The summons arrived before noon, stamped with the Elder Council’s silver crescent.Darius stood in the council chamber, the formal invitation heavy in his hand. The formality was the weapon. It signaled that this was not a discussion between pack leaders, but a tribunal disguised as tradition.Behind the curved table sat Corvin, Maera, and three elder witnesses. Cassia was absent. Mira had not been invited.Corvin folded his hands over a leather-bound ledger. His voice was smooth, practiced, and utterly devoid of warmth.“The pack is unsettled, Alpha,” Corvin said. “Your private actions in the Moon Rite passage have created public confusion.”Darius recognized the trap instantly. They were not asking what had happened beneath the stone. They were demanding he stop acting as if anything had happened at all.Maera sat perfectly still, her pale hands clasped in her lap. Her expression was serene, almost maternal.“Some truths must be handled slowly, Alpha,” she murmured. “Some wounds bec
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