The prophecy was older than the walls around them.
That much was clear from the way the council froze.
No one spoke at first not even the Alpha enforcer. The torches along the chamber walls dimmed, flames shrinking as if they, too, were listening.
She felt it before she heard it.
A pressure deep, coiling winding itself around her spine.
"Read it," one elder whispered hoarsely.
Another shook his head. "Not here."
Her mate stepped closer, his presence a solid anchor at her back. "You will not use her like a legend," he warned.
The Alpha enforcer exhaled slowly. "It was written for her."
A slab of black stone was brought forward, etched with symbols so old they looked carved by claws rather than hands. The moment her eyes touched it, heat surged through her veins.
The markings shifted.
Rearranged.
Spelled her truth.
"Born of ash.
Raised without a pack.
Power unbound by Alpha law."
A crack split the stone.
Gasps echoed through the chamber.
"Continue," she said quietly.
The Alpha enforcer hesitated then spoke the final line.
"She will either save the wolves… or end them."
The chamber erupted.
"She's a threat!"
"She cannot be allowed to awaken fully!"
"This is madness!"
Her power surged in response wild, furious. The floor trembled, forcing silence back into the room.
She lifted her gaze, fire burning unhidden now.
"Then here's the truth you're all afraid to say," she said. "I'm already awake."
Silence.
The Alpha enforcer straightened. "Then the council's decision is simple."
Every instinct in her screamed.
"You will be bound," he continued, "until we are certain which side of the prophecy you belong to."
Her mate snarled. "Over my dead body."
The enforcer's eyes flicked between them. "That… can be arranged."
Outside, thunder split the sky.
And somewhere deep within her, something ancient smiled.