The council hall filled long before the summons hour arrived. Silverfang warriors crowded the stone chamber, and their voices rose in restless waves that echoed against the vaulted ceiling. Torches burned along the walls, and their flames flickered with every surge of heated breath and movement. The smell of blood still lingered in the air from the battlefield outside the borders.
Three bodies had been brought back at dawn. Every wolf in the territory knew its name, and every wolf wanted justice.
Ryker stood at the front of the chamber beside the long council table. His posture remained straight and controlled, although exhaustion weighed heavily on his shoulders. He had not slept since the attack began. He had barely spoken since the last body had been carried through the gates.
The pa
