Draven's POV Councilman Thorne settled into the chair across from my desk like he owned it. Like he had every right to be here at this hour, in my study, interrupting my work. I didn't sit. I stood behind my desk with my hands flat on the surface and waited. "Thank you for seeing me," he said. "I know it's late. But I thought it best we have this conversation sooner rather than later." "About what, exactly?" He smiled. That same warm, reasonable smile he wore at every council meeting. The one that had fooled everyone for eighteen years. "About the future," he said. "Yours. Mine. The pack's." He leaned back in the chair, completely at ease. "I've been watching you, Draven. You're ambitious. That's not a criticism—I respect ambition. I have it myself. The difference is, I've learned how to make it work for me." I said nothing. Let him talk. "You've built something here," he continued, gesturing vaguely at the room. "A position. Influence. The Alpha's ear. The marriage to the Beta
Last Updated : 2026-07-19 Read more