ANGER

In the dimly lit confines of Alpha Ralph’s pack house, tension hung thick in the air. The faint flicker of candlelight cast eerie shadows on the walls as Ralph paced restlessly in his office, his jaw clenched tight. He could feel the anger bubbling within him, ready to spill over.

“Carl,” Ralph’s voice thundered, echoing against the wooden panels. He turned to face Carl, who stood with his shoulders hunched, his gaze averted, knowing he was in for a severe reprimand. “What were you thinking? Do you have any idea how much you’ve messed up?”

Carl’s heart raced as he braced himself for the scolding. He had expected Ralph’s reaction, but hearing it spoken aloud made the gravity of his failure hit hard. “I...I thought we were targeting Damien’s weakness. His mother was a liability..”

“A liability?” Ralph interrupted, his voice rising. “You killed the one person who could have helped us leverage this situation in our favor! Mrs. Lauren was a powerful ally, and now she’s dead, and for what?