AISLYNAshlyn doesn’t wait long to lie.

She never does.

By midday, the pack is summoned to the lower hall, not the great council chamber, but the smaller one, where words echo less and secrets travel faster. The choice alone tells me everything I need to know.

Contain the truth.

Control the damage.

Protect herself.

I stand at the back of the room, half-hidden by shadow, listening.

Ashlyn stands at the front, pale but composed, draped in authority she no longer fully owns. Her scent is sharp ...