KELLY THOMPSON'S POV

The weight of leadership pressed upon me, heavy as the crown that graced my brow. Paul Biansky stood before me, his body a map of bruises and cuts, the toll of his loyalty etched into his flesh.

"Paul," I began, my voice low, threading through the silence of the chamber like a nocturnal whisper. "I need your eyes and ears where we cannot tread. You must slip through the shadows and gather what intelligence you can on Alpha Biansky's movements. Be as cautious as the night ...