The council meeting was set before dawn. The entire council hall was heavy with silence and tension; the air thick enough to choke on. Every elder, every officer of rank, and every head of department in the pack had gathered—each one burning with questions about the rumors spreading like wildfire through the estate.
The double doors opened, and Alpha Theo walked in. Beta Matt followed closely behind him, his face equally grim.
The low murmuring that had filled the hall stopped instantly. All eyes turned to the Alpha.
Theo’s expression was unreadable, carved in stone. His steps were slow but deliberate as he reached the center of the room. He stood there for a moment, scanning the faces before him—the elders, the warriors, the healers, the scribes. All of them waiting for him to speak.
