The corridors outside the council chamber feel narrower than they did on the way in, or maybe that is just the tension tightening my awareness until every sound and movement presses in too close, because the moment the doors shut behind us, the carefully controlled calm of the meeting fractures into something sharper and more volatile. Voices rise immediately, not shouting but layered and intent, Alphas clustering in small groups with their Betas at their shoulders, already negotiating futures that have not been officially decided yet.
Adam does not stop walking.
He keeps his pace steady and deliberate, guiding us down the long stone hall without touching me, but close enough that I feel the constant, grounding presence of him through the bond, and I let that guide me as much as his phys
