My breath caught in my chest. An invisible weight settled over my shoulders.
“We’re hoping it’s isolated,” Lucian added, trying to sound neutral. “A few scattered rogue packs, maybe. Unconnected. Ambitious. But we’re preparing for worse.”
Alpha Vander leaned forward, expression grim. “Then my retirement will have to wait. If this escalates, we’ll need to lead together. Shoulder to shoulder.”
Lucian nodded once, the weight of legacy and leadership evident in his eyes.
“I would’ve told you to sit this one out,” Vander added. “But you’re the one with the active Alpha mark now. If war comes, we face it together.”
Lucian’s eyes flicked toward me, just for a moment. I knew what he was doing—scanning, gauging my reaction. My expression must’ve betrayed me because he reached under the table a
