Murmurs spread through the pack. I could feel the weight of their resentment pressing down on me like a vice.
"I didn’t choose him," I said, forcing my voice to stay steady. "I was taken."
Soren let out a sharp laugh. "Taken? You were mated to him for years, Astrid. If you wanted to leave, you would have."
I opened my mouth, then shut it. He wasn’t wrong. For so long, I had convinced myself that Magnus loved me, that things would change. I ignored the signs, the betrayal unfolding right in front of me.
But I wouldn’t ignore it anymore.
"You can hate me all you want," I said, meeting Soren’s gaze. "But I’m not here to beg for your forgiveness. I came back because I have nowhere else to go."
Silence. The pack watched, waiting.
Then, a new voice cut through the air. "Then you stand before the Elders."
My stomach twisted as the crowd parted, revealing the three Elders of the Crimson Pack. Their eyes, old and knowing, bore into me as they motioned for me to step forward.
Asher gave me a small nod. "Go."
I swallowed hard and walked toward them.