The pack council chambers are a room built on the bones of tradition, where the heavy oak table bears the scars of centuries of Alpha debates.
Darien stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Amias, his jaw so tight it aches. He can feel the weight of a dozen judgmental eyes—the Elders, the high-ranking officers, the men who have spent their lives bowing to the Bellamy name and are now clearly salivating at the chance to tear it down.
At the head of the opposition sits the Beta—Lira's father. His furious grief has been turned into a political weapon aimed at the Bellamys. Beside him, the Gamma nods in stoic agreement, while the Delta, Heidi's foster father, watches with a pained, conflicted silence.
