The tension inside Silverfang territory spread faster than any wildfire. By the next morning, every wolf in the settlement knew about the argument between the Alpha and the council. News traveled quickly through a pack, but anger moved even faster.
Some wolves supported Ryker; others believed the elders were right. What began as a quiet disagreement soon hardened into open sides.
The council hall filled before midday.
Patrol captains arrived first, followed by farm leaders and senior warriors who represented the outer settlements. The elders had summoned the gathering under the claim that the pack needed clarity before the Rite of Blood Judgment.
In truth, everyone understood that the meeting would decide something far more dangerous.
Whether Silverfang still followed its Alpha.
Mira
