The adulation of the pack was a fire that warmed but did not burn. It was a tool, like any other, and I could not afford to be intoxicated by it. As the cheers finally began to subside, the practical reality of our situation descended like a cold mist. We had a traitor in the dungeons, a compromised council, and an enemy who had just proven they could strike at the very heart of our territory.
I turned to Kaelen, who had risen to his feet, his expression a complex map of resignation and rekindled purpose. "The Keep is on lockdown. No one in or out without your direct authorization. I want every member of the council questioned, their loyalties examined. The rot goes deeper than Harren."
He gave a sharp, businesslike nod. The Alpha was back in his element, his authority now channeled thro
