The festive atmosphere of the Great Hall evaporated the moment Alpha Kaelen delivered his warning. The musicians packed away their instruments, the casks of honey wine were rolled back into the cellars, and the heavy oak dining table was immediately cleared to make way for a massive, unrolled map of the Northern Territories.
Nightfall had transformed from a sanctuary into a war room.
Rowan stood at the head of the table, his massive hands planted flat against the parchment. Beside him stood Jarek and Alpha Kaelen, along with three other allied Alphas who had already arrived.
Aria stood directly at Rowan’s right side. She wasn't wearing a fragile gown; she wore her dark leather training tunic, the silver hunting dagger strapped securely to her thigh.
"The Southern Delegation will march
