*Starblood Pack — High Council Hall, Evening*

Tonight, every chair was filled.

Leaders of three great packs… Starblood, Moonlight, and Greenwood sat shoulder to shoulder. 

Betas, elders, and a handful of trusted advisors clustered behind them. The air buzzed with tension, the kind that felt like lightning straining to strike.

Ryder stood at the head of the circle. His presence filled the chamber before he even spoke, golden eyes sharp, his wolf prowling restless beneath his skin. 

He ...