Becky POV
The hall erupted.
"Who?"
"On what grounds?"
"That's not fair!"
Voices clashed over one another, anger and fear tangling in the air. Wolves shifted restlessly.
It was as if they wanted to rebel, but I stood quiet, analyzing the situation. Whoever earned the free pass must have done something; there was no need to shout.
The next thing the voice said, "Your time is running; it's better we proceed."
With that, the hall quieted down.
Something in my chest tightened while waiting for the next stage: pride.
Warning.
The runes beneath our feet pulsed once, slow and deliberate.
Silence fell again.
"The eligible participant," the voice said calmly, "was marked by choosing an abandoned room and cleaning it up. A room everyone had run away from—it shows discipline."
I swallowed.
"Was that me?" I knew I had cleaned today.
A sharp heat bloomed at the base of my spine.
My wolf lifted her head inside me, ears flattening.
Alpha…
"No," I whispered. "Don't."
