Kane Luna was about to say something before Darren called me I had to hurry not to keep them waiting they're already suspicious. The corridor leading to the council chambers felt like a walk to an execution. Each step echoed in my ears, of countless sacrifices I'd made to keep my pack safe. To keep Luna safe. Elder Miriam's voice reached me before I even entered the room, sharp as a blade. "Alpha Kane," she called the moment I crossed the threshold. "We need to discuss final preparations." The council chamber felt like a tomb - cold, suffocating, filled with the weight of unspoken expectations. Elder Miriam's voice cut through my thoughts like a knife, each word a reminder of the chains that bound me. "The merger is nearly complete," she announced, her fingers drumming against an anc

