The council chamber was colder than usual, though no windows stood open. Tension had a way of chilling bone deeper than winter air. Wolves gathered shoulder to shoulder, their murmurs echoing like restless thunder.

Bella stood beside Alfred, her palms damp despite the shawl wrapped tight around her. Every time she stepped into this chamber, it felt less like a hall of guidance and more like a battlefield where words cut sharper than claws.

Elder Marcus raised his hand. “Silence.”

The ...