I sit at the head of the oak table, the hearth fire fading. Dinner’s scent still lingers as the meeting begins. Sienna sits to my right, her hand inches from mine; Rowena stands silent by the window. Opposite us, Thorne, Garrick, and two other elders watch, their faces etched by years of hard decisions.The silence feels dangerous.Thorne clears his throat first, his deep voice cutting through the room. “We need to address what happened at dinner. Sienna’s… proposal.”Sienna straightens beside me. I can feel the tension rolling off her through our bond.“I only suggested we help other packs,” she says, her voice steady but edged. “The protests in Europe are escalating. If we do nothing, it will reach us eventually. This is our fight too.”Thorne leans forward, his old eyes narrowing. “Your fight? Or another distraction?”I see Sienna flinch.“Laura is dying,” Thorne continues, not unkindly but firmly. “Your grandmother’s condition is weighing on you. We all understand grief. But rushing
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