The council chamber did not empty after Toren’s challenge. Instead, the tension in the stone hall grew so strong that it was hard to breathe. Some warriors stood close to Toren, while others stayed close to Ryker. The elders talked quietly to each other, and their conversations had a clear smell of planning.
Mira stood where the guards had left her, only a few steps behind Ryker. She watched the fracture spreading through Silverfang with growing clarity. The pack that had once moved like a single body now shifted like separate limbs pulling in different directions.
Ryker remained at the center of the circle, tall and unmoving, and Toren stood across from him with several warriors behind his shoulder. The challenge hung in the air, waiting to be accepted or denied.
Elder Garrick lifted h
