The Great Hall was a cavern of tense, simmering silence. Ryker stood near the hearth, his arms crossed, a thundercloud of suspicion radiating from him. Zane stood at his side, his expression conflicted. A few other senior warriors were scattered around the room, their faces grim and watchful. They were all here, waiting to see what new madness their Luna had concocted.

I learned from Zane later that Ryker had almost refused my command to bring Kade in. But in the end, his curiosity-or perhaps his desire to see me hang myself with my own rope-had won out. He wanted to see the whole play.

Kade was the last to enter, escorted by Zane. He looked small and lost in the vast hall, his eyes darting around nervously, avoiding the stares of the others. He hadn't set foot in this room in months, and the weight of his exile was etched into the nervous slump of his shoulders.

I descended the grand staircase, forgoing the elaborate gowns in my wardrobe for a simple, dark tunic and leggings. My face was bare of makeup, my hair pulled back in a simple braid. I wanted them to see me, not the caricature of a tyrant they expected.

The Alpha and Luna had their own thrones, two massive chairs of carved stone and fur, set on a raised dais. I walked to the dais but didn't ascend. I stood before it, on the same level as everyone else.

It was a small gesture, but I saw it register in Ryker's eyes. A flicker of surprise.

My gaze swept over them all, landing finally on him. "I've called this meeting for two reasons," I began, my voice clear and steady in the heavy silence.

I pointed to the corner of the hall, where Solwing had discreetly piled the crates of food I'd purchased. A collective gasp went through the room as they saw the sheer quantity of it.

"First," I announced, "effective immediately, all pack food stores will be managed and distributed by Beta Zane. He will ensure every member of this pack, from the highest warrior to the youngest pup, receives a fair and equal share."

Zane stared at me, dumbfounded. I had just handed him one of the most significant sources of power in a starving pack.

"Second," I continued, turning my attention to the boy hovering near the door. "By my authority as Luna, I formally revoke the order of exile against Kade Blackwood. He is reinstated as a full member of the Silver Ridge Pack, with all rights and privileges thereof."

Kade's head snapped up, his eyes wide with disbelief.

I offered him a small, tired smile. My voice softened. "Welcome home, Kade."

Tears welled in his eyes, and his gaze shot to his brother, searching Ryker's face for confirmation, for permission to believe.

Ryker's expression was a complex storm of emotions. I had just done two things that were undeniably good, undeniably *right* for the pack. But his hatred was a fortress, and he couldn't, wouldn't, believe it was genuine.

He took a step forward, his voice a blade of ice that sliced through the fragile hope in the room.

"A magnificent performance, Elara."

All eyes snapped to him.

"Food and pardons," he sneered, his lip curling. "Excellent tools for buying loyalty."

He locked his golden eyes on mine, and his voice dropped to a deadly, accusatory hiss. "But tell me, how do you plan to pay for the lives of Corbin and Silas Thorne? The two mates you sent on a suicide mission to the Bloodfang Territory to steal a trinket for your lover?"

The names, the accusation, exploded in the hall like a bomb. I saw shock and horror on the faces of warriors who hadn't known the full story.

My blood ran cold. This was it. The one thing I couldn't explain, the one sin I couldn't undo with food or pardons. I didn't know the details. I didn't know the mission. I didn't have an alibi.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. What could I say? *It wasn't me? I'm from another dimension?*

My silence was my confession.

I saw the hope in Kade's eyes die, extinguished by the cold, hard reality of his friends' fate. His gaze, which had held a flicker of gratitude moments before, was now filled with the same hostile suspicion as his brother's.

Ryker advanced on me, his voice trembling with a rage he could barely contain. "Did you think a few crates of bread would make us forget the blood debt you owe? That you sent our brothers to die?"

I was trapped. Cornered by a past that wasn't mine, judged for a crime I didn't commit. In the face of his righteous fury, all my careful plans, all my desperate efforts, crumbled into dust.

Chapter 7

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