Sophia’s heart felt like it was being ripped apart by the harsh judgments and unfeeling remarks. She stood defiant, her anger igniting a fire that matched the one blazing in the center of the clearing. “I have sacrificed everything for this pack. Matthew’s life was in danger, and you think I should just—”
“Where is Matthew?” Felix demanded, his voice cutting through her words. “If you have nothing to hide, bring him out now.”
The demand was a slap in the face. Sophia’s breath caught in her throat, the weight of her grief and the pack’s hostility nearly overwhelming her. “You don’t understand. He’s—”
“Enough,” Felix barked. “Either you bring him out or we’ll take the matter into our own hands.”
The confrontation exposed the painful divide between Sophia’s unrecognized sacrifice and the pack’s superficial values. The stark contrast between the pack’s hollow joy and her profound loss was unbearable. She felt like an outsider in the very place she had once called home, her grief compounded by the scorn and demands of those she had once trusted.