The main hall was packed. Every wolf in the sanctuary had answered the call, their faces ranging from curious to concerned. I stood beside Duke at the front, my hand resting protectively on my swollen belly as our pup kicked restlessly, as if sensing the tension in the room.
Duke's Alpha command rolled through the space, bringing instant silence. "Thank you all for coming. I won't waste time with pleasantries. We have a situation."
He laid it out plainly- Marcus's coalition of six traditional packs, the Council hearing in two weeks, the very real possibility that armed wolves could arrive at our borders before then.
The reaction was immediate and chaotic.
"We should scatter," someone called from the back. "Disappear before they can find us."
"And go where?" Maya shot back, standing. "
