The Great Assembly Hall of the Moonrise Pack stretched before Aria like an overwhelming chasm. Usually reserved for pack-wide pronouncements or celebrations, its vaulted ceiling towered above, supported by massive, rough-hewn timbers that had stood for centuries. Sunlight, fractured into dusty beams by high windows, illuminated the dense crowd packed onto tiered benches, their collective presence a weight in the air. Every face was turned toward the central dais where the elders sat, their expressions a mix of grim expectation and simmering curiosity.
Aria stood just beyond the dais, a solitary figure in a simple, dark tunic that did little to hide the gentle curve of her pregnancy. Her hands, clasped before her, trembled slightly—not from fear, but from anticipation. The air around her w
