The cave stank of damp stone and wolf musk, the air thick with smoke from torches wedged into cracks in the jagged walls. Water dripped somewhere deep in the tunnels, steady as a heartbeat, but it did nothing to drown out the sound of restless rogues shifting in the shadows. Their claws scratched against the stone, their growls simmered beneath the surface, and the air itself seemed charged with hunger and rage.
At the center of it all, Drevon paced like a caged predator. His boots crunched on loose gravel as his pale eyes flicked from torchlight to shadow, studying his pack as if weighing each wolf’s worth. His presence alone was enough to silence their whispers. He didn’t need to snarl or lift a hand. They feared him enough to keep their voices low.
Word of the Council meeting had reac
