heavy. The silence after was louder than the whispers had been.

Then, from the back, a voice shouted, “If she can help us fight rogues, why are we wasting time arguing?”

The crowd shifted again, voices rising, some in agreement, some in fear. The divide was clear as day. Half saw me as a weapon for them, half as a threat against them.

Damian raised his hand and the noise dropped. His tone was sharp enough to cut. “This pack will not tear itself apart over one wolf. You want to fear her, fear me instead. My word is final. She stays. She is under my protection. And anyone who raises tooth or claw against her answers to me.”

Gasps rippled through the circle. His claim was bold, too bold, but I didn’t dare look at him. My whole body shook from the weight of what had just happened.

Thomas’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing. He turned sharply and walked out of the circle, elders following behind him. Their silence felt heavier than their words.

The crowd began to scatter, but the stares followed me still. Some softer, some sharper, all burning into my back.

Damian’s hand pressed against my back, steadying me as my legs threatened to give out. “You stood your ground,” he murmured.

I wanted to believe him. But as I glanced at the space Thomas had left, a chill spread through me. Standing my ground wasn’t enough. The war for their trust had only just begun.