The days following the pack's revelation blurred together in a haze of meetings, training sessions, and careful diplomacy that left Lyra more exhausted than the battle itself had. Kael spent long hours in his study drafting letters to neighboring Alphas, weighing which territories might be persuaded to send aid against Vane and which would view the entire situation as none of their concern until the rogue king's army reached their own borders.
"The Ashwood Pack owes us an old debt," Kael said one afternoon, spreading a territorial map across the desk while Lyra and Damian looked on. "My father intervened in a border dispute for their Alpha's grandfather two generations ago. It's a thin thread to pull, but it might be enough to secure their support."
"And the Thornfield Pack?" Damian aske
