“I want everyone here. No excuses,” Elias said sharply, his voice cutting through the cold air of the council chamber.
I stood beside him, my palms sweaty despite the chill. The long oak table stretched out before us, filled with high-ranking members of Elias’s pack. Warriors, strategists, advisors—including Rowan. My heart clenched when my gaze met his. He looked back at me without flinching.
“Tell me again why he’s still allowed in this room,” I whispered to Elias under my breath.
He didn’t look at me, just gave a slight shake of his head. “Because we need answers. And we get them better when the snake thinks he’s still in the garden.”
Rowan folded his arms. “You summoned us here. So talk, Alpha. Or are we playing games now?”
Elias’s jaw twitched. “We’ve been betrayed.”
The silence
