They didn't waste time.
One hour after I made three Alphas and a Beta kneel in my bedroom, the Council Circle was drawn in the snow behind White Moon packhouse.
It was tradition. When someone challenges for Alpha, you fight in the Circle. No weapons. No pack. Just wolf against wolf until one yields or dies.
Except no one had ever challenged a dying Alpha who didn't want to fight back.
My father stood in the middle of the circle in his wolf form — a huge, tired grey wolf with silver around his muzzle. He was still big, still Alpha, but I could see his back legs shaking. The Rogue poison from the border fights last month was still in his blood. He was dying slowly.
I stood opposite him in human form. I was still in Cade's shirt and pants, now with a fur cloak Rhys had thrown around me.
