The next evening, the communal dining hall thrummed with life. Long oak tables groaned under platters of slow-roasted boar glazed in rosemary and honey, heaps of buttery mashed roots, honey-glazed carrots still steaming, and baskets of fresh rolls so warm they fogged the air when torn open. Laughter rolled like thunder under the high rafters, training mishaps already morphing into pack legend, exaggerated gestures and sound effects included, almost everyone was eager to train now, if only to watch their alpha's mate make a fool of himself.
Anthony sat near the center of the head table, Hazel’s deliberate choice and a quiet declaration: the rogue was under her protection, plate piled mountain-high with boar and rolls. He was halfway through demolishing it, fork moving like a man who’d fina
