Rejected: The Alpha's Fatal Mistake
Every seat in the ceremonial circle was filled this time, no empty places, no cautious hedging — Ashborne's Alpha present in person for the first time in over two decades of joint operations, the fifth power's delegation considerably larger than their usual token representation, Ironfang's full war council seated alongside Blackthorn and Nightshade's own combined leadership.
"Five packs," Kade said, opening the summit with words he'd turned over carefully in the days leading up to this moment, aware of exactly how much weight the occasion carried. "The last time this many of us stood united against a single threat, none of us in this hall were alive to remember it properly. I don't intend to