Chapter 35: Pride and Power
(Steven's POV)
Territory negotiations were dragging. The same issues, the same disputes. My patience was running dangerously thin. My fingers drummed against the desk in my private council chamber, an outlet for the irritation bubbling beneath my calm exterior.
Papers lay in front of me: proposals, agreements, documents that demanded my attention. Yet I couldn’t bring myself to focus. The crystal communication device on my desk lit up with a quiet chime, catching my eye. Scarlett’s name flashed on the screen, a subtle distraction I hadn’t expected.
She was active on the pack crystal network. Again. Her healing demonstrations, glowing with golden energy, were making the rounds. She was showing young wolves how to perfect advanced techniques. My wolf stirr
