The Alpine pack house didn’t feel like a battleground.
It felt like a family waiting for a decision that would shape their future.
Three chairs were set at the front of the great hall for the claimants. Hundreds of pack members filled the space behind them. No weapons visible. No posturing. Just tension so thick it pressed against my lungs.
I stood at the center with Caden and Ezra slightly behind me, Thorne and Morgan at either side. Damon had stayed silent all morning, observing the undercurrents.
“This is not a trial,” I began, letting my voice carry without using the Alpha Voice. “It’s a conversation. A decision based on what this territory needs—not what tradition demands or what ambition desires.”
Marcus, the Beta, nodded slightly.
Christine, the Gamma, studied me with sharp in
