I never liked mornings in the Alpha House.

They always smelled of too much tension, too much dominance, too many secrets, too little peace. Today was worse. The walls felt as though they were vibrating with the echo of last night’s argument. A storm had cracked open in this house, and if the rumours spreading through the pack were even half true, we were all standing in the splash zone.

I tightened the sash of my robe and pushed open the balcony doors. The cold morning air hit my face, sharp ...