/-Draven-/

We gathered in the war room—myself, Maleek, Zara, Ryker, Christoph, and several representatives from allied packs. Maleek had just finished relaying everything Aldric had told him, and the silence that followed was heavy with dread.

"The ritual is scheduled for the next full moon," one of the pack representatives said, checking a calendar. "That's less than two weeks away."

"Which means the Shadow Council is accelerating faster than we anticipated," Christoph said grimly. "They ...