Three days passed in a blur of planning and preparation. Lyra drilled me relentlessly in combat while Kael taught me the intricacies of pack politics and Council operations. Elena and her surviving warriors were questioned repeatedly, their stories cross-referenced and analysed for inconsistencies.
The picture that emerged was terrifying.
The Council of Five controlled everything. Trade routes, territory disputes, and even which wolves were allowed to mate with whom. They had been operating in secret for two decades, slowly consolidating power while the rest of the wolf world remained oblivious.
And now they knew about me.
On the fourth night, I lay in my hidden cave unable to sleep again. My body was exhausted from training, but my mind would not quiet. Too many variables. Too many th
