Nathan's POV

The pack was a mess, a patchwork of destruction and quiet despair. The sight of it was a knife to my gut, a stark reminder of my failure. But the guilt had to wait. I had business to attend to. I had to face the elders, the very men who had put me in this position.

I walked into the council hall, the air thick with the scent of anger and resentment. The elders, their faces grim were already seated around the large oak table. They looked at me with a cold disdain, a silent ...