I’d pictured the pack’s den as some dark, primal hideout—maybe a cave or a secret lair carved into the earth. Instead, it was a big, rustic lodge tucked away in the forest, all weathered wood and a stone fireplace that should’ve felt welcoming. But the wolves inside? Their stares were anything but warm. They sized me up like I was a riddle they didn’t want to solve—or a problem they’d rather just get rid of.

  Kael walked me through the main hall, his hand brushing mine every few steps, a quiet way of saying he wasn’t leaving me to face this alone. Gareth and his guys followed behind, their boots thudding too loud, their silence even louder. We stopped at a long table where three people sat—the elders, I figured. Two men and a woman, all with that timeless look that screamed not human, their eyes cutting through me like they could see straight to my bones.

  The woman in the middle leaned forward, her silver hair glowing in the firelight. “So, this is the hybrid,” she said, her voice silky but sharp around the edges. “Layla Hart, right?”

  I swallowed hard and nodded. “Yeah, that’s me.”

  Kael went rigid next to me, his jaw locked tight. “Elders, she’s here to talk, not to be put on trial.”

  The elder on the left—a stocky guy with a bushy beard—grumbled, “She’s already on trial, Kael. Her being here wakes the First. We can’t pretend that doesn’t matter.”

  “I’m not trying to mess anything up,” I said, stepping forward before Kael could jump in again. “I didn’t choose this, but I’m here to figure it out. To keep it under control.”

  The woman tilted her head, her eyes narrowing like she was trying to see through me. “And what do you think you’ve figured out so far?”

  I paused, feeling the pendant against my skin, warm and heavy. “That I’m part wolf, part vampire. That the First is tied to my blood, and it’s stirring because of me. But I don’t want to be its puppet. I want a different way.”

  The elder on the right—a wiry guy with icy blue eyes—leaned back, his face blank. “A different way? The First doesn’t give options, girl. It expects you to fall in line.”

  “Maybe,” I said, my voice holding steady even though my insides didn’t. “But I’m not rolling over without a fight. I came here to ask for your help—to know what you know about the First, about my family.”

  The elders traded looks, a wordless back-and-forth I couldn’t follow. Then the woman spoke again. “Your grandmother, Rowan, was a guardian. She kept things balanced between wolves and vampires. But your parents…” She glanced at Kael, hesitating. “They crossed lines they shouldn’t have. That choice had a price.”

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  My throat went tight. “I know. But I’m not them. I don’t want to mess up like they did.”

  The bearded elder huffed. “And yet you’ve got a vampire in your corner. Julian Voss, right? That’s not helping your case.”

  Kael’s temper flared. “Julian’s not the bad guy here. He’s been there for her—for us.”

  “Has he?” The wiry elder’s tone was frost-cold. “Or is he working an angle? Vampires don’t do favors for free.”

  A shiver crawled down my back, Julian’s words from before ringing in my head: “Trust breaks easy.” I pushed it aside. “Julian’s not perfect, but he’s not the one glaring at me like I’m the enemy. That’s your pack.”

  The air in the room went taut, a growl rumbling from Gareth behind me. The woman raised a hand, shutting it down. “You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. But guts won’t save you from what’s headed your way.”

  “Then tell me what’s coming,” I said, almost begging. “Help me stop it.”

  They went quiet, the fire snapping in the background. After a long moment, the woman sighed. “There’s a ritual—a binding spell Rowan used to lock the First away ages ago. It needs a guardian’s blood and a sacrifice of power. If you’re really her kin, you might pull it off.”

  Hope sparked in my chest. “Then show me how. I’ll do it.”

  “It’s not that easy,” the wiry elder cut in. “There’s a cost. Rowan couldn’t shift after she did it. You might lose more.”

  I froze, his words hitting hard. “More? Like what?”

  “Your hybrid side,” he said, no sugarcoating it. “You could lose the wolf, the vampire—or both.”

  Kael grabbed my hand, his grip fierce. “No. We’re not doing that. We’ll find something else.”

  But I wasn’t sure. The First’s whispers still hummed in my veins, a countdown I couldn’t ignore. “What if there’s no other option?”

  “There is,” Kael shot back, his eyes burning. “We’ll make one.”

  The woman watched us, her face softening just a touch. “You’ve got until the next full moon to decide. That’s when the First hits its strongest. If you want the ritual, come back. If not…” She didn’t finish, but she didn’t have to.

  I nodded, my mouth dry as dust. “Thanks.”

  As we headed out, the bearded elder barked, “One last thing, hybrid. That vampire of yours—he’s not welcome here. Keep him away, or we’ll handle it.”

  Kael’s jaw ticked, but he kept quiet. We stepped outside, the night air biting and crisp, and I dragged in a shaky breath, trying to calm my spinning head.

  Kael stopped me just shy of the trees, his hands on my shoulders. “You don’t have to go through with this. We’ll find another way.”

  “I know,” I said, looking up at him. “But I’ve got to think about it. If it’s the only shot to stop the First—”

  “It’s not,” he said, fierce as ever. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”

  His certainty steadied me, but doubt still clawed at the edges. The ritual could rip away pieces of me—pieces I was just starting to get. And Julian… the elders’ warning stuck with me. Was he really on my side, or was there more he wasn’t saying?

  Right on cue, Julian slipped out of the shadows, his pale eyes catching the moonlight. “So, how’d it go with the furry council?”

  Kael tensed, but I stepped up, keeping my voice even. “They gave me an option to stop the First—a ritual. But it’s a gamble.”

  Julian’s usual smirk dropped, his gaze sharpening. “What kind of ritual?”

  I laid it out—the blood, the sacrifice, the risk. He stayed calm, but I caught a flash in his eyes—worry, or maybe something cagier.

  “And you’re thinking about it?” he asked, his voice too neutral.

  “I don’t know yet,” I said honestly. “I need time.”

  He nodded, but his stare lingered. “Watch yourself, Layla. Rituals like that—they don’t just take power. They take you.”

  Kael’s hand tightened on my shoulder. “We’ll sort it out. All of us.”

  Julian flicked his eyes to Kael, a quiet spark jumping between them. “Sure. All of us.”

  We headed back toward campus, but the air between us felt thick, heavy with unspoken things. The elders had handed me a choice, but it didn’t feel like freedom. And with every step, I couldn’t shake the nagging sense that the ritual’s real cost might be more than any of us could handle.