Cierra:
The silence in the cabin was a physical weight, pressing down on us long after the echo of the slammed door faded. It was the quiet of a world that had just tilted on its axis, leaving us scrambling for footing.
“Council,” Dane said, his voice a low curse. He ran a hand over his face, the easy-going facade he wore like a second skin completely gone. In its place was a raw, predatory stillness. “Tonight. He couldn’t give us a week’s warning? A day’s?”
“He wanted to catch us off guard,” Dominic bit out, his pacing a sharp, angry rhythm on the wooden floor. “He wanted to see us squirm. This isn’t about pack stability. This is about him reminding everyone who’s still in charge.” He stopped, his gaze landing on me, and for a terrifying second, his expression was pure Alpha Maddox—har
