“It’s for you,” Hailey said softly, holding it out. Her eyes lingered on Lenora’s face, not with malice but with quiet searching—as though trying to read something she didn’t dare speak aloud.
Hailey cradled the crystal plaque in her palms, her expression caught somewhere between innocence and desperation. Yet beneath the fragile softness in her eyes was a sharper gleam, one that betrayed intent.
“Lenora,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, deliberately fragile. “Alpha Nathan asked me to deliver this to you. It’s priceless… a true symbol of your dedication. You’re remarkable.”
Lenora arched a brow, recognizing immediately that this was only the beginning. The weight of Hailey’s unspoken request thickened the air. Hailey hesitated, biting her lip before looking up at her through lowered lashes.
“I know it’s not mine,” Hailey said carefully, her tone threaded with feigned humility. “But… could I maybe keep it for a short while? Just to… inspire me?”
Lenora’s wolf bristled at the audacity. Inspire her? This award wasn’t a trinket to be borrowed—it was the culmination of years of loyalty, strategy, and sacrifice. The request alone was insulting.