The council chamber felt colder than usual. Shadows clung to the high stone arches, flickering with the light of the fire in the massive hearth. Nyra sat stiffly at the end of the table, unsure why Kael had insisted she attend this meeting. It wasn’t often the Alpha summoned her for council matters.
Torren was already there, leaning back in his chair with that lazy confidence that came naturally to him, though his eyes tracked every movement in the room. Across from him, Lucan’s gaze flicked between Nyra and the closed double doors, his expression unreadable.
Kael stood at the head of the table, hands braced against the polished wood, his presence filling the room with quiet dominance. “Something was found on the southern patrol,” he said, his voice carrying that low, commanding edge.
A
