Alpha Marcus Shadowpine's POV I watched Aria Nightborne walk away from the neutral meeting ground with the kind of careful attention I reserved for evaluating potential threats or opportunities. After two hours of negotiation, I still wasn't entirely sure which category she fell into. "What do you think?" my advisor Elena asked as we gathered our own materials for the return journey. "I think Silver Moon Pack has produced something remarkable." "In what way?" "In every way that matters for pack leadership." I'd come to this meeting expecting to deal with either Alpha Lysander's continued authority or a young heir who would try to prove herself through aggressive territorial defense. What I'd encountered instead was someone who approached complex problems with the kind of strategic th

