The morning sun was bright, its rays casting golden streaks across the dusty town square. The air buzzed with tension, thick enough to choke on. A makeshift table had been set in the middle of the plaza—nothing fancy, just a few planks and chairs—but the importance of what was about to happen made it feel like a throne room.
The crowd had already gathered, spilling out of alleyways and doorways, lining the edges of the square with eager eyes and hushed whispers. Word had spread like wildfire that the Snow Leopard Clan and the Lion King were about to negotiate face-to-face, with the mysterious wolf mate of Alpha Ronan acting as the wolf clan's representative.
Most of the townsfolk had never seen Riven before. They had imagined someone… Softer. Weaker. Rumours painted him as a quiet, delicate mate, Ronan had hidden away. Some even whispered he was just a pretty face—someone kept for show, not politics.
