Chapter 25

KAI

The tension in the conference room was palpable, thickening the air with a weight that made it hard to breathe. I sat at the head of the table, staring at the faces of the lords and elders, their expressions a mix of frustration and fear. Ten more guards had been killed at the borders. The whispers of something darker creeping closer were spreading, and I could feel the panic taking root in the pack.

“We can’t wait any longer,” Lord Armand said, his voice strained. “The pack is scared, Kai. Rumors of a war are circulating, and the people are losing faith. They’re angry, and they’re terrified.”

I looked around the table, my hands clenched into fists beneath the table. They were right. The fear in the pack was becoming too much to ignore. I had heard it myself—people whispering about what was happening at the borders, the strange killings, the rumors of an impending war. The pack needed leadership, and I was running out of time.

“I’m working on it,” I said, keeping my voice steady,