IRRITABLE

Kaliyah’s POV

Alpha Torino rose from his seat and swept his gaze across the room. The generals, who had been watching the exchange with bated breath, remained silent as they waited for his decision. Even Akira had surprisingly fallen silent.

Torino’s gaze landed on me, and his eyes softened a bit before he opened his mouth to pass his verdict.

“Kaliyah,” he began, “I acknowledge your passion, your drive to end Asterion’s reign. This fight is obviously personal to you; it's gone beyond a sense of duty or honor. It's about vengeance.”

He paused, and I held my breath, my heart pounding against my ribcage as I waited for his next words. I had already decided to take matters into my own hands in case he rejected me, but still, his acceptance would make things really easy for me.

“But,” his tone turned sterner, “Asterion is no ordinary enemy. He is a hybrid, a force of destruction, a beast who has taken countless lives in his quest for power. I cannot, in good conscience, allow you