Astrid POV
The night air was cold, and the council chamber cloaked in it like a shroud, but it was not cold by a cool breeze there in the room--it was cold by the rumors. I should have not been here. The Elders had referred to it as a “privileged meeting” their words soaked in desperation and brimming with inanity. I’d followed instinct—and the scent of fear—to the edge of the upper balcony, just above their so-called secret meeting.
From my hidden perch, I could see the shadows of them circled below, voices low but sharp enough to cut. Elder Renard’s voice was unmistakable—bitter and crisp like old bark.
“Alexander is compromised,” he said. “Blinded by love. His attachment to her is putting the entire pack at risk.”
Another voice—soft and slippery—added, “She’s unstable. You’ve seen w
