A chill slithered down my spine, its icy fingers wrapping around my heart. I felt Jason's hand seek mine, a silent vow of shared strength, as the weight of the revelation bore down upon us.

"Thank you," I said, nodding to dismiss the winded messengers. With every breath, my mind raced, conjuring strategies and contingencies. There was no room for fear now; it had been devoured whole by the fire of my determination.

"Jason, Alpha Biansky, Elder Matthias," I began, turning to the men whose ...