The Gamma pretended to cough into his hand.
Victor’s nostrils flared.
His gaze slid to Lucian, searching for a hint of disapproval he could build on.
Lucian was watching me.
“You surprised them,” he said, mostly to me, once the elders began muttering over strategy details again.
“You surprised me,” he added under his breath.
“Maybe you never really looked at me,” I replied quietly.
He held my gaze for a long heartbeat.
“Maybe,” he said.
***
The meeting dragged on longer than I liked—maps unrolled, schedules debated, elders clinging to old habits like lifelines.
Every so often, I inserted a simple, pointed question:
“What do the human settlements near that border see?”
“When was the last time someone outside the pack was actually asked what they’ve noticed?”
“Who benefits if
