"Forgive me, King Jason," he interjected, "but can we truly rely on this alliance? Our packs have been solitary bastions for centuries. How can we trust each other when the shadows lengthen?"

His words hung heavy in the room, and I felt a ripple of unease pass through the assembly. The unity we sought was fraying at the edges before it could even take form.

"Marlon has a point," another leader added, emboldened by his colleague's doubt. "What assurance do we have that our secrets, our ...